This thesis seeks to analyse the role of poverty in two works of fiction - Lewis Jones' Cwmardy and George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London. The focus is on the way both authors use the issue of poverty in their novels to communicate their ethical and moral beliefs to the readers. Both Jones and Orwell were political and socialist writers and their contributions to the general understanding of the issue of poverty are examined accordingly. Using the comparative method, as well as the methodological framework provided by Barbara Korte, the novels are examined as examples of the way poverty is presented by two different socialist writers, using different literary tools. In the paper, poverty is examined as a social construct and as a class category. Both authors recognized the unjust treatment of the poor in Britain and aimed to dismantle the myths and misconceptions about the poor which were prevalent at the time. This paper analyses the authors’ approach to poverty as a means of inspiring social change. Together with shedding some light on the terrible living conditions of the poor, the authors present different political views in the novels as possible answers to the social injustices of the time. The various levels of the experience of being a member of the poor and underprivileged are used to emphasize the complex nature of poverty. In this way, poverty is discussed not only as a social construct, but also as a complex subject matter to address in literature.