Weekly Steemit-network contest || talk about your favorite writer || George Orwell

Warm greetings to friends in the Steemit Network community which I am very proud of. This is my second time participating in the “talk about your favorite writer” contest

On the first occasion yesterday, I wrote about my favorite author, my friend, who is a well-known writer in Indonesia, whose works have been translated into French, German and English. This time I will write about my next favorite author, namely George Orwell, a famous writer from England.

About of George Orwell

George Orwell was born in Bengal, India on June 25, 1903 with the name Eric Arthur Blair, with parents Richard Walmesley Blair and Ida Mabel Blair. A year after his birth, Orwell moved to England and was raised by his mother and older siblings. From a young age, Orwell showed high intellectual talent. His intelligence earned him a scholarship at St. Cyprian, known for his strong religious atmosphere and belonging to an elite school, made it difficult for Orwell to adjust.

After that, Orwell entered Eton College and graduated in 1921. In 1922, Orwell joined the Indian Imperial Police and served in Burma. After serving for a year in the British Colony, Orwell saw the reality of British colonialism and was disgusted by what he saw. The British government's colonization and suppression of its colonies made him bitter, especially after realizing that his work as a police officer made him a direct pawn of the system he hated. In 1927, Orwell returned to England and pursued a career as a writer. Having moved from England and France, Orwell fell seriously ill, lost all his savings due to theft, and took menial jobs such as washing dishes, cleaning hotel rooms, until in 1928, his first article was published.

In late 1929, Orwell returned to England and lived with his parents. Apart from continuing his career as a writer for various magazines and newspapers, Orwell also continues to write various literary works which, unfortunately, have not yet had the opportunity to be published,

In 1934, Orwell decided to focus on a career as a writer and quit his job as a teacher. Orwell then worked in a used bookstore and spent his spare time writing. The Spanish Civil War, or the Spanish Civil War in 1935-1936 brought the name of George Orwell who joined the Independent Labor Party, although not long after he joined the POUM (Worker's Party of Marxist Unification) and the writer took up arms and became a soldier. The deteriorating state of war and the harsh realities he saw in the war forced Orwell and his family to flee Spain and end his military life.

In 1940, Orwell made a living by writing book reviews for the New English Weekly. During the Second World War, Orwell became a member of the Home Guard. In 1943, Orwell resigned from his position as editor for the Tribune due to conflicting principles and in 1944, his masterpiece, Animal Farm, was completed. On March 29, 1945, Orwell's first wife, Eileen O'Shaughnessy, died during a hysterectomy. Despite having no children from Eileen, Orwell adopted a child named Horatio Blair. Since contracting tuberculosis in 1947, Orwell's health has declined. In 1949, Orwell married Sonia Brownell. The marriage did not last long after in January 1950, Orwell breathed his last.

Phenomenal Works

There are many phenomenal works by George Orwell, including: Down and Out in Paris and London, Burmese Days, A Clergyman's Daughter, Keep the Aspidistra Flying, The Road to Wigan Pier, Homage to Catalonia, Coming Up for Air, Animal Farm, Nineteen Eighty-Four. But this time I will discuss a little about Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)

Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)
There are too many things to discuss from 1984. But since my impression of this book is so strong, I should at least try to write a review.

In short, 1984 is a classic dystopia written by George Orwell as a form of rejection of totalitarianism. The book was completed in 1948 and uses the setting in 1984, but later it was considered a prediction of future world political conditions.

1984 Is a 'scary' novel, even without the bloody scenes and exploding heads. This is one of the most depressing books I've ever read, although every little detail makes me 'enchanted' to keep reading. Obviously 1984 is not the kind of book that can be completed overnight. But believe me, the chaotic world that Orwell describes here is really interesting in its own way.

In the 1984 universe, the world was ruled by a great war between the three superpowers, namely Eastasia, Oceania, and Eurasia. The story itself is told from the point of view of Winston Smith, a member of the Outer Party who is obedient, but secretly often questions the policies of his country, namely Oceania.

Oceania is a totalitarian state ruled by a single party called Ingsoc. Its territory includes the United Kingdom, the United States and Latin America. The country frequently switches axis between Eastasia and Eurasia. His goal was to conquer rich territories that were still unoccupied.

Ingsoc uses the Big Brother figure as a symbol of the country like North Korea worships Kim Jong-un. The problem is, no one knows whether Big Brother who's watching your every move really exists or not. Does the supreme leader really control Oceania or is he just a puppet controlled by party leaders?

The hierarchical system in the country is divided into three, namely members of the Inner Party, Outer Party, and the Proletariat which is considered the lowest caste. More than half of the citizens of Oceania are the proletariat belonging to the working class with low education.

The Party regulates everything in Oceania through the authority of three ministries, namely the Ministry of Peace which deals with war and national defense, the Ministry of Plenty which deals with the economy, and the Ministry of Truth which deals with propaganda.

Not only regulating the lives of citizens, the thoughts of every individual are also monitored by the party. Every movement and facial expression is monitored by the Thought Police via a telescreen that can be said to be similar to CCTV. After that, it is reviewed and assessed by the Ministry of Love.
Thoughts that go against the party's philosophy, even if not expressed openly, are considered a thought crime and can get someone into Room 101.

Ingsoc created the Newspeak language with a very limited vocabulary to imprison the freedom of thought of Oceanians. This novel also introduces the concept of doublethink which means accepting two contradictory things as double truths.

In short, if the party mentions 2+2+5, then that is the absolute answer that the people of Oceania must believe. If Ingsoc asks one of his ministries to change historical information according to his current political position, then that is what Oceanians must remember and support unconditionally.

Even though 1984 is long gone, I think this novel will still be relevant to read any time. Because there will always be powers that try to overpower society and the world, inject totalitarian ideology and place dictatorships at the top as a scourge to control every action of its citizens.