Guide Note:

George Orwell was a British journalist, author, and critic.

Fast Facts:

Given Name: Eric Arthur Blair
Born: June 25, 1903
Birthplace: Motihari, India
Died: January 21, 1950
Literary Genre: Satire
Fought in Spanish Civil War
Critic: Stalinism, Capitalism
Endorsed Democratic Socialism

Career

The man who would be known as George Orwell first formed his critical opinions of imperialism and tyranny while serving as a policeman in Burma from 1922 to 1927. He resigned to become a writer, but existed in poverty until he sold A Hanging and took a job as a teacher. Orwell worked as a journalist and essayist until he felt compelled to fight against the fascist Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War in 1936. He was nearly killed in the experience, but his attitudes and ideals were set and his most famous works would follow. He wrote Animal Farm in protest of Josef Stalin, and 1984, his last major work, followed shortly before his death of tuberculosis at the age of 46.

Notable Works

1931: A Hanging
1932: Down and Out in Paris and London
1945: Animal Farm
1949: Nineteen Eighty-Four

Orwell's Rules For Writers

Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
Never use a long word where a short one will do.
If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
Never use the passive voice where you can use the active.
Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

Timeline

1917: Transfers from Wellington College to Eton College
1922: Joins Indian Imperial Police
1927: Resigns from Indian Imperial Police
1928: Moves to Paris to become writer
1929: Takes job as dishwasher at Paris hotel
1934: Burmese Days published, based on experiences in Burma
1935: The Clergyman's Daughter, novel
1936: Short story Shooting an Elephant published; Keep the Aspidistra Flying published
1936: Marries Eileen O'Shaughnessy, June 9
1936: Goes to Spain to fight in Spanish Civil War in December
1937: The Road to Wigan Pier
1938: Homage to Catalonia
1939: Coming Up for Air
1941: Begins working for BBC
1944: Adopts son, Richard Horatio Blair
1945: Eileen O'Shaughnessy dies after reaction to anesthetic during routine surgery
1949: Marries Sonia Mary Brownell
1950: Dies, January 21

Categories

Writing | English | Authors and Writers | Fiction Writers | Journalists and Pundits | Literature | Politics | Political Groups | The Cold War

View Note History

George Orwell

The Mahalo Top 7

Wikipedia: George Orwell
Wikiquote: George Orwell
Video: Does Orwell Matter? (Time: 26:48)
Fan Site: Complete Online Works of George Orwell
Talking To: George Orwell
University College London Library Services: The George Orwell Archive
CliffsNotes: George Orwell Study Guides

George Orwell Online Works

Google Book Search: Animal Farm Online Book
Mondo Politico: 1984 Online Book
Net Charles: Essays and Journalism by George Orwell
Orwell Library: Homage to Catalonia Online Book
PlainLanguage.gov: "Politics and the English Language" Online Text

George Orwell News and Articles

Google News: George Orwell
Daily Mail: “Was George Orwell a patriot or a traitor?” (2007)
New York Times: “Patron Saint of Inconsistency” (2003)
Front Page Magazine: "The Pursuers of Orwell" (2003)
New York Times: "Simpler Terms; If It's 'Orwellian,' It's Probably Not" (2003)

George Orwell Background and Profiles

Wikipedia: George Orwell
The Literature Network: George Orwell Profile and Forum
Net Charles: George Orwell Biography
BBC: George Orwell Biography
BBC: "George Orwell: Voice of a Long Generation" (2002)

George Orwell Quotes

Wikiquote: George Orwell
The Quotations Page: George Owell
Notable Quotes: George Orwell
Thinkexist.com: George Orwell Quotes
The Orwell Reader: George Orwell Quotes

George Orwell Study Guides

SparkNotes: George Orwell Study Guides
CliffsNotes: George Orwell Study Guides
eNotes: George Orwell Study Guides
PinkMonkey.com: George Orwell Study Guides
Web English Teacher: George Orwell Lesson Plans

George Orwell Literary Criticism

eNotes: Animal Farm Critical Overview
JSTOR: "Where He Wrote: Periodicals and the Essays of George Orwell" (1995)
Guardian Unlimited: "Orwell and me" (2003)
K1 Internet Publishing: George Orwell Literary Criticism

George Orwell Books and Merchandise

Amazon.com: George Orwell Books and DVDs
Barnes & Noble: George Orwell Books
Powell's Books: George Orwell Books
eBay: George Orwell Merchandise
CafePress.com: George Orwell T-Shirts and Gifts

George Orwell Images

Google Image Search: George Orwell
Yahoo! Image Search: George Orwell
Live Search Images: George Orwell
Flickr: George Orwell Photos
Fan Site: George Orwell Picture Gallery

George Orwell Videos

YouTube & Google Video: George Orwell Search
Yahoo! Video: George Orwell Search
YouTube: George Orwell - Life in Pictures (Time: 05:53)
YouTube: The Real Room 101 (Time: 08:54)
Yahoo! Video: Does Orwell Matter? (Time: 26:48)

George Orwell Fan Sites and Message Boards

Net Charles: Charles’ George Orwell
Yahoo! Groups: Orwell
MSN Groups: George Orwell (Eric Arthur Blair)
Web Ring: George Orwell

George Orwell Personal Timeline

June 25, 1983: George Orwell born
1917-21: Attends Eton
1922-27: Serves with the Indian Imperial Police in Burma
1927: Returns to Europe
1936: Marries Eileen O’Schaughnessy
1936: Fights with the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War and is seriously wounded
1941-43: Works for the BBC Eastern Service
1945: Animal Farm is published
1949: 1984 is published
1949: Orwell marries Sonia Brownell
January 21, 1950: Dies

George Orwell Publications Timeline

1934: Homage to Catalonia
1936: “Shooting an Elephant”
1941: "The Lion and The Unicorn: Socialism and the English Genius"
1946: "Politics and the English Language"
1946: Animal Farm
1949: 1984

Notable George Orwell Films and Adaptations

Note: The majority of the links in this timeline are to IMDb, which has pop-ups.

IMBd: Complete George Orwell Filmography
1955: Animal Farm
1956: 1984
1984: Nineteen Eighty-Four
1997: Keep the Aspidistra Flying
1999: Animal Farm
2006: 1984 (Opera)
2007: Animal Farm

Related Searches

Communism | Human Freedom | Capitalism | Stalinism | 1984 | Animal Farm | Democratic Socialism | Newspeak | Aldous Huxley | Dystopian Literature

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