Book excerpt: As a young man, Eric Blair, better known as George Orwell, traveled to Spain to fight in that country’s civil war. Although he was a British citizen, he felt the need to fight for the rights of the oppressed in that country. As the writer of the classics Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, Orwell used his pen to comment on power and corruption in government and how they affect society. This text takes an in-depth look at Orwell’s novels and essays in the context of his own fascinating life and times. It analyzes his style, themes, and use of language, while also asking readers to consider how this prescient author and his works are still relevant in today’s world.