Background about George Orwell and Analysis of "As I Please"

where was orwell posted in the british colonial regime

burma

why was his time in burma significant

he experienced a political awakening that radically altered his life and compelled him to begin writing

in several of his works (Burmese Days, “A Hanging”, “Shooting an Elephant”), he details…

how his firsthand experiences exposed him to the injustices of colonial empires

what were 3 main things orwell advocated for

political autonomy, rights of working people, and democratic socialism

what were some things he did after leaving the british civil service in 1927

• spent time living among and writing about lower class laborers

• investigated living conditions of british industrial laborers

• documented injustices of Franco’s regime and communist insurgents in Spanish Civil War

• wrote for national newspapers and produced radio broadcasts during WWII

what was he a critic of

imperialism, capitalism, and communism

what left wing newspaper did he join after leaving the BBC

Tribune

what are two of his most famous works

Animal Farm and 1984

what is the problematic trend orwell is talking about

the emerging idea that the world is now free from borders and is fully interconnected because of technological advancements and political alliances

how does orwell feel about the emerging worldview that the world is free and fully interconnected

suspicious

instead of uniting the world, orwell believes technological and political developments have…

fractured the world

before the rise of modern nation states and transformative technologies, why does orwell believe travel was easier back then and harder now

travel was rarely regulated ; now, citizens have to identify themselves and go through the trouble of documentation

what is nationalism

a strong belief in the unique superiority of one’s nation over others

orwell argues that as nationalism increased, so too did …

suspicion towards immigrants and travelers

even though it was physically easier to travel, it was much harder…

politically

what is the irony for orwell

the technologies that should have been uniting people were actually diving them

example of technology dividing people

radio - hijacked by nationalist forces

reflects current state of technology because…

current technology like social media can promote interconnectedness and division