Many still consider Orwell’s quotes to be prophetic, even though this writer did in the mid-20th century. Much of what is described in his science fiction novels comes true in front of modern readers. We will tell about his most striking works and aphorisms in this article.
Writer George Orwell
Orwell's most famous quotes are contained in two of his works: the fairy tale "Farmyard" and the novel "1984".
This is a famous English writer born in India in 1903. His father was an employee of the Opium Department in the British colonial administration in this country. In fact, he was an intelligence officer who was responsible for controlling the production and storage of opium, which was then sent to China.
At the same time, Orwell received his initial education in Eastbourne, where he studied until the age of 13. Until 1921 he attended college at Eton, and then enlisted in the colonial police of Burma.
Returning to Europe, for a long time interrupted by casual and irregular earnings. I started to write. A firm intention to become a writer in the future came to him when he settled for a while in Paris. There he writes his very first work - the story "Pounds of dashing in Paris and London", based on autobiographical material. Then, for the first time, she uses the pseudonym George Orwell (his real name is Eric Arthur Blair).
In 1936 he marries, and six months later, together with his wife, goes to the Civil War in Spain to fight for militias. He spends almost a year in the war until he gets a wound in the throat from a German sniper. Returning to the UK, he becomes an opponent of Stalinism, even joins the Independent Labor Party.
In 1938, Orwell was diagnosed with tuberculosis. Because of him, the writer is not taken to the front during World War II. He works for the BBC, runs an anti-fascist program. In 1946 he moved to the island of Jura in the west of Scotland, where he dies after 4 years at the age of 46 years.
"Days in Burma"
Several of Orwell’s early works were based on autobiographical material. After the novel "Pounds of Dashing in Paris and London", the novel Days in Burma followed about his service in the colonial police.
This work (1934) describes the last days of the existence of British colonialism in this country, which at that time was still ruled as part of British India.
Orwell’s quotes from this novel illustrate how difficult the life of the British was in this country.
This envy is a terrible thing: you, unlike other types of suffering, cannot be elevated to tragedy — the worst of torment.
"Long live the ficus!"
In 1936, the author wrote the novel Long Live the Ficus! The events of this work are built around a deliberate refusal of the protagonist from social status, average life and even money.
As a sign of agreement with the laws of his new life, he takes the usual ficus, which, as a rule, puts a layman on the window.
The bonds of money are stronger than blood kinship.
This quote from Orwell clearly characterizes the worldview of the protagonist. But only as a result, Gordon Comstock still has to come to terms with this domestic flower and all the philistine greyness that stands behind him. This is due to matrimony and the expected replenishment of the family.
"Swallow air"
The quotations from George Orwell’s 1939 book, “Take Air”, demonstrate the writer's foreboding of war, even though he is at that moment in calm Morocco.
The novel describes the idyllic paintings of the writer’s childhood, which took place on the banks of the Thames during the fat times of King Edward VII for Britain.
It seems that the world has shared on decent sleeping people decent and living, terribly energetic gorillas; intermediate individuals are somehow not observed.
Pessimism pervades the whole work, in which Orwell pays special attention to industrialization, commercialism, capitalism, which, in his opinion, disfigure beautiful rural and calm England, bearing serious threats in the near future. In this work, the writer for the first, but not the last time has to act as a seer, because very soon the Second World War will begin.
"Barnyard"
In 1945, Orwell wrote the work "Animal Farm", which he himself characterizes as a fairy tale. This is a satirical parable about the evolution of the state of animals that expel their previous owner, cruel and tyrannical Jones from the farmyard, to discover unlimited freedom.
True, it all ends with the establishment of the dictatorship of a pig with the talking nickname Napoleon.
All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.
This is perhaps Orwell’s most famous quote from the Animal Farm, in which he creates a vivid and recognizable allegory of the events in Russia in 1917 and the ensuing October Revolution and the Civil War. The writer demonstrates what the degeneration of revolutionary programs and principles leads to in the transition from the idea of ​​universal equality to dictatorship and totalitarianism.
Man is the only creature that consumes without producing anything.
"1984"
By far, Orwell’s most famous novel is 1984, written in 1948. The main character of this work Winston Smith lives in London of the future, working in the Ministry of Truth. What he does can be described in one quote from George Orwell’s 1984 book.
One who rules the past rules the future. He who rules the present rules the past.
He has to constantly rewrite and remodel history so that it matches the current political moment.
At the same time, he himself internally doubts the ideals of the party in which he is a member, of the correctness of what surrounds him. To distract, he keeps a diary, although in public he shows himself an ardent supporter of party ideals.
He suspects that the people around him may turn out to be traitors, underground, or they may share his views, but they have no way of admitting it. One of Orwell’s most famous quotes from 1984’s book is:
Freedom is an opportunity to say that twice two is four. If this is allowed, then everything else follows from here.
Once in the proletarian region, he finds himself in a junk shop, learns that it is possible to rent a room in it in order to be isolated from everyone. On the way back she meets her colleague Julia, realizing that she was following him. But it soon turns out that she is not a spy, but in love with Smith, which is recognized in the note. Lovers are not easy in a world where everything obeys absurd rules, because any relationship between party members is prohibited.
War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is power.
Nevertheless, a romance is struck up between them, they secretly meet in the junk shop, only at the end the reader realizes how accurate the phrase that appears on the pages of the work was:
Big brother is watching you.
It turns out that all this time they were, in fact, "under the hood." It is impossible to escape from this.