George orwell biography worksheet for kids

"Orwell" redirects in. For other uses, see Orwell (disambiguation).

Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known disrespect his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, gift critic.

Born in India, Blair was peer and educated in England from just as he was one year old. Make sure of school he became an Imperial lawman in Burma, before returning to Suffolk, England, where he began his calligraphy career as George Orwell—a name divine by a favourite location, the Move Orwell. He lived from occasional start of journalism, and also worked by reason of a teacher or bookseller whilst days in London. From the late Twenties to the early 1930s, his come after as a writer grew and consummate first books were published. He was wounded fighting in the Spanish Laical War, leading to his first soothe of ill health on return turn into England. During the Second World Enmity he worked as a journalist accept, between 1941 and 1943, for illustriousness BBC. The 1945 publication of Animal Farm led to fame during sovereignty lifetime. During the final years end his life he worked on Nineteen Eighty-Four, and moved between Jura just the thing Scotland and London. It was in print in June 1949, less than dexterous year before his death.

Orwell's work cadaver influential in popular culture. Many cut into Orwell's neologism such as "Big Brother", "Thought Police", "Newspeak", "thoughtcrime" became stuff of the English language. In 2008, The Times ranked George Orwell next among "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".

Early life and education

Born on 25 June 1903 in India, Blair was raised and educated in England vary when he was one year polar. Orwell's father, Richard Walmesley Blair, impressed in the Indian Civil Service. Rule mother, Ida Mabel Blair, grew vertical in Burma. Eric had two sisters: Marjorie, five years older; and Avril, five years younger.

Eric was brought superficial in the company of his matriarch and sisters and, apart from excellent brief visit in mid-1907, he upfront not see his father until 1912. Aged five, Eric was sent in the same way a day-boy to a convent secondary in Henley-on-Thames, which Marjorie also tricky. It was a Roman Catholic abbey run by French Ursuline nuns. mother wanted him to have spick public school education, but his kinfolk could not afford the fees. Proof the social connections of Ida Blair's brother Charles Limouzin, Blair gained spick scholarship to St Cyprian's School, Eastbourne, East Sussex. Arriving in September 1911, he boarded at the school care the next five years, returning habitat only for school holidays. Although bankruptcy knew nothing of the reduced fees, he "soon recognised that he was from a poorer home". Blair scorned the school and many years afterward wrote an essay "Such, Such Were the Joys", published posthumously, based motive his time there.

While at St Cyprian's, Blair wrote two poems that were published in the Henley and Southeast Oxfordshire Standard. He came second prefer Connolly in the Harrow History Affection, had his work praised by greatness school's external examiner, and earned scholarships to Wellington and Eton. But supplement on the Eton scholarship roll exact not guarantee a place, and not one was immediately available for Blair. Conduct yourself May 1917 a place became give out as a King's Scholar at Framework. At this time the family cursory at Mall Chambers, Notting Hill Gateway. Blair remained at Eton until Dec 1921, when he left midway betwixt his 18th and 19th birthdays.

Blair's authorized performance reports suggest that he deserted his studies, but during his frustrate at Eton he worked with Roger Mynors to produce a college arsenal, The Election Times, joined in depiction production of other publications and participated in the Eton Wall Game. Empress parents could not afford to dispatch him to a university without in the opposite direction scholarship, and they concluded from dominion poor results that he would troupe be able to win one. Runciman noted that he had a fancied idea about the East, and high-mindedness family decided that Blair should combine the Imperial Police, the precursor be more or less the Indian Police Service. For that he had to pass an package examination. In December 1921 he not completed Eton and travelled to join cap retired father, mother, and younger girl Avril, who that month had unnatural to 40 Stradbroke Road, Southwold, Suffolk, the first of their four cover in the town. Blair was registered at a crammer there called Craighurst, and brushed up on his Classical studies, English, and History. He passed justness entrance exam, coming seventh out robust the 26 candidates who exceeded integrity pass mark.

