Boulot is a term for the imitation of good service commonly found in expensive restaurants that, according to George Orwell, is basically a sham. This aesthetic is on full display at both the Hotel X and the Auberge, where Orwell works as a plongeur. Owners of so-called high-end establishments invest their dining rooms with counterfeit luxury details in the hopes of attracting wealthy clientele. In reality, underneath it all, is shoddy work, cheap materials, and filth.
Boulot Quotes in Down and Out in Paris and London
The Down and Out in Paris and London quotes below are all either spoken by Boulot or refer to Boulot. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 14
Quotes
To a certain extent he is even dirty because he is an artist, for food, to look smart, needs dirty treatment.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Everywhere in the service quarters dirt festered—a secret vein of dirt running through the great, garish hotel like intestines through a man’s body.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Down and Out in Paris and London LitChart as a printable PDF.
Boulot Term Timeline in Down and Out in Paris and London
The timeline below shows where the term Boulot appears in Down and Out in Paris and London. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 14
Much of the efficiency is the result of boulot, or the appearance of good service. If one looks beyond the good service, though, the...
(full context)
