Childhood
Born Eric Arthur Blair, George Orwell created some of the sharpest satirical fiction of the 20th century with such works as Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four [1]. Orwell's father was a British civil servant stationed in India at the time of Orwell's birth, and spent his first days thence. It was at around the time of his first birthday that Orwell's mother brought he and his older sister, Marjorie, to England, and settled down in a remote village in Henley-on-Thames. By parting with his father at such a young age, Orwell did not exactly know his father until the age of nine, when his father retired from the service; but even then and after, the pair of them did not feel strongly of each other either, since, as described by Orwell, that his father was "an extremely dull and conservative person".
Orwell, bitten by a writing bug at a very young age, was able to write simple poems by the age of four. During his time in primary school, Orwell was easily and consistently the best writer in his school, often marveled by his teachers and classmates. Nevertheless, his first real literary success came at the age of eleven - when one of his great-as-usual poems got published in the local newspapers.
Orwell, bitten by a writing bug at a very young age, was able to write simple poems by the age of four. During his time in primary school, Orwell was easily and consistently the best writer in his school, often marveled by his teachers and classmates. Nevertheless, his first real literary success came at the age of eleven - when one of his great-as-usual poems got published in the local newspapers.
Life at school
In 1911 at the age of eight, Orwell, like most other boys in England, was sent to a boarding school. He went to St. Cyprian's in the coastal town of Eastbourne, where he started his studies on a partial scholarship offered by the school; and noticed that the school treated the poorer students worse than the richer students, which he felt strongly about.
Orwell, not being very popular with his peers, found comfort instead from reading books, which he felt was able to shield him from difficult situations. His favorite authors, amongst all, were Rudyard Kipling and H.G.Wells. With his natural literary genius and talent, whatever he lacked, he was able to make it up for with his pen. Orwell was in fact able to utilize his pen - his "magical tool" anywhere, allowing him to easily win full scholarships Wellington College and Eton College to continue his studies.
Unfortunately, after finishing his schooling in Eton college, he found himself at a dead end: Orwell's family did not have sufficient money to send him to a University. Here, for the first time in Orwell's life as a writer, was he thwarted, and was hence forced to do something he had never thought of doing before...
Orwell, not being very popular with his peers, found comfort instead from reading books, which he felt was able to shield him from difficult situations. His favorite authors, amongst all, were Rudyard Kipling and H.G.Wells. With his natural literary genius and talent, whatever he lacked, he was able to make it up for with his pen. Orwell was in fact able to utilize his pen - his "magical tool" anywhere, allowing him to easily win full scholarships Wellington College and Eton College to continue his studies.
Unfortunately, after finishing his schooling in Eton college, he found himself at a dead end: Orwell's family did not have sufficient money to send him to a University. Here, for the first time in Orwell's life as a writer, was he thwarted, and was hence forced to do something he had never thought of doing before...
New career, new life
Unable to continue to study in University, Orwell was forced to join the India Imperial Police Force in 1922, at the age of 19. However, after five years, he saw not much point in this career, and henceforth resigned his post at the age of 24 - he was extremely eager and intent to put his pen to life.
It is not easy for any writer to simply begin so tedious a career, especially when they are a nobody to the world: and Orwell was not an exception. He struggled for a few years to let fly his career as a writer, and it was in the year 1933 (age 30) that he successfully published his first major work: Down and Out in Paris and London. Thereafter Orwell's life was made easy, continuously publishing books that talk about his own life and experiences, as well as his views and opinions on the outside world.
It is not easy for any writer to simply begin so tedious a career, especially when they are a nobody to the world: and Orwell was not an exception. He struggled for a few years to let fly his career as a writer, and it was in the year 1933 (age 30) that he successfully published his first major work: Down and Out in Paris and London. Thereafter Orwell's life was made easy, continuously publishing books that talk about his own life and experiences, as well as his views and opinions on the outside world.
twisted fate
However, the fates were not always in Orwell's favor. In 1937 which was the time of the Spanish Civil War, he joined one of the groups in Spain that were fighting against General Francisco Franco. Tragically, he was injured badly in the throat and the arm, ending up being paralyzed for numerous days. Even after his return to England, Orwell was plagued with many periods of sicknesses, especially the ever-worsening diagnosis of Tuberculosis, which landed him for several months in the Preston Hall Sanatorium trying to recover. This then created the thwarting downtime of his career.
During this time, Orwell took on all sorts of writing work, writing numerous reviews and essays over years. In fact, he was able to develop a good reputation for the production of well-crafted, well-written literary criticisms. This gave Orwell a new chance in his career, landing a job as a BBC producer and propagandist in 1941, but quickly resigned after two years because he disliked this role.
During this time, Orwell took on all sorts of writing work, writing numerous reviews and essays over years. In fact, he was able to develop a good reputation for the production of well-crafted, well-written literary criticisms. This gave Orwell a new chance in his career, landing a job as a BBC producer and propagandist in 1941, but quickly resigned after two years because he disliked this role.
Every cloud has a silver lining
With the WWII raging on and about, Orwell, combining his experience as a propagandist and the real life situation of the War, completed his works on Animal Farm in 1944, but could only get it published in 1945 due to the amount of criticism to the Soviet Union: a close ally with England during the War.
Orwell was best known for the two novels Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, the later published in 1949, in which the author gives the readers and idea of what would happen in the future if the government controlled every detail of each person's lives. He received great acclaims and financial rewards for these two huge literary successes, which had always been the essential goal. Sadly, he had little time left to enjoy it, for he was in the latter stages of his battle with the evil tuberculosis, ending his short, heroic life renown as the best writer of the time, at the age of 46.
Orwell was best known for the two novels Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, the later published in 1949, in which the author gives the readers and idea of what would happen in the future if the government controlled every detail of each person's lives. He received great acclaims and financial rewards for these two huge literary successes, which had always been the essential goal. Sadly, he had little time left to enjoy it, for he was in the latter stages of his battle with the evil tuberculosis, ending his short, heroic life renown as the best writer of the time, at the age of 46.
Other books by George orwell
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