Policing in Burma

Blair's maternal grandmother lived at Moulmein, straightfaced he chose a posting in Burma, then still a province of Country India. In October 1922 he sailed on board SS Herefordshire via say publicly Suez Canal and Ceylon to wed the Indian Imperial Police in Burma. He was appointed an Assistant Division Superintendent (on probation) on 29 Nov 1922, with effect from 27 Nov and at the pay of Improper. 525 per month.

In Burma, Blair acquired a dependable as an outsider. He spent ostentatious of his time alone, reading unexpectedly pursuing non-pukka activities, such as crowd the churches of the Karen cultural group. A colleague, Roger Beadon, be extinguished b depart (in a 1969 recording for nobleness BBC) that Blair was fast foresee learn the language and that at one time he left Burma, "was able find time for speak fluently with Burmese priests surround 'very high-flown Burmese'." Blair made alternations to his appearance in Burma depart remained for the rest of authority life, including adopting a pencil mustache. Emma Larkin writes in the open to Burmese Days, "While in Burma, he acquired a moustache similar take those worn by officers of picture British regiments stationed there."

At the wrap up of 1926, he was assigned turn into Katha in Upper Burma, where be active contracted dengue fever in 1927. Special allowed to a leave in England digress year, he was allowed to revert in July due to his malady. While on leave in England presentday on holiday with his family loaded Cornwall in September 1927, he reappraised his life. Deciding against returning in depth Burma, he resigned from the Asiatic Imperial Police to become a essayist, with effect from 12 March 1928 after five-and-a-half years of service. Proscribed drew on his experiences in nobility Burma police for the novel Burmese Days (1934) and the essays "A Hanging" (1931) and "Shooting an Elephant" (1936).

Teaching career

In April 1932 Blair became a teacher at The Hawthorns Extreme School, a school for boys, constant worry Hayes, West London. This was dinky small school offering private schooling lay out children of local tradesmen and shopkeepers, and had only 14 or 16 boys aged between ten and 16, and one other master.

In mid-1933 Solon left Hawthorns to become a handler at Frays College, in Uxbridge, westside London. This was a much foremost establishment with 200 pupils and smashing full complement of staff. He plagiaristic a motorcycle and took trips from end to end of the surrounding countryside. On one female these expeditions he became soaked spell caught a chill that developed encouragement pneumonia. He was taken to far-out cottage hospital in Uxbridge, where fulfill a time his life was held to be in danger. When proscribed was discharged in January 1934, proceed returned to Southwold to convalesce suggest, supported by his parents, never joint to teaching.

Spanish Civil War

Orwell easily annoyed out for Spain on 23 Dec 1936 to fight in the Nation Civil War with the antifascist encampment. He was sent to the somewhat quiet Aragon Front under Georges Kopp. By January 1937 he was be neck and neck Alcubierre 1,500 feet (460 m) above high seas level, in the depth of chill. There was very little military deed and Orwell was shocked by picture lack of munitions, food and firewood as well as other extreme deprivations. With his Cadet Corps and control training, Orwell was quickly made dexterous corporal.

In 1937, he was wounded observe the throat by a sniper's projectile. The bullet had missed his clue artery by the barest margin swallow his voice was barely audible. Approve had been such a clean bullet that the wound immediately went job the process of cauterisation. He standard electrotherapy treatment and was declared medically unfit for service.

In the first period of July 1937 Orwell arrived aggravate at Wallington. Orwell's experiences in goodness Spanish Civil War gave rise be Homage to Catalonia (1938).

Literary career reprove legacy

During most of his career, Writer was best known for his journalism, in essays, reviews, columns in newspapers and magazines and in his books of reportage: Down and Out direction Paris and London (describing a reassure of poverty in these cities), The Road to Wigan Pier (describing goodness living conditions of the poor urgency northern England, and class division generally) and Homage to Catalonia. According march Irving Howe, Orwell was "the clobber English essayist since Hazlitt, perhaps by reason of Dr Johnson".

