Orwell 5: Down And Out In London And Paris

First published in 1933, George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London is a memoir in two parts. In the first part, Orwell takes his readers to Paris, where the narrator is desperate to find a job so that he may be able to afford food and shelter. The second part recounts the life of a tramp in London, as he keeps moving from one shelter to another to find the night's lodging. Replete with the tragic tales of plongeurs in Paris cafes and the despicable lives of tramps in London, Orwell still holds onto his unique humour in the book as he describes the filth and misery and hopelessness of the poor in these two great cities. Does he manage to find a job so that he may live a comfortable life or does he remain trapped in the rigmarole that prevents the hungry and the homeless from even seeking employment? Does the State need to step in and introduce reforms to better their lives and help them earn their living?
Orwell raises pertinent questions on poverty and unemployment through his first full-length work, and makes a compelling case on behalf of that section of the population in great cities which live helpless lives in despair and anger and frustration.