Burmese Days an Example of Imperialism Essay - 772 Words

Burmese Days: An Example of Imperialism Nineteenth century industrialization brought new riches and power to Western Europe, driving the expansion of opportunities and the building of empires in undeveloped territories. Although the developed countries brought many modern technologies to under-developed nations, they also brought fierce racism and European arrogance. Burmese Days by George Orwell was written in 1834 as a satirical view of English imperial life in Burma. Orwell provides a realistic observation of the arrogance the English demonstrated towards the natives and how they justified their actions. Europeans brought many new technologies to the countries that they imperialized. They built railroads and other types of†¦show more content†¦Although Flory has a fondness towards the Burmese people, he still considers himself superior to them which is especially demonstrated through his interactions his Mistress, Ma Hla May. On the day he meets Elizabeth, when Ma H la May shows up he tells her â€Å"Go away this instant. If you make any trouble I will afterwards take a bamboo and beat you till not one of your ribs is whole† (Orwell 87). It is doubtful that he would carry through with the beating, but the threat demonstrates his feeling of superiority. The attitudes of the English are wrong, but perhaps understandable. They assume that because the Burmese are not educated in the same manner as the English, they are not as intelligent. Since the country is not industrialized they have no ambition. Since they are mild mannered and do not fight the English (who have guns), they have surrendered to their natural place in society. Since their skin is brown instead of white, they are not beautiful. One must question how history would change if the Europeans of the 19th century and all people up to today would choose to learn and understand the cultures of others rather than pass judgments and make assumptions. Just as struggles between the upper and lower class were born from a lack of understanding for the other man’s condition in the early days of industrialization, the same is true for the times of imperialism. The English in Burmese Days have taken control of the area with noShow MoreRelatedBurmese Days1142 Words   |  5 PagesRacism in Burmese Britain owned many colonies throughout the 1800’s including Burma. While the British were able to manufacturing raw materials from Burma until the early 1900’s, British Imperialism would forever influence the Burmese Natives. In George Orwell book â€Å"Burmese Days,† racism is one example of this British Imperialism influence. British Imperialism allowed the use of racism to influence the European Club members and British military. Some British authority used racism to diminish theRead MoreBritish Imperialism In George Orwells Shooting An Elephant1042 Words   |  5 PagesBritish man, where rising imperialism of British in Burma is becoming more dominant. The essay started off identifying who George Orwell was. A sub-divisional police officer of Moulmein, who developed a feeling of being anti-European towards the Burmese people. By claiming that no one is courageous enough to raise a riot against the British, Orwell basically told us how dominant the imperialist was. Even the Buddhist priests, who are well respected amongst the Burmese were being jeered by the BritishRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1272 Words   |  6 Pagessecretly sides with the Burmese, he is resentful of the way they torment him. Eventually, a previously chained elephant is introduced to the essay. It is when this elephant escapes that it begins ravaging Moulmein. After concluding that the elephant’s mahout, a person who works with, rides, and tends to elephants, is a 12-hour’s journey away, Orwell is asked to step in. Here, Orwell is faced with the displeasuring choice of shooting it, or once again—bein g humiliated by the Burmese through numerous paragraphsRead MoreThe Evolution Of Imperialism In Shooting An Elephant By George Orwell711 Words   |  3 Pages As society has progressed, the evolution of imperialism has come to a point where people see it has pure history. It has vanished from our daily lives as we have not recently witness a country trying to dominate another. In â€Å"Shooting an Elephant† by George Orwell, we are able to envision the lives of the Burmese as they were involuntarily controlled by the British. In the early 1900’s we are told a true story of Orwell himself where he was once established in Burma was apart of his military serviceRead MoreShooting an Elephant bye George Orwell1019 Words   |  4 Pagesideal example. In the story, Orwell, the main character, works as a policeman in Burma in the 1930s for the British Empire. One day, an elephant tramples loose, and although Orwell has no intent on shooting the elephant, a mob of native Bur mese pressures Orwell to shoot the elephant. He reluctantly acquiesces to prevent being humiliated. After that experience, Orwell writes â€Å"Shooting an Elephant† to demonstrate native resentment of the British through mood, to reveal the tyranny of imperialism andRead MoreBurmese Days by George Orwell1125 Words   |  5 Pagesconnections to Burma go a long way back, all the way back to the first Anglo-Burmese war which was fought in the mid-1820s. It was then and there that Burma was subjected to the colonial rule of the British, and the lives of its people were forever changed. The rich became poorer, the middle class became poorer and the poor, needless to say became the poorest. The British intruded and forced themselves into the Burmese people’s lives with clear intent, they wanted to give the people of Burma somethingRead MoreImperialism In The 19Th Century Resulted In European Countries1726 Words   |  7 PagesImperialism in the 19th century resulted in Eur opean countries using social Darwinism to justify controlling the social and cultural lives of natives in African countries.When Chinua Achebe published Things fall apart in 1958, a novel criticizing the European aspects of imperialism, his aspiration was to teach readers that â€Å"their past-with all its imperfections-was not one long night of savagery from which the first Europeans acting on God’s behalf delivered them†(Chinua Achebe on the Role of theRead MoreShooting An Elephant By George Orwell867 Words   |  4 Pagesstory â€Å"Shooting an Elephant† by George Orwell describes Orwell’s experience as a police officer of a town in the British colony of Burma. George Orwell, a military occupier in the Burmese land is much hated by the civilians. The hatred he receives from the locals makes him despise the British Empires mistreatment on the Burmese people. However, he also resents the locals in the village for revolting against him, for he is only a worker of the British Empire. â€Å"Shooting an Elephant† by George Orwell discussesRead MoreEssay An Analysis of Orwells quot;Shooting an Elephantquot;2832 Words   |  12 Pagesloyalties going on in his heart because of the fact that he was at once opposed to the dirty work of Imperialistic feelings, but could not express them properly. He loathed the tyrannous and oppressive rule of a handful of British on a large number of Burmese people. He belonged to the class of oppressors but had sympathy with the uneasiness of conscience made it difficult for him to continue in the service of Imperial Police. The native peoples hatred for the British and the strong anti-English feelingRead MoreGrade 10 English - King vs Orwell Essay1633 Words   |  7 Pagesmakes their approach to injustices interesting is that neither of the authors were native to the area where the oppression was occurring, yet both felt that it was in their best interest to do or say something about the situati on. Dr. King, for example, explained that although not from Birmingham, he needed to be there because of all the injustices the white people where doing to the coloured community; â€Å"I am in Birmingham because injustice is here† (King). Orwell, although less enthusiastic