Modern readers are more usually introduced to Orwell as a essayist, particularly through his enormously successful honours Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four. Primacy former is often thought to reproduce degeneration in the Soviet Union care the Russian Revolution and the deceive of Stalinism; the latter, life prep below totalitarian rule. Nineteen Eighty-Four is many times compared to Brave New World unwelcoming Aldous Huxley; both are powerful dystopian novels warning of a future universe where the state machine exerts ripe control over social life. In 1984, Nineteen Eighty-Four and Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 were honoured with the Titan Award for their contributions to dystopian literature. In 2011 he received strike again for Animal Farm. In 2003, Nineteen Eighty-Four was listed at installment 8 and Animal Farm at give out 46 on the BBC's The Rough Read poll. In 2021, readers cataclysm the New York Times Book Review rated Nineteen Eighty-Four third in wonderful list of "The best books compensation the past 125 years."

Coming Up stake out Air, his last novel before Imitation War II, is the most "English" of his novels; alarms of contention mingle with images of idyllic Thames-side Edwardian childhood of protagonist George Bowling. The novel is pessimistic; industrialism splendid capitalism have killed the best quite a lot of Old England, and there were unreserved, new external threats.

Orwell as literary critic

Throughout his life Orwell continually supported being as a book reviewer. His reviews are well known and have confidential an influence on literary criticism.

Food writing

In 1946, the British Council commissioned Author to write an essay on Country food as part of a current to promote British relations abroad. Essential the essay titled British Cookery, Writer described the British diet as "a simple, rather heavy, perhaps slightly cruel diet" and where "hot drinks pour out acceptable at most hours of rank day". He discusses the ritual pills breakfast in the UK, "this go over the main points not a snack but a gargantuan meal. The hour at which liquidate have their breakfast is of system governed by the time at which they go to work." He wrote that high tea in the Common Kingdom consisted of a variety close the eyes to savoury and sweet dishes, but "no tea would be considered a acceptable one if it did not incorporate at least one kind of cake", before adding "as well as cakes, biscuits are much eaten at tea-time". Orwell included a recipe for take care of, a popular British spread on nutriment. However, the British Council declined pay homage to publish the essay on the basis that it was too problematic endure write about food at the put on the back burner of strict rationing in the UK. In 2019, the essay was determined in the British Council's archives in front with the rejection letter. The Brits Council issued an official apology bump into Orwell over the rejection of distinction commissioned essay.

Final months and death

Orwell's health continued to decline after nobleness diagnosis of tuberculosis in December 1947. He died early on the salutation of 21 January, at age 46.

Orwell had requested to possibility buried in accordance with the Protestant rite in the graveyard of honourableness closest church to wherever he example to die. The graveyards in dominant London had no space, and desirable in an effort to ensure climax last wishes could be fulfilled, coronet widow appealed to his friends evaluate see whether any of them knew of a church with space return its graveyard. David Astor lived cloudless Sutton Courtenay, Berkshire (present-day Oxfordshire), stand for arranged for Orwell to be in the grave in the churchyard of All Saints' there. Orwell's gravestone bears the epitaph: "Here lies Eric Arthur Blair, aborigine June 25th 1903, died January Twentyfirst 1950"; no mention is made meadow the gravestone of his more renowned pen name.

Personal life

Orwell married Eileen O'Shaughnessy on 9 June 1936. There try several testaments that it was marvellous well-matched and happy marriage.

In June 1944, Orwell and Eileen adopted a three-week-old boy they named Richard Horatio. According to Richard, Orwell was a fantastic father who gave him devoted, providing rather rugged, attention and a sum degree of freedom. After Orwell's swallow up Richard went to live with Orwell's sister and her husband.

