RKS Literature: The Three Evils of the Tramp’s Life: HUNGER (George Orwell)

“The first is hunger which is the almost general fate of tramps. The casual ward gives them a ration which is probably not even meant to be sufficient, and anything beyond this must be got by begging-that is, by breaking the law. The result is that nearly every tramp is rotted by malnutrition; for proofContinue reading “RKS Literature: The Three Evils of the Tramp’s Life: HUNGER (George Orwell)”

RKS Literature: The Tramp Monster and Sinister Chinaman (George Orwell)

“In childhood we have been taught that tramps are blackguards, and consequently there exists in our minds a sort of ideal or typical tramp-a repulsive, rather dangerous creature, who would die rather than wash, and wants nothing but to beg, drink and rob hen-houses. This tramp-monster is no truer to life than the sinister ChinamanContinue reading “RKS Literature: The Tramp Monster and Sinister Chinaman (George Orwell)”

RKS Literature: Revenge of the Tramps for Their “Free” Tea at the Evangelical Church (George Orwell)

“It was a queer rather disgusting scene. Below were the handful of simple, well-meaning people, trying hard to worship; and above were the hundred men whom they had fed deliberately making worship impossible. A ring of dirty, hairy faces grinned down from the gallery, openly jeering. What could a few women and old men doContinue reading “RKS Literature: Revenge of the Tramps for Their “Free” Tea at the Evangelical Church (George Orwell)”

RKS Literature: Bozo the British Beggar Comments on the Cremation He Saw in India (George Orwell)

“Have you ever seen a corpse burned? I have, in India. They put the old chap on the fire, and the next moment I almost jumped out of my skin, because he started kicking. It was only his muscles contracting in the heat-still it gave me a turn. Well, he wriggled around a bit likeContinue reading “RKS Literature: Bozo the British Beggar Comments on the Cremation He Saw in India (George Orwell)”

RKS Literature: The Salvation Army and Stench of Charity in England (George Orwell)

“Since then I have slept in a number of Salvation Army shelters, and found that, though the different houses vary a little, this semi-military discipline is the same in all of them. They are certainly cheap, but they are too like workhouses for my taste. In some of them there is even a compulsory religiousContinue reading “RKS Literature: The Salvation Army and Stench of Charity in England (George Orwell)”

RKS Literature: Never to Return to Filth Pit “Good Beds for Single Men” (George Orwell)

“In the morning I was woken by a dim impression of some large brown thing coming towards me. I opened my eyes and saw that it was one of the sailor’s feet, sticking out of bed close to my face. It was dark brown, quite dark brown like an Indian’s with dirt. The walls wereContinue reading “RKS Literature: Never to Return to Filth Pit “Good Beds for Single Men” (George Orwell)”

RKS Literature: Back in London Still Impoverished Staying at “Good Beds for Single Men” (George Orwell)

“Several noises recurred throughout the night. About once an hour the man on my left-a sailor, I think-woke up, swore vilely and lighted a cigarette, Another man, a victim of bladder disease, got up and noisily used his chamber-pot half a dozen times during the night. The man in the corner had a coughing fitContinue reading “RKS Literature: Back in London Still Impoverished Staying at “Good Beds for Single Men” (George Orwell)”

RKS Literature: Fear of the Mob (George Orwell)

“Fear of the mob is a superstitious fear. It is based on the idea there is some mysterious, fundamental difference between rich and poor, as though they were two different races like negroes and white men. But in reality, there is no such difference. The mass of rich and poor are differentiated by their incomesContinue reading “RKS Literature: Fear of the Mob (George Orwell)”

RKS Literature: A Wild Saturday Night in Paris Ends (George Orwell)

“By half-past one the last drop of pleasure had evaporated, leaving nothing but headaches. We perceived we were not splendid inhabitants of a splendid world, but a crew of underpaid workmen grown squalidly and dismally drink. We went on swallowing the wine, but it was only from habit, and the stuff seemed suddenly nauseating. One’sContinue reading “RKS Literature: A Wild Saturday Night in Paris Ends (George Orwell)”

RKS Literature: No Sense in Losing Sleep Over a Murder (George Orwell)

“One night in the small hours, there was a murder just beneath my window. I was woken by a fearful uproar, and, going to the window, saw a man lying flat on the stones below; I could see the murderers, three of them, flitting away at the end of the street. Some of us wentContinue reading “RKS Literature: No Sense in Losing Sleep Over a Murder (George Orwell)”