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A review by rosietakesonliterature
Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell
4.0
As someone who spent most of this year living in Paris and is currently in London, I found this very thought-provoking. It is through reading about them that we get to know the places we live in best. History is often more relevant than the present. If you want to eat and lodge in peace in any of these two cities, do not read this.
What I think is most interesting is the way Orwell talks about poverty. He positions himself above it as if he is an outsider looking in. They, the tramps, and they, the plongeurs—never we, despite occupying those exact positions. The English pursuit of honor is truly fascinating. In this context, he is the tramp, and he is the plongeur, but with how he describes them, they are so dehumanized that he refuses to be a part of that culture. Why not just leave? Why not go back to India, and live the lavish life of an overprivileged educated colonizer? As he says, once you are in poverty, you are stuck in the moment. You see no future, no way out. You don't know where your next meal shall come from, and thus the thoughts of the future only cause anxiety. Just like his anxiety over not admitting how bad his situation truly was.
A formative piece for Orwell, probably shaped who he became as an author. Anyone interested in working conditions in the service industry and/or homelessness would benefit from reading this.
What I think is most interesting is the way Orwell talks about poverty. He positions himself above it as if he is an outsider looking in. They, the tramps, and they, the plongeurs—never we, despite occupying those exact positions. The English pursuit of honor is truly fascinating. In this context, he is the tramp, and he is the plongeur, but with how he describes them, they are so dehumanized that he refuses to be a part of that culture. Why not just leave? Why not go back to India, and live the lavish life of an overprivileged educated colonizer? As he says, once you are in poverty, you are stuck in the moment. You see no future, no way out. You don't know where your next meal shall come from, and thus the thoughts of the future only cause anxiety. Just like his anxiety over not admitting how bad his situation truly was.
A formative piece for Orwell, probably shaped who he became as an author. Anyone interested in working conditions in the service industry and/or homelessness would benefit from reading this.