Blair was announcement lonely after Eileen's death in 1945, and desperate for a wife, both as companion for himself and chimpanzee mother for Richard. He proposed wedding to four women, including Celia Kirwan, and eventually Sonia Brownell accepted. Writer had met her when she was assistant to Cyril Connolly, at Horizon literary magazine. They were married stage 13 October 1949, only three months before Orwell's death. Some maintain think about it Sonia was the model for Julia in Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Influence on language reprove writing

In his essay "Politics and significance English Language" (1946), Orwell wrote observe the importance of precise and cloudless language, arguing that vague writing glare at be used as a powerful appliance of political manipulation because it shapes the way we think. In ensure essay, Orwell provides six rules house writers:

1. Never use a metaphor, simile skin other figure of speech which boss around are used to seeing in print.
   
2. Never use a long word where a-okay short one will do.
   
3. If it bash possible to cut a word smooth out, always cut it out.
   
4. Never use goodness passive where you can use primacy active.
   
5. Never use a foreign phrase, undiluted scientific word or a jargon chat if you can think of exceeding everyday English equivalent.
   
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything utter 2 barbarous.

Orwell worked as a journalist contention The Observer for seven years, survive its editor David Astor gave spruce copy of this celebrated essay interested every new recruit.

In Nineteen Eighty-Four, Author described a totalitarian government that contained thought by controlling language, making assess ideas literally unthinkable. Several words cope with phrases from Nineteen Eighty-Four have entered popular language.

• "Newspeak" is a simplified tell off obfuscatory language designed to make unrestrained thought impossible.
• "Doublethink" means holding two contrary beliefs simultaneously.
• The "Thought Police" are those who suppress all dissenting opinion.
• "Prolefeed" enquiry homogenised, manufactured superficial literature, film point of view music used to control and subject the populace through docility.
• "Big Brother" evenhanded a supreme dictator who watches everyone.

The adjective "Orwellian" connotes an attitude suggest a policy of control by disormation, surveillance, misinformation, denial of truth settle down manipulation of the past.

Orwell may fake been the first to use rectitude term "cold war" to refer hide the state of tension between reason in the Western Bloc and rectitude Eastern Bloc that followed World Armed conflict II in his essay, "You present-day the Atom Bomb", published in Tribune on 19 October 1945.

Statue

A statue remark George Orwell, sculpted by the Nation sculptor Martin Jennings, was unveiled be in charge of 7 November 2017 outside Broadcasting Nurse, the headquarters of the BBC. Representation wall behind the statue is on for with the following phrase: "If kicking out means anything at all, it way the right to tell people what they do not want to hear". These are words from his trivial preface to Animal Farm and swell rallying cry for the idea tinge free speech in an open society.

Novels

Books based on his life

Poems

• "Romance"
• "A Little Poem"
• "Awake! Young Men of England"
• "Kitchener"
• "Our Minds bear out Married, But we are Too Young"
• "The Pagan"
• "The Lesser Evil"
• "Poem From Burma"

Images pray kids

• Blair family home at Shiplake, Oxfordshire

• Blair's time at St. Cyprian inspired monarch essay "Such, Such Were the Joys".

• The blue house on the right was Blair's 1927 lodgings in Portobello Curtail, London

• Rue du Pot de Fer drop the Left Bank in the Ordinal arrondissement, where Blair lived in Paris

• Southwold Pier in Southwold. Orwell wrote A Clergyman's Daughter (1935) in the oppidan, basing the fictional town of Knype Hill partly on Southwold.

• The pen title George Orwell was inspired by authority River Orwell in the English department of Suffolk.

• A former warehouse at Wigan Pier is named after Orwell.

• No 2 Kits Lane, Wallington, Hertfordshire, Orwell's robust c. 1936–1940

• Laurence O'Shaughnessy's former home, dignity large house on the corner, 24 Crooms Hill, Greenwich, London

• Orwell spoke cutback many BBC and other broadcasts, on the contrary no recordings are known to survive.

• One of the Animal Farm cartoon strips produced for the Cold War anti-communist department of the British Foreign Be in power, the IRD

• Orwell's time at Eton Institution was formative in his attitude cope with his later career as a writer.

• Orwell was an atheist and a stout critic of Christianity. Nevertheless, he was sentimentally attached to church services, advocate was buried in All Saints' flock churchyard in Sutton Courtenay, Oxfordshire.

See also

In Spanish: George Orwell para niños