2. George Orwell
Shooting an Elephant

3. Background Eric Blair Born in 1903
Motihari, Bengal (at the time a British colony for India)
At age 1, moved to England where he grew up

4. Education Very successful in school.
First poem at age 4
Received numerous scholarships and awards for his academics
Attended both Wellington and Eton college
Some professors did not like him because of his disrespect of authority
Went to Burma after Eton

5. After college, Eric joined the Indian Imperial Police in Burma
5 years in Burma
He resigned and returned to England, hating imperalism
Burmese Days as well as "Shooting an Elephant” are based off of his experiences in Burma.

6. Why I Write (1947)
“First I spent five years in an unsuitable profession (the Indian Imperial Police, in Burma), and then I underwent poverty and the sense of failure. This increased my natural hatred of authority and made me for the first time fully aware of the existence of the working classes, and the job in Burma had given me some understanding of the nature of imperialism: but these experiences were not enough to give me an accurate political orientation. Then came Hitler, the Spanish Civil War, etc. By the end of 1935 I had still failed to reach a firm decision.”

7. Influence Increased his hatred of authority
Gave him an understanding of the working class
The heart of the culture and economy
Experiencing imperialism first hand; sparked a political interest

8. George Orwell? Pen name George: the patron saint of England
Orwell: River Orwell in England

9. The End
Kristen Covington