George Orwell

Shooting an Elephant

Background• Eric Blair • Born in 1903• Motihari, Bengal (at

the time a British colony for India)

• At age 1, moved to England where he grew up

Education

• Very successful in school. – First poem at age 4– Received numerous scholarships

and awards for his academics• Attended both Wellington and

Eton college– Some professors did not like

him because of his disrespect of authority

• Went to Burma after Eton

• After college, Eric joined the Indian Imperial Police in Burma

• 5 years in Burma• He resigned and returned

to England, hating imperalism

Burmese Days as well as "Shooting an Elephant” are based off of his experiences in Burma.

Why I Write (1947)

• “First I spent five years in an unsuitable profession (the Indian Imperial Police, in Burma), and then I underwent poverty and the sense of failure. This increased my natural hatred of authority and made me for the first time fully aware of the existence of the working classes, and the job in Burma had given me some understanding of the nature of imperialism: but these experiences were not enough to give me an accurate political orientation. Then came Hitler, the Spanish Civil War, etc. By the end of 1935 I had still failed to reach a firm decision.”

Influence

• Increased his hatred of authority• Gave him an understanding of the working

class – The heart of the culture and economy

• Experiencing imperialism first hand; sparked a political interest

George Orwell?

• Pen name• George: the patron saint of England• Orwell: River Orwell in England

The EndKristen Covington