Bozo Character Analysis in Down and Out in Paris and London

Bozo is a London pavement artist and friend of Paddy Jacques’s who was made crippled while working as a house painter. Despite being penniless, Bozo refuses to give in to self-pity. An avowed atheist, he also staunchly eschews any religious-based charity. He takes a sincere interest in the stars, his art, and politics. He has dark curly hair and a hooked nose. In Orwell’s estimation, Bozo is an exceptional man because poverty has not warped his personality.

Bozo Quotes in Down and Out in Paris and London

The Down and Out in Paris and London quotes below are all either spoken by Bozo or refer to Bozo. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

). Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Mariner Books edition of Down and Out in Paris and London published in 1972.

Another thing to remember is to keep your money covered up, except perhaps a penny in the hat. People won’t give you anything if they see you got a bob or two already.

Related Characters: (speaker), ,

Page Number and Citation: 163

Explanation and Analysis:

The stars are a free show; it don’t cost anything to use your eyes.

Related Characters: (speaker), ,

Page Number and Citation: 164

Explanation and Analysis:

Bozo Character Timeline in Down and Out in Paris and London

The timeline below shows where the character Bozo appears in Down and Out in Paris and London. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Orwell and Paddy go in search of Paddy’s friend Bozo, a pavement artist. They find him on the London Embankment, copying a profile of Winston... (full context)

Orwell is intrigued by Bozo and he returns to the Embankment later on that night. Bozo then leads Orwell and... (full context)

Having served in the army during the war, Bozo lived in Paris and worked as a house painter for a while. He lost his... (full context)

At Bozo’s lodging house, Orwell meets a number of interesting characters, including a friend of Bozo’s who... (full context)

...among London street artists. Street acrobats and photographers often do very well. Organ grinders like Bozo’s friend Shorty are considered artists, not beggars. Some screevers are most definitely artists. One man... (full context)

...lodging house and holds a religious service that the tenants ignore. Orwell finds out from Bozo that this same party comes to the lodging house once a month, thanks in part... (full context)

Back at the lodging house, Orwell and Paddy loaf around. After a while, Bozo shows up, a little short of the money he needs for a night’s lodging. He... (full context)

...accommodations open to London tramps. His first option is sleeping in the Embankment district, where Bozo works as a pavement artist. Bozo and Orwell have both slept on benches there, and... (full context)

...Paddy is dead, but he’s not sure he can trust such information. The latest on Bozo is that he’s in jail for begging. Orwell concludes his story with the lessons he’s... (full context)