Burmese Days written by George Orwell describes on a more personal level the living conditions in Burma during British Imperialism. Orwell was born in India in 1903, which adds a familiar flavor to the writing style since he is able to vividly describe his people and his background. Not only is the story absorbing but also Orwell’s emotional writing proves that he writes on what he knows. Orwell’s honest and evocative style is appropriate when dealing with the shocking truth that the Burmese people had become slaves in their own country. It is one thing to have to give up your land, but having to give up your family traditions, language, and religion alters your everyday life; it alters your ethnicity. The expansion of the West also increased the subjection of local peoples, which inflicted violence and all for the chance that Britain would profit through trade. Imperialism is not only the overtaking of another’s territory, but also their culture. Who gave Britain the right? How did it become morally acceptable to come into a foreign country and strip it of all its riches, both cultural and economical? Although the “new imperialism” aimed to advance Western religions and culture, was the maltreatment of the locals worth it? The inequality between the Europeans and the Asians was evident throughout Burmese Days. As one of the Europeans says, “No white man has any faith in a man with a black face”(Orwell 12). Some Europeans also made sure that it was prohibited for the locals to get into the same clubs as them. In referring to one of the exclusive clubs, one of the white men says, “I’ll die in the ditch before I’ll see a nigger in here”(Orwell 23). Throughout the novel, the locals were referred to as slaves. The Europeans had such a superiority complex and they were so power hungry that they felt justified in coming into Burma and violating the Burmese r...
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