by Daniel Smith Eric Arthur Blair (later known as George Orwell) was born in the Indian Village Motihari, which lies near the border of Nepal. Eric was born to his mother, Ida Mabel
Blair, and his father, Richard Blair. He had one elder sister called Marjorie. Blair attended a private preparatory school in Sussex at the age of eight years old. When Blair was thirteen years old he won a scholarship to Wellington, and later he won another scholarship to Eton. When Blair took his final examination at Eton he finished 138th out of 167, therefore he did not win a university scholarship. In 1922 Blair joined the Indian
Imperial Police. Blair stayed on the police force for five years and in 1927 went home on leave and was later reassigned. Blair had two reasons for leaving the police force. First Blair wanted to leave the police force because he wanted to focus more on what he really wanted to do, that was a writer, and second, he felt that by staying on the police force he
was supporting the political system, one which he did not believe in. Back in London, in an unheated apartment, Blair began to teach himself how to write. He stayed warm by constantly warming his numbing hands over a candle. In 1930 Blair wrote a poor about
his poor experiences in Paris, entitled A Scullion's Diary; the book was turned down by two different publishers. Blair later wrote a book that was published in 1934 entitled Burmese Days, which was based on experiences in the colonial service. In 1943 Blair began writing one of his most famous books Animal Farm. In the year of 1944 Eric Blair adopted a son, but in 1945 his wife died in an operation. In 1948 Blair wrote another of his famous books 1984. Blair died in January of 1950.
Back to Index
