Burmese Days
Uploaded by Jar on Apr 13, 2001
I was intrigued by how the writer George Orwell portrayed each character's personality. Each character had their own unique characteristic. For example, Mr. Floury's character was unique in every aspect imaginable, by the way he tries to help Dr. Veraswami's get elected in the club. He was not always positive, but in some instances he was cruel. There was a demeanor about him that was portrayed very well from start to finish. The arrival of the bobbed blonde, Elizabeth Lackersteen, not only shows Flory as ill-fated suitor but gives Orwell the opportunity to prove that he's a reporter of nuanced social interactions and political intrigues. Other character's worth mentioning is Ma Hla May (Flory's servant); her actions throughout the book were marvelous. Each time she appeared in the scene, her presence was felt strongly. Her actions thoughtout the book were driven by her vanity, which led to her arriving at the church and embarrassing Mr. Flory. Against this backdrop of politics and ethics, Orwell presents romance. The book was not just about one-man entrance in a club, but also of the hatred people bestow on each other. Was it their vanity that had driven everyone in the town? Is the failure to socialize extended to the natives ? U Po Kyin, villain who tormented everyone, a man without any sympathy, a man who was known to be notorious throughout the town. Most of the turmoil, which occurred during the book can be traced back to U Po Kyin doings. The addition of U Po Kyin made the book mysterious and full of mayhem.
This well plotted tale of betrayal and hypocrosy in an English colonial outpost is an extraordinarily good read on several levels. The character of Flory who despises the racist hypocrosy of his fellow expats yet is too weak to do anything about it is very well written. Flory is full of contradictions and ultimately these contribute to his tragic downfall. The English "club members" drink and spout racist nonsense while essentially wasting away in a country they really don't understand. A young military officer appears briefly and causes quite a stir since he is judged "worthy" based on title and appearance though in reality he is a lout. The plot builds slowly and Orwell weaves his views on colonialism and racism into the story with great skill. This is a great novel with a social conscience that I...