“Burmese Days” is a powerful and thought-provoking novel written by George Orwell that presents a grim portrait of imperialism and the British Empire. In the book, Orwell neither romanticizes Burma and its people nor idealizes the imperialists. Instead, he depicts bitterness, meanness, corruption, and wickedness. Using his own experience, the author skillfully depicts the cruel circumstances and tragic outcomes in a colonial society that is based on domination and fear and is in the service of the imperialists. The protagonist of the novel, John Flory, vividly demonstrates the dark side of the ruling class, and that the imperialists did not come to civilize the third world. Instead, they are looted and destroyed the resources of their colonies and tried to maintain their supremacy. Despite the fact that “Burmese Days” has a strong political focus, the author concentrates on other important issues, including the concept of manliness, the position of women, and religious practices.
Imperialism and British domination are one of the major themes of the novel. In fact, Burma was a British colony, but the opinions on this fact were quite different. Some characters were sure that the imperialists created unequal territorial, cultural, and economic relationship while some others insisted that they helped to raise educational and economic standards in the country. It is the protagonist of the novel Flory, a timber merchant, who mostly criticizes British imperialism and describes it as “a despotism with theft as its final object” (Orwell 1989, 68). For example, Dr. Veraswami and Flory hold numerous discussions on the issue of imperialism. Flory is sure that the imperialists intend only to rob the native people in colonial Burma. However, Dr. Veraswami objects and states that British rule has improved the level of people’s education, cured diseases, and built good infrastructure. Nevertheless, Flory emphasizes that the British are in Burma solely to exploit the country’s resources and make Burmese economy dependent on their administration. What is more, the British schools in this area produce cheap clerks who are designed to work for the imperialists. Thus, Orwell implies that the Imperial system and the desire for power and wealth could only destroy people, their souls, and humanity.
However, the novel cannot be merely regarded as an indictment of the Imperial system because, undoubtedly, Orwell intended to summarize his experience and what he thought about the Burmese people and their land. Nevertheless, the author’s absolute disillusionment with imperialism that was observed by Orwell in practice strikes most of all. He was quite young when he was set out for Burma full of idealistic expectations and romantic ideas of serving the Great Empire. Due to long exposure to corruption and cynicism, Orwell returned to his home as a totally different man because his illusions were destroyed by harsh reality. He began to detest imperialism, and this deeply ingrained feeling is clearly manifested by the protagonist of the novel.
In general, the book is full of memorable characters ranging from the well-meaning Dr. Veraswami to the cunning U Po Kyin, from the racist Ellis to the wily Ma Hla May. The characters are solid and thorough; however, they are not positive. Besides, the atmosphere of the novel is suffused with deceit and perfidy. Even Flory’s friend, Dr. Veraswami, is portrayed as too naïve and trusting. Other characters are vividly depicted with all of their sins and pettiness. For example, Ellis, a sharp-tongued racist and a member of the European Club, views the Burmese natives as swine and believes that they should be beaten with whips. Elizabeth’s aunt also disregards the Burmese people and finds them insolent and lazy. Thus, there are no sympathetic characters or heroes because all of them are portrayed with their weaknesses and flaws.
The concept of manliness and domination can be easily identified in the novel. As a matter of fact, men are placed at the center of the reality, and to dominate, the imperialists employ their ideas about masculinity. Besides, in “Burmese Days,” the imperialists are not afraid of the natives. Moreover, they see them as children who lack self-discipline, relies on emotions, and untrustworthy. This attitude is reinforced when the European Club is surrounded by the angry natives, and Flory’s reaction is described, “He had been watching the scene almost with detachment – dazed by the noise, indeed, but not much frightened. He always found it difficult to believe that Orientals could be really dangerous” (Orwell 1989, 236). Thus, the Europeans are merely preoccupied with their status as males and believe that their domination is an indisputable fact.
However, Flory’s attacks on the system of imperialism may result from his failure as a man. The protagonist rejects imperialism and hates racist remarks, but he does not break with the ruled class he attacks. Therefore, the truth lies deeper, and Flory cannot even think of not being a man. Nevertheless, several factors, including his defense of the Burmese and their culture, have led to the breakdown of his identity and loss of the posture of the sahib. Flory is also unable to act according to his own beliefs, and this fact decreases his self-worth that defines his masculinity and manhood.
In spite of the fact that the male imperialists dominated in Burma, they lacked unity that was attributed to the Burmese women. The author describes clear racial and gender hierarchy and writes, “The Burmese women repelled Elizabeth more than the men; she felt her kinship with them, and the hatefulness of being kin to creatures with black faces” (Orwell 1989, 113). This passage implies several things. First, women were inferior to men and were powerless creatures. Secondly, racial antagonism could be seen even among women whose status was similar. However, Orwell does not sympathize with them bit vice versa expresses his disgust and criticizes their actions and thoughts. Frankly speaking, the author discredits women of both races by employing the notion of female prostitution. Orwell blames women for clinging to higher status and prestige using all possible means and forgetting about moral principles.
Importantly, Orwell also expresses repugnance for various religious practices. Moreover, the author emphasizes that the wealthy people turn to religion simply to hide their self-seeking hypocrisy. In “Burmese Days,” the vicious and corrupt U Po Kyin is a vivid example of such people. He leads an immoral life, but he understands this fact, and that he will be reincarnated as a rat or a frog. However, his cunning nature decides to transform into a good Buddhist ad dedicate his life to good works, including erecting several pagodas to compensate for his callousness and greed. Moreover, he addresses to priests to specify how many pagodas will be enough to gain eternal benefits. The British colonial community is not left without the author’s satiric eye. The racist merchant Ellis, for example, admires the massacre that took place in the holy city of Amritsar in 1919 when non-violent pilgrims were killed by British soldiers. Bigamy and illegitimate children are forbidden by Christianity; however, this fact does not prevent the imperialists from having concubines in Burma.
Despite the fact that “Burmese Days” is a dark novel with a political focus, it is a valuable piece of creative literature that helps understand the Burmese society and imperialism. Orwell never expresses his thoughts in an explicit manner, and the search for something deeper within his novel teaches even more about other worlds and cultures. “Burmese Days” is full of Orwell’s genuine experience of living in Burma, and examining his language, characters, and various plot-lines leads readers to a discovery of a new reality and struggles. Studying works of creative literature gives an opportunity to see how different aspects of people’s lives, their inner confusion, and search for identity depend on social and political conditions that they live in. Besides, they educate readers and tell about other people’s values and attitudes.
References
Orwell, George. Burmese days. London: Penguin, 1989.
