George Orwell

George Orwell’s popularity as a writer is based on two main books, namely: 1984 and Animal Farm. Even though both books were published towards the end of his life, they received much acclaim and even got converted into numerous films and TV shows. The most notable one, 1984, was published in his final stages following a long battle with tuberculosis.

Drawing inspiration from World War II, Orwell presented readers with a world that is split into three different classes, with the upper-middle-class being the educated that is hesitant to stand up for their rights. He showcased what would happen if citizens were to ever let themselves be divided along with these classes and give more power to a single entity or individual. With regard to Animal Farm, the novel revolved around the Russian revolution and was largely anti-Stalinist. Whatever Orwell wrote was relevant back then in 20^th century. But who leavingwas Orwell?

Family life

George Orwell was born to a British civil servant, the only brother to two sisters (Older sister Marjorie and their last born Avril). He spent his first few days in India where his parents were stationed. A few weeks after his birth, the mother brought him and his older sister back to England, leaving their father behind. The author never had a solid relationship with the dad. This was because of the father’s involvement in civil leadership, as well as his dull and conservative personality.

Orwell got married in June 1936 to Eileen O’Shaughnessy and raised an adopted son whom he named after one of his ancestors – Richard Horatio Blair.

In 1936, Orwell was part of the team of soldiers that joined the Spanish civil war. It was in the same war that he got shot in the neck, rendering him unable to speak for weeks. Through thorough treatment and support from his wife, he managed to recover from the injury. However, he never got over tuberculosis, to which he succumbed in 1950, leaving us with ideas and works that continue to be relevant today as they were back then.

Education

By the time Orwell was old enough to start schooling, he was sent to boarding as it was the tradition back then for English boys. In 1911, he joined St. Cyprian, located in the coastal town of Eastbourne, where he got exposed to the British class system for the first time. One of the things he quickly saw was that rich kids were treated much better than children from poor families.

He spent the majority of his time on books because he was not a popular kid amongst his peers. Due to his brilliance, Orwell earned scholarships to Eton College and Wellington College to further his studies. After graduating from Eton, Orwell was unable to continue to the university due to financial reasons. As a result, he joined the Indian Imperial police as a police officer in 1922. He resigned five years later and returned to England determined to carve a career as a writer.

Writing career

He had a strong passion for writing. Indeed it was a smart move as he got the chance to handle a wide range of writing opportunities. During World War II, he worked as a propagandist for the British colonial authorities but stepped down, stating that it was a waste of public funds. Around the same time, he worked for a socialist newspaper as a literary editor.