Chapter 2 Orwell and Animal Farm

It should be pointed out that although the totalitarianism Orwell condemned was mainly "left", he definitely did not equate German fascism with Soviet socialism.The defilement of the German nation by German fascism and the crimes committed against the people of all countries are clearly revealed.Hitler is the public enemy of all mankind, everyone can punish him.Orwell once said clearly: "In a world where fascism and socialism are fighting each other to the death, any thinking person must choose which side to stand on." Well's Collected Works, p. 132.Orwell was of course on the side of socialism.Not only in words, but in deeds - taking part in the Spanish Civil War - to prove his position, because he was a socialist. "Every serious piece of work I have written after 1936 has been, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for socialism, of course, as I understand it, democratic socialism." See Orwell, p. 95.This is the author's confession in "Why I Write".A famous critic in Australia, Simon Reese, even believed that Orwell was a socialist first, and an anti-totalitarian second.He said: Orwell's "struggle against totalitarianism was motivated by his belief in socialism" quoted from Dong Leshan's article "Orwell and His <1984>"

Of course, just like the restrictive words the author added before the word "socialism": the democratic socialism he understands, that is to say, the socialism he believes in is not the same as the socialism or communism advertised by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. .He believes that the leaders of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union misunderstood the classics of socialism, and the phenomenon of anti-democracy and deprivation of people's freedom has appeared. Those who go astray will find their way back.He didn't even think he was fully aware of what was going on inside the CPSU.In the preface written for the Ukrainian edition, Orwell has a passage worth pondering: "I have never been to Russia, and my understanding of it is only obtained from books and newspapers. Even if I have this power, I would did not want to interfere in the internal affairs of the USSR. I would not condemn Stalin and his colleagues merely for their barbaric and undemocratic methods. It is likely that, even with the best intentions, in the circumstances at the time and on the ground, they could only Do so.” See Orwell, p. 103.This passage not only illustrates Orwell's attitude of seeking truth from facts, but also shows his forgiveness and understanding.Even with "barbaric and undemocratic means", there may be reasons for the incident, and outsiders do not know the inside story.

To understand how Orwell became a socialist requires a little bit about his origins, education, and experiences. George Orwell was born Eric Blair in Bombay in 1903.His father was an official in the administrative agency of the British colonial government in India.In the author's own words, his family belongs to "the lower upper middle class, that is, middle-class families without money".Orwell returned to England with his family to settle down when he was 4 years old. He entered the boarding school St. Cyprian at the age of 8 and studied at Eton College from the age of 14 to 18. Not rich, originally unable to enroll.The reason for entering St. Cyprian is that part of the tuition fee was waived because of the excellent examination results.Eton, one of the "most expensive and snobbiest" schools, was awarded a scholarship by chance.While studying at school, the author's young heart felt the unfairness of the world for the first time.The children of the poor there are discriminated against, and social class barriers are strict.Since then, he has been ideologically on the side of the oppressed. In 1921, at the age of 18, Orwell graduated from Eton College, but because he was unable to enter the university, he could only apply for the civil service.He joined the police force of the British Empire in Burma.Serving in Myanmar for 5 years is another very unpleasant memory.Witnessing the suffering that imperialism brought to the colonial people inspired the anti-authoritarian thoughts that had already sprouted in him when he was studying in school.He was determined to "not only break with imperialism, but also break with all rule of man over man." The author's original words were quoted in the preface written by Dong Leshan, and the source is unknown. .The novel "Myanmar Years" (published in 1934) he wrote in the future was based on his life experience during this period. In 1927, Orwell resigned from the police force and decided to pursue writing.From 1928, first in Paris, then back to England, has been writing continuously.He lived in poverty, sometimes had to do various odd jobs, and at one point opened a small grocery store in the English countryside. "Down and Out in Paris and London" published in 1933 is a portrayal of life in this period, and used the pen name of George Orwell for the first time.In addition, he also wrote works such as "The Priest's Daughter", but he was not successful. In 1936, a left-wing publishing house invited him to investigate the life of workers in the industrial area of ​​northern England. After returning, he wrote the reportage "The Road to Wigan Pier" (published in 1937).During the investigation, he witnessed the miserable life of the working class, which had a profound impact on his ideological changes.In one of his essays he said: "I became a socialist mainly out of my disgust at the oppression and neglect of the poorer sections of the industrial workers." See Orwell, p. 102.In July of this year, the Spanish Civil War broke out. At the end of the year, he went to Spain with his new wife to participate in the battle to defend the Republic. In 1937, due to a throat injury, he returned to England for treatment and recuperation.

Orwell's days in Spain coincided with the Spanish Communist Party's internal raids.The internal cleansing of the Western Communist Party was synchronized with the internal cleansing of the Soviet Union.Many innocent people were interrogated, arrested, and even shot on suspicion of unorthodox thought, all on charges of "complicity with the fascists," just as in the Soviet Union.Orwell said: "As far as Spain is concerned, I have every reason to believe that these charges are unfounded." See "Orwell" p. 103.He and his wife were also persecuted. They were suspected and followed, but not arrested.Later, he wrote what he saw and heard in Spain in the book "Homage to Cataloni" (published in 1938), which not only reported the Spanish Civil War, but also wrote about the mutual struggle of various left-wing factions within the International Volunteer Army.He also wanted to expose the "Soviet Myth" in the form of a story, with plain language so that more people could understand it and translate it easily.This idea has been circling in his mind for 6 years, and it was not until 1943 that he found time to write, and it was published in 1945.This is the book you are reading now.

At the outbreak of World War II, Orwell was unable to join the army due to health reasons. He joined the Guard in the rear and hosted a broadcast to India on the BBC.In the later period of the war, he served as a war correspondent for a newspaper stationed in Europe. In 1948, it was written and published, which has already been included in the forest of world classics.But the sensation this book brought to the literary world and the honor it brought to the author did not have time for Orwell himself to see it. He died of lung disease in January 1950.