Eric Arthur Blair, or most commonly referred to as his pseudonym, George Orwell, was born on June 25, 1903 in Motihari, Bengal, India. Around a year after his birth, his mother brought him to England whilst his father remained stationed in India. At a very early age, Orwell found an appreciation for writing where he even wrote his first poem at only four years old. Similar to most boys in England at the time, Orwell went to boarding school. Through his smarts, Orwell was able to win scholarships to Wellington and Eton College. After university, Orwell joined the India Imperial Police Force until he later resigned and returned to England to become a writer.

Early in his career, Orwell found that becoming a successful writer came with great obstacles. At times, he even had to work as a dishwasher to make ends meet. Orwell’s first literary works include ‘Down and Out in Paris and London’ and ‘Burmese Days’ which both focus on what Orwell thought otherwise were pressing concerns in society at the time. In 1938, Orwell was unfortunately diagnosed with tuberculosis in which he would have to battle for the rest of his life. As World War II began to emerge, Orwell found himself as a propagandist in which he despised himself for it, feeling that he was “wasting his time.” Orwell later resigned and instead became a literary editor for a social editor.

In August of 1945, Orwell published his most notable piece of literature, Animal Farm, which creatively depicted communist Soviet Union through two pigs as the main protagonists. One pig represented Joseph Stalin and the other Leon Trosky. Through this novel, Orwell was able to critique the rhetoric of the Russian revolution.

On January 21, 1950, Orwell died due to tuberculosis. Though passing at a relatively early age, Orwell was able to articulate his ideas and opinions for generations later to come.