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 Japanese Literature: Pimping to American Soldiers in Post War Japan (Akiyuki Nosaka)

“I needed English for my pimping-if you can call getting one or two women a day for soldiers pimping. The girls were all pale, boney-shouldered aspiring whores who had word that they could meet America-san and get chocolate if they came here, the soldiers all sad-faced boys would stood watching what was then the swift,Continue reading “RKS Japanese Literature: Pimping to American Soldiers in Post War Japan (Akiyuki Nosaka)”

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 Japanese Literature: Hiroshima Aftermath: People Looking Like Baked Rice Crackers (Yoko Ōta)

“The number of people on the riverbed increased minute by minute, many of them now with severe burns. At first, we didn’t realize that their injuries were burns. There were no fires, so how could they have been burnt so badly? Strange, grotesque, they were more pathetic than frightening. They had all been burnt inContinue reading “RKS Japanese Literature: Hiroshima Aftermath: People Looking Like Baked Rice Crackers (Yoko Ōta)”

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)”

RKS Japanese Literature: Hiroshima Aftermath: Face Puffed up Like a Loaf of Bread (Yoko Ōta)

“This was the first good look we had had of each other’s angry faces, but smiling was an impossibility. We couldn’t see our own faces, but looking at each other gave us an idea. My sister’s face was puffed up like a loaf of bread, and her eyes, normally large, black and uncannily clear, hadContinue reading “RKS Japanese Literature: Hiroshima Aftermath: Face Puffed up Like a Loaf of Bread (Yoko Ōta)”

RKS Literature: Easily Swindled Americans at Hotel X in Paris (George Orwell)

“According to Boris the same kind of thing went on in all Paris hotels, or at least in all the big, expensive ones. But I imagine that the customers in Hôtel X were especially easy to swindle for they were mostly Americans, with a sprinkling of English-no French- and seemed to know nothing whatever aboutContinue reading “RKS Literature: Easily Swindled Americans at Hotel X in Paris (George Orwell)”

RKS Literature: The Outlook of a Waiter (George Orwell)

“The waiter’s outlook is quite different. He too is proud in a way of his skill, but his skill is chiefly in being servile. His work gives him the mentality, not of a workman, but of a snob. He lives perpetually in sight of rich people, stands at their tables, listens to their conversation, sucksContinue reading “RKS Literature: The Outlook of a Waiter (George Orwell)”