A Biography of George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair By Mr. Quick “Men can only be happy when they do not assume that the object of life is happiness.”

Biographical Information June 25, 1903-January 21, 1950 ~~ Place of Birth: Motihari, India (now Bihar) Place of Death: London, England Nationality: British Best known for his satirical novels Animal Farm Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Biographical Information ….continued He was the son of Ida Mabel née Limouzin (1875–1943) and Richard Walmesley Blair (1857–1938). In 1936 Blair and once student of J.R.R. Tolkien, Eileen O'Shaughnessy ( ), married. In 1944 they would adopt a son Richard Horatio.

Early Life & Schooling At the age of one Blair and his mother settled in England; his father joined them in At the age of five, Blair entered the Anglican Parish School of Henley-on-Thames which he attended for two years before entering the prestigious St. Cyprian’s school in Sussex. Corporal punishment was common in the day and possibly a source of his initial resentment towards authority.

Schooling Blair earned a scholarship to “the most costly and snobbish of the English Public Schools” Eton College where he attended between 1917 and 1921.

Paris and London In the first 6 months after his decision, Blair went on what he thought of as an expedition to the East End of London to become acquainted with the poor people of England. As a base, he rented a room in Notting Hill. In the spring, he rented a room in a working-class district of Paris

Indian Civil Service Blair went to Burma (now Myanmar) to join the Indian Imperial Police. During the next five years, he grew to love the Burmese and resent the oppression of Imperialism and decided to become a writer instead.

Spanish Civil War In July 1936 the Spanish Civil War broke, and Orwell went to Spain. After his arrival in Barcelona, he joined the militia of the POUM (Partido Obrero de Unificacion Marxista) and served with them in action in January 1937.

Spanish Civil War He transferred to the British Independent Labour Party Contingent serving with the POUM militia and was wounded. His experiences in Spain had made him into a revolutionary Socialist.

World War II After World War II began, Orwell wanted to join the military. The Army, however, rejected him as physically unfit, but later he served for a period in the home guard and as a fire watcher. The Orwells moved to London in May 1940.

World War II In early 1941 he commenced writing "London Letters" for Partisan Review. In August he joined the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) as a producer in the Indian section. He remained in this position until 1943.

Career Path Chose to live in poverty Worked as a dishwasher Wrote Down and Out in Paris and London Exposed harsh working conditions of the poor Investigated England’s coal- mining industry Wrote The Road to Wigan Pier Exposed terrible conditions of the miners

To Make Ends Meet Writing wasn’t paying the bills Other jobs: 1. Teacher 2. Grocer 3. Bookshop assistant 4. BBC writer Fought in Spanish Civil War against communists Shot in the throat in battle Wrote about this war – Homage to Catalonia

Effects of These Jobs Grew to hate a “class system” Became a socialist – Socialism All goods in a country are shared with others No one has more than others For example, “You have two cows. The government takes one and gives it to your neighbor.”

1943 The year 1943 was an important one in Orwell's life for several reasons. – His mother died in March. – He left the BBC to become literary editor of the Tribune. – The most important event occurred late that year, when he commenced the writing of Animal Farm. – Orwell had completed this satire by February 1944.

Animal Farm Published in 1945 Wrote it “to expose [Joseph] Stalin’s perversion of socialism” Fusion of “political and artistic purpose” Immediate commercial ($) success Quickly translated into many languages

In 1946, he settled on Jura off the coast of Scotland Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) is an elaborate satire on modern politics, prophesying a world perpetually laid waste by warring dictators. Orwell entered a London hospital in September 1949 and the next month married Sonia Brownell. He died in London on Jan. 21, Final Years.

Final Thoughts Suffered a tubercular hemorrhage (lung bleed) Died in 1950 at age of 46 “Writing a book is a long, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven by some demon whom one can neither resist or understand.”

“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.” ~George Orwell

Works Cited Cover of Novel Animal Farm. 12 Oct < 400wm.HBC >. Cover of Novel Oct Ershler, Norman. The Orwell Reader Nov George Orwell’s BBC Union Card. 12 Oct George Orwell’s Gravesite. 12 Oct George Orwell’s Older Face. 12 Oct George Orwell’s Younger Face. 12 Oct Sammis, Kathy. Perma-Guides to Literature. Jacksonville, Illinios: Perma-Bound Books, Stewart, Garrett. "Orwell, George." World Book Online Reference Center Mountain Pointe High School, Phoenix, AZ. 18 Oct