George
Orwell

Born as Eric Arthur Blair on June 25, 1903, in Motihari, British India, George Orwell's early experiences with imperialism and poverty would profoundly influence his writings. His years as a policeman in Burma and as a struggling writer in Paris and London afforded him firsthand insight into the inequalities and hypocrisies of society. These observations would fuel his lifelong passion for social justice and truth-telling, reflected in essays like "Shooting an Elephant" and "Down and Out in Paris and London."

However, it was Orwell's fierce opposition to totalitarianism, sparked by his experiences in the Spanish Civil War and the rising tide of fascism and Stalinism, that would produce his most enduring works: "Animal Farm" and "1984." Through allegory and dystopian narrative, Orwell vividly illustrated the dangers of unchecked power, state surveillance, and thought control. Though he passed away on January 21, 1950, his writings serve as potent reminders of the fragility of freedoms and the necessity of vigilance in the face of manipulative narratives.