Analysis of Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell

‘Down and out in Paris and London’ written by George Orwell is about the experience of a man working in a hotel.

The first paragraph opens up with the personal pronoun, ‘our’ implying that the narrator is a worker there. ‘Twenty feet by seven by eight high’ and ‘one could hardly move without banging against something’ show that this ‘murky cellar’ is small. Due to this description the reader assumes that maybe the owners of this cafeteria are poor and could not afford a larger place. The word ‘cafeterie’ is of French origin – thus Orwell sets a contrast; the country of France is known for good quality products and high-end dining areas, however in the first paragraph the author introduces the elocutionist to an impoverished place. The change in temperature made the narrator nostalgic, ‘it used to remind me of the hymn about…’ George Orwell employs a brief character sketch about each person that works in the cafeteria, except for him and Boris. However, the reader assumes that the narrator has an eye for detail and is always observing his surroundings due to the vivid descriptions he gives. Consequently, there is the employment of the pronoun ‘myself’ implying that the narrator is part of the story, thus the teller is participant. ‘…at the rush hour we collided instantly’ suggest that these four men are not working in a comfortable work environment.

The narration in the second paragraph allows the reader to assume that the raconteur works in a hotel. This division is like a timeline; from morning till night. The word ‘spasmodic’ reminds the reader of spasms; bursts of excitements. It is as if the teller wants to elocutionist to know about the hectic environment they work in every day. This image continues in the first part of th...

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...well sections his writing into four chunky paragraphs – due to the large amount of detail he employs, ergo making his style more pedantic. The sections are almost of the same length, this goes hand in hand with the range of sentences. The pace of the prose is at first slow but starts to gain momentum as the narrator gives detail about his surroundings. The extensive employment of these technicalities help the reader to picture the ambiance the narrator is in. The prose avails Orwell’s ability to handle such lucid diction whilst creating a tense atmosphere to heighten the author’s feelings.

This literary piece heightens George Orwell’s brilliance in writing. The amount of detail deployed in this prose not only bring all the characters to life but help the reader imagine so to evoke Orwell’s vision.

Works Cited

Down and Out in Paris and London - George Orwell