Orwell’s opposition to totalitarianism was rooted in his support for freeing workers from poverty and exploitation

In writing he did before his most famous novels, Orwell focused primarily on other themes including work, poverty, anti-imperialism and democratic socialism. zoom-zoom, iStock/Getty Images Plus

George Orwell’s dystopian novels “Animal Farm” and “1984” have remained popular in the U.S. ever since their initial publication in the 1940s.

What’s less well known is that in the years before the publication of “Animal Farm” and “1984,” Orwell’s writing often focused primarily on other themes including work, poverty, anti-imperialism and democratic socialism.