This is about man's resilience in the face of extreme hardship. George Orwell actually experienced a life of poverty in the middle of the Great Depression, first in Paris, living on his wits amongst the French working class - specifically as a casual worker in the hospitality industry, then in London, living amongst the tramps, persecuted and harassed by the authorities and fellow citizens alike. His intention was to expose the under-belly of poverty existing in two outwardly prosperous capitals. Because of his personal first-hand experience, he has been able to show the resourcefulness and irrepressible humour of the downtrodden. Orwell transports the life and characters he encountered directly into your imagination like no other writer.