George Orwell

Why study the life of an author?(apply to our rhetorical strategies of

logos, ethos, pathos)

George Orwell• 1903- 1950• British author• Birth name: Eric Arthur

Blair• Born in British India• Staunchly opposed

totalitarianism• Called for revolution to

fight it• Fought in the Spanish Civil

War

Excerpts from Orwell’s Why I Write

If you have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 come to the front of the room please!

In your notes, list several things that influenced Orwell as a child.

Excerpts from Orwell’s Why I Write

If you have 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 come to the front of the room please!

In your notes list the four reasons Orwell believes people write.

Do you agree/disagree with these reasons? What other reasons do people write?

Animal Farm– Political Purpose• Addresses the corruption

of the revolution by its leaders

• Argues that human corruption causes revolution to fail

• Argues that human ignorance and indifference enable corruption to continue and worsen

Excerpts from Orwell’s Why I Write

If you have 11, 12, 13, 14 come to the front of the room please!

Why does Orwell feel it is important to know about an author’s background?

“Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been

written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for

democratic socialism as I understand it.”