Down and Out in Paris and London is George Orwell's semi-autobiographical account of living in poverty in both cities. The narrative begins in Paris where Orwell lived for two years, attempting to subsist by giving English lessons and contributing reviews and articles to various periodicals. He ended up working as a plongeur (dishwasher and kitchen assistant) at a hotel/restaurant where he earned barely enough to survive. Next Orwell moved to London where along with writing and tutoring he worked as a bookshop assistant, an experience which would inspire his later novel Keep the Aspidistra Flying.
The book was first published in 1933.

Chapters I - XXII: Paris
George Orwell arrives in London expecting to have a job waiting for him: he was told by a friend, whom he refers to as 'B.', that he would get paid to mind an 'imbecile'. Unfortunately for Orwell, his would-be employer has gone abroad.
Until his employer returns, Orwell lives as a tramp, sleeping in 'spikes.' These were dismal compounds where tramps could sleep for free but were obliged to move on. They couldn't stay at the same spike more than once a month or stay in any London spike more than twice a month. Characters in this section of the book include the Irish tramp Paddy and the pavement artist Bozo.
At the end of his 'down and out' period, Orwell comes to a powerful realization:
At present I do not feel that I have seen more than the fringe of poverty. Still I can point to one or two things I have definitely learned by being hard up. I shall never again think that all tramps are drunken scoundrels, nor expect a beggar to be grateful when I give him a penny, nor be surprised if men out of work lack energy, nor subscribe to the Salvation Army, nor pawn my clothes, nor refuse a handbill, nor enjoy a meal at a smart restaurant. That is a beginning.