George Orwell Poverty

George Orwell uses his memoir “Down and Out in Paris and London” to shatter his readers’ preconceived notions of poverty, in order to evoke their sympathy and perhaps inspire them to do something in aid of the impoverished. Orwell explores how the poor are shunned in society, and demonstrates to his readers why they must not form judgements based on appearances.
In his depiction of the Hôtel des Trois Moineaux, Orwell uses the bugs found in the walls as a metaphor for the poor. The hotel’s walls “housed in innumerable bugs”, and the cracks that hide them were “covered with layer after layer of pink paper”. This can be linked to how the poor are treated by the rich – hidden from plain view so that the unpleasant idea of their poverty does

However, ‘Poverty is a large enough problem, that ignoring it is difficult, and thus the pink paper would “come loose” and the “long lines of bugs” emerged, “ravenously hungry”, similar to the impoverished, who being
“fantastically poor”, cannot always afford food. Orwell describes how, in order to get rid of the bugs, “one use to burn sulphur and drive them into the next room”, however, this is merely a short term solution, for “the lodger next door would retort by having his room sulphured, and drive the bugs back.” This driving of the bugs back and forth can be linked to Orwell’s report of tramps later in the back, a group which due to laws enforced by the British Government are constantly on the move, never allowed to stay in one place for long. Orwell thus suggests, that ignoring and shunning those in poverty is a futile task, just like
Sisyphian task task of hiding and driving away the bugs.
In his memoir, Orwell often deals with exterior surfaces, and demonstrates to his readers how they cannot be used to form judgements and prejudices. In the first passage he presents several anecdotes of the lodgers of the Hôtel des Trois Moineaux’, he describes an artist, who decently dressed, loafed in the Montparnasse Cafe’s

T’ank God, I ain’t never stolen nothin’ yet.” His improper grammar – such as the use of double negatives “I ain’t never” and the shortening of words like “nothin’” – indicate, ostensibly, a criminal. The content of his words, however, highlights Paddy’s innocence and respectability. Orwell’s anecdotes of the actions of various characters throughout “Down and
Out” illustrate to his readers how they should not dismiss the poor due to their dirty appearance.
Instead, Orwell seeks to inspire from his readers social change. Using his essayist tone, Orwell argues against the current treatment of the working and impoverished classes. Rhetorical questions such as, “Is a plongeur’s work really necessary to society?” allow readers to question the current social structure and motivate them to forget their own preconceived prejudices and embrace Orwell’s own ideas on how the lives of the poor should be improved. He believes plongeurs should not have to toil in the harsh conditions that they do, likening them to Indian gharry ponies. This description of the “gaunt, vicious, things” is revolting, as he evokes an image of “their necks encircled by one vast sore, so that they drag all day on raw flesh.” This