Biography of George Orwell
Amanda Sare
Eric Arthur Blair was born on June 25, 1903 in Motihari, Bihar in India. His father was Richard Blair and mother Ida, his father worked in the opium department of the Indian Civil Service. When Eric was a year old his mother took him and his sisters to England where he grew up. The family seen their father once during the summer of 1907 when he came to visit them. Blair attended St. Cyprian's public school where he came home only on the holiday's. During school Eric wrote two poems that were published in the local newspaper. Through his great writing he earned scholarships to Wellington and Eton Colleges. Eric decided to attend Wellington until a place opened up at Eton during the Spring term of 1917. While at Eton, Eric worked with Roger Mynors to produce a college magazine. At 18 Eric left Eton and him and his family decided that he should join the Imperial Police
Blair chose a posting in Burma because his grandmother lived close. While most of Eric's friends were still attending a University he was taking on big responsibilities. After two years he was promoted to Assistant District Superintendent and assigned to Syriam. Despite the fumes of sulfur dioxide pouring throughout the city day and night Eric still went into town as often as he could to browse the book shop. Before being moved to Moulmein he was employed at the second largest jail in Burma. While in Upper Burma Eric caught the dengue fever in 1927 and was entitled to leave in England that same year. After being on leave Eric decided that due to his illness he would retire from the Indian Imperial police to become a writer.
While in the police force in Burma, Eric kept to himself most of the time.He spent most of his time alone reading, writing, and attending church. Blair was very fast to learn the language, and by the end of his retirement he could speak fluent Burmese. There was many changes that Blair made in his appearance that stuck with him for the rest of his life. While in Burma he acquired a mustache and also tattoos on each knuckle.
In 1928 he moved to Paris but lacked a lot of success in his writing career, so he took on many menial jobs. In his first book "Down and Out in Paris and London" he described all of the experiences and this book was published in 1933. Right before this book was published Eric decided to take the pen name of George Orwell. This was followed by his first novel "Burmese Days"
George traveled to Spain in 1936 and ended up fighting for the republicans in the Spanish Civil War. With his Cadet Corps and police training, he was quickly made a corporal. While on the front line George was shot in the throat with a sniper but recovered quickly. The bullet had missed the main artery in his throat while allowed his quick recovery. The Republicans were forced to flee Barcelona when were the Soviet communists started suppressing revolutionary socialist dissenters. George and his wife Eileen O'Shaughnessy escaped by train to Banyuls-sur-Mer and stayed there for awhile trying to stay low, but eventually they returned to England.
By 1937 George's health was starting to deteriorate but he still continued to write. He started working on propaganda for the BBC in 1941 and by 1943 he became a literary editor of the Tribute. By now George Orwell was a prolific journalist, writing articles, and book reviews. Once World War II broke out Orwell was inspired by Stalin's betrayal of the Russian Revolution and this was the inspiration of his book Animal Farm. Animal Farm was published in 1945 and gave George financial comfort for the first time in his life. Four years later he published his second political book '1984', a book based on a totalitarian future.
In 1947 Orwell was diagnosed with TB and after that his health never got better, only worse. During the summer of 1949 George announced his new marriage to Sonia Brownell before he was sent to University College Hospital in London. On October 13th the two got married in the hospital room that George had been staying in. Before his death he asked his accountant Harrison to manage his company and become the director of GOP but there was no independent witness. On January 21, 1950 an artery burst in George's lungs causing him to die at the age of 46.
Eric Arthur Blair was born on June 25, 1903 in Motihari, Bihar in India. His father was Richard Blair and mother Ida, his father worked in the opium department of the Indian Civil Service. When Eric was a year old his mother took him and his sisters to England where he grew up. The family seen their father once during the summer of 1907 when he came to visit them. Blair attended St. Cyprian's public school where he came home only on the holiday's. During school Eric wrote two poems that were published in the local newspaper. Through his great writing he earned scholarships to Wellington and Eton Colleges. Eric decided to attend Wellington until a place opened up at Eton during the Spring term of 1917. While at Eton, Eric worked with Roger Mynors to produce a college magazine. At 18 Eric left Eton and him and his family decided that he should join the Imperial Police
Blair chose a posting in Burma because his grandmother lived close. While most of Eric's friends were still attending a University he was taking on big responsibilities. After two years he was promoted to Assistant District Superintendent and assigned to Syriam. Despite the fumes of sulfur dioxide pouring throughout the city day and night Eric still went into town as often as he could to browse the book shop. Before being moved to Moulmein he was employed at the second largest jail in Burma. While in Upper Burma Eric caught the dengue fever in 1927 and was entitled to leave in England that same year. After being on leave Eric decided that due to his illness he would retire from the Indian Imperial police to become a writer.
While in the police force in Burma, Eric kept to himself most of the time.He spent most of his time alone reading, writing, and attending church. Blair was very fast to learn the language, and by the end of his retirement he could speak fluent Burmese. There was many changes that Blair made in his appearance that stuck with him for the rest of his life. While in Burma he acquired a mustache and also tattoos on each knuckle.
In 1928 he moved to Paris but lacked a lot of success in his writing career, so he took on many menial jobs. In his first book "Down and Out in Paris and London" he described all of the experiences and this book was published in 1933. Right before this book was published Eric decided to take the pen name of George Orwell. This was followed by his first novel "Burmese Days"
George traveled to Spain in 1936 and ended up fighting for the republicans in the Spanish Civil War. With his Cadet Corps and police training, he was quickly made a corporal. While on the front line George was shot in the throat with a sniper but recovered quickly. The bullet had missed the main artery in his throat while allowed his quick recovery. The Republicans were forced to flee Barcelona when were the Soviet communists started suppressing revolutionary socialist dissenters. George and his wife Eileen O'Shaughnessy escaped by train to Banyuls-sur-Mer and stayed there for awhile trying to stay low, but eventually they returned to England.
By 1937 George's health was starting to deteriorate but he still continued to write. He started working on propaganda for the BBC in 1941 and by 1943 he became a literary editor of the Tribute. By now George Orwell was a prolific journalist, writing articles, and book reviews. Once World War II broke out Orwell was inspired by Stalin's betrayal of the Russian Revolution and this was the inspiration of his book Animal Farm. Animal Farm was published in 1945 and gave George financial comfort for the first time in his life. Four years later he published his second political book '1984', a book based on a totalitarian future.
In 1947 Orwell was diagnosed with TB and after that his health never got better, only worse. During the summer of 1949 George announced his new marriage to Sonia Brownell before he was sent to University College Hospital in London. On October 13th the two got married in the hospital room that George had been staying in. Before his death he asked his accountant Harrison to manage his company and become the director of GOP but there was no independent witness. On January 21, 1950 an artery burst in George's lungs causing him to die at the age of 46.