George Orwell is one of the great writers of the 20th century, famous for his direct and powerful style as well as for his fictional condemnations of totalitarianism. The new Critical Companion to George Orwell is an up-to-date and useful reference to Orwell's life and work for high school and college-level students. All his works are covered, including two of the most-recognized novels of the 20th century: Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four; his famous essays, such as Politics and the English Language and Shooting an Elephant; his book-length nonfiction, such as Homage to Catalonia and Down and Out in Paris and London; and more. Also included are detailed entries on his life and related people, places, and topics. The entries include: synopses and critical assessments of all of Orwell's work; descriptions of characters in Orwell's fiction, such as Winston Smith, Napoleon the pig, and more; descriptions of people, places, and topics important in Orwell's life and work, such as communism, the Spanish Civil War, and more; and appendixes, including a chronology and a bibliography of primary and secondary sources.