George Orwell
George is the main character of his own memoir, as expected. Orwell, born into an aristocratic family, deals with the struggles of poverty in Paris and London. For the first time in his life, he truly understands what it means to be poor, and realizes that beggars and tramps are people too. In his time in Paris, he lives in a run-down hotel, making barely enough money to buy unspoiled food. He gets a job at a restaurant with his friend, Boris, and they life a comfortable life for a time. However, they quite their job there, and Orwell travels to England for other working opportunities.
Boris
Boris is Orwell's Russian friend that, at the beginning of the memoir, says that he is there for Orwell in his times of trouble. This could not be further from the truth - in fact, Boris has even less money than Orwell does. So, the two join together to find a job in Paris. Boris claims that a restaurant will be opening soon and he can secure them jobs there, but the restaurant never opens. The two strike gold when they get hired as server and dishwasher, respectively, at Hotel X. However, Boris says that the restaurant is actually opening this time, and the two quit their jobs at the hotel. The opening restaurant does indeed open, but working conditions there are poor.
Paddy Jacques
With a name like Paddy, how could he not be Irish? He is, and Orwell meets him while he is in London. Orwell, while living in London, is in constant search of boarding homes, and this is how the two meet. Jacques knows a lot about the city locals, and tells Orwell the best places to stay. Afterwards, the two form a friendship.
