Name: Burmese Days
Rating: 3.636363636363636 (22 reviews)
ISBN: 9781529032680

George Orwell

David Eimer

Burmese Days

Modern Classics Burmese Days

ikkychan

I heard this in a passing once: “if ghosts are real, there will be less white men around”. It may sound funny at first, had I not realized the full weight of the sentiment carried in that sentence, I would’ve chuckled for another minute. The magnitude of years, decades, centuries of colonization has resulted in a myriad of malady. Be it psychological, economical, social or politics, we can’t easily refute the claim that white colonialism has contributed the most for more than half the world’s problems. Given its intricate and multifaceted nature, the discourse on this matter is mirrored in millions of books, sparking intense discussions throughout history, extending even into the years following Brunei's independence, which marked the conclusion of British colonial rule. Take Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” by way of example. The story revolved around the indigenous communities, exploring the clash between the traditional Igbo societies and the encroachment of British colonial forces. While it comprehensively reflects on the effects from the victim's perspective, George Orwell’s 'Burmese Days' focuses on its perpetrators, the Pukka Sahibs, instead. John Flory was in a quagmire. Working as a timber merchant deep in the jungle of Kyauktada for more than a decade has slowly but surely shifted his perspective regarding himself and his community of white Europeans in this cooped-up, backwater town of theirs—and this is not particularly an opinion that his neighbors would gladly welcome with open arms. You see, having lived, breathed the same airs and closely shared the tapestry of moments has cultivated a kind of sympathy in his heart for these lanky, brown people who were subjected to deplorable treatments by his compatriots. He began to see the unfair and unjust way in which the Empire operated, stealing resources from these foreign lands while treating its people disrespectfully, all to maintain Britain’s financial dominance. God forbid he harbors this kind of sentiment toward the natives! As if to test his integrity, Flory found himself in both a principal and moral dilemma when his Indian friend, Dr. Veraswami was threatened by the degenerate magistrate U Po Kyin when they competed for the spot in the European Club as the only native member, essentially sanctifying their lifelong privilege. To add to this already taxing socio-political conflict, his world took a sudden turn when a beautiful, young woman by the name of Elizabeth Lackersteen came into their town. This is one of those books that leaves a bitter after taste in your mouth. Nothing in here is easy to digest, the conflicts are hateful and laughable, and no one is deserving of any sympathy, not even Flory. His flippancy and wishy-washy attitude is a painful reminder of his identity and the power his skin color holds. Sure, he tries to voice against the slur and visibly treats the native with respect for their culture and value — widely different from his other white Europeans, who are ignorant in their arrogance. But his sympathy does not negate the fact that he is capable to enjoy certain niceties that are forbidden for native, keeps a Burmese mistress in his house without marrying her, and is still safe within the wall of the Club no matter how Bolshy his rhetoric is. His existence is the very testament to his white privilege, which he fully acknowledges and hates. The narrative translates this inner conflict really well precisely because Orwell possessed a keen insight into tyranny, skillfully portraying the subtle social dynamics that uphold larger oppressive structures. Through Flory's failure to defend what is right, Orwell vividly depicts the formidable force exerted by a system against a lone dissenter, even if Flory's attempts are hesitant and flawed. The constraints of Flory's own character emerge as a significant hindrance to resisting these pressures. The oppressive atmosphere enveloping Flory's voiceless predicament is tangible, and we suffocate along with him. The novel’s conclusion further proves that individuals challenging the accepted truth of the majority are often marginalized or cast aside in various ways. Flory’s fixation on Elizabeth is a desperate attempt to escape his loneliness, as he was essentially ostracized among both the expats and the natives. There was a certain abnormality in his 'love' for her that resembled obsession, evident in the way he conveyed his feelings: “It was so important that she should understand something of what his life in this country had been; that she should grasp the nature of the loneliness that he wanted her to nullify.” He placed her on a pedestal, as if Elizabeth were the Messiah who would absolve him of his despair and discordance. However, he failed to recognize the fundamental difference between him and her; it was impossible for Elizabeth to regard the natives with the same eyes as he did. These discrepancies between reality and idealization ultimately led to his untimely death, as he never fully understood the superficial and normative nature of Elizabeth and how similar she was to other Pukka Sahibs that he abhorred. What I find most fascinating is that this is Orwell’s own debut and first foray into literature, which was inspired by his personal experience when he joined the Indian Imperial Police in Burma in 1922 after leaving school in England. His direct involvement in the colonial police there provided him with firsthand exposure to the lives his characters experience in this novel, to the point that he has to publish it in the States to avoid backlash from his peers whom he depicted too copiously. This is precisely why his writings offer valuable insights into colonial life under the British Empire, portraying long and lonely days where the club held significant importance, and peace was upheld not through overwhelming numbers but through a precarious combination of bureaucracy and indoctrination into the notion of the Empire as a civilizing influence—a misguided belief that the anglophile, Dr. Veraswami, hilariously, steadfastly upheld until the bitter end. All in all, George Orwell's "Burmese Days" offers a nuanced exploration of the complexities of colonial life, societal pressures, and the internal conflicts faced by its characters. Through the lens of protagonist John Flory, the narrative delves into the consequences of challenging established norms and the pervasive influence of white privilege. As we navigate the tumultuous landscape of Kyauktada, where no one is happy and everyone is selfish, Orwell invites readers to confront the uncomfortable truths of an oppressive system, leaving us with a poignant reminder that those who question the majority's accepted truth are often marginalized and ostracized, highlighting the enduring relevance of Orwell's narrative in understanding the human experience under the shadow of empire.

Based on his experiences as a policeman in Burma, George Orwell's first novel is set during the end days of British colonialism, when Burma is ruled from Delhi as part of British India.

Bouke van der Bijl

Grim description of the life of British expats during the colonial era. Most of them hated the people, country and language yet stayed in their cushy position, bickering over nonsense at the club.

Nadine 

#Asia - I really 'enjoyed' this book, although enjoy is not really the right word, as Orwell has a way with words and a turn of phrase that can make you squirm.
His characters are real and flawed. They do stupid and irrational things and have to live with the consequences. No neat and tidy ends here. Which is actually quite refreshing.
A good dose of reality of the colonial times and accompanying superiority and racism inherent in it all.

Sophie Shrimpton

** spoiler alert **
           ""But, my dear friend, what lie are you living?" 
"Why, of course, the lie that we're here to uplift our poor black brothers instead of to rob them. I suppose it's a natural enough lie. But it corrupts us, it corrupts us in ways you can't imagine.""

"Everyone is free in England; we sell our souls in public and buy them back in private, among our friends. But even friendship can hardly exist when every white man is a cog in the wheels of despotism. Free speech is unthinkable. All other kinds of freedom are permitted. You are free to be a drunkard, an idler, a coward, a backbiter, a fornicator; but you are not free to think for yourself."

"In the end the secrecy of your revolt poisons you like a secret disease. Your whole life is a life of lies."

"For, au fond, what do you care if the Indian Empire is a despotism, if Indians are bullied and exploited? You only care because the right of free speech is denied you."

"So he had learned to live inwardly, secretly, in books and secret thoughts that could not be uttered... but it is a corrupting thing to live one's real life in secret. One should live with the stream of life, not against it... [should not] live silent, alone, consoling oneself in secret, sterile worlds."

Flory's journey - blindly entering imperialist structures, becoming self-aware but also powerless to escape, thirsting for someone to share this with and placing his trust in someone who could never reciprocate his awareness or loathing, and eventually killing himself (and his dog) because he can not stand the thought of returning to solitude - hits close to home. 

It's interesting that Orwell, rather than having a running commentary from Flory about the despotism and imperialism he hates, chooses to allow Flory to embrace a self-interested commentary that is primarily concerned with his experiences with the deficiencies of the British Raj, rather than concerns with the overall structure and how it affects his Burmese friends. These overall concerns only break-through once or twice, and even then are largely self-focused. This is why I gave the book a lower score. Though it may be true that many are driven by, and day-to-day only think of localised, self-affecting matters, I would've expected more insight on the larger picture to tie into the narrative and Flory's stream of consciousness.

Burmese Days

Reviews

Highlights