‘Burmese days’. A novel portraying the expansion of the British Empire into the third world during the 1930’s presents Colonialism through one protagonist named “Flory”. In a third person narrative Orwell explores themes of desolation, despair, love, and oppression. In a Marxist reading, “Flory” fails to revolt against the Capitalist hegemony that conditions him. “The Club” condition Flory to exploit ‘the natives’ whom against their will are being exploited. “Flory” against his own beliefs carries out the exploitation through his vocation; a ‘timber merchant’. This eventually causes a dialectic to occur which proves to be his own suicide. “It is never right to kill myself in order to relieve my own suffering because I am then using myself as a means of achieving my own ends – the relief of the suffering”. Kant’s quote illustrates Flory’s cowardice. He has the tools to cause a vanguard of the proletariat, but his failure to express his consciousness of the “slimey white man’s burden” and friendship with a native to the ruling class shows his confinement and downfall. In a society with racist ideological views Flory an antihero is caused to remain mute. “Ill rather die in a ditch before I see a nigger in here”. This quote illustrates an indirect threat from the hegemony to those who wish to revolt, causing Flory to live a secret life which results in his suicide.
Flory is victim to the idea that he can educate ‘the natives’. Orwell uses a barrier of differing languages to increase Flory’s alienation, and outline the impossibility of a revolt occurring.
Racial remarks voiced by ‘Ellis’ toward the ‘natives’ form a class divide. This shows Flory’s mental isolation because he is friends with ‘Dr. Veraswami’ and cannot admit it. Through the intention of appointing a ‘native’ to the ‘Club’ Orwell highlights Flory’s attitude to accept the ‘natives’ as British equals. On opposing the ideology of the capitalist hegemony ‘Flory’ remains silent, “Though by nature anything but a silent man”, symbolising his alienation form his own class. He is unable to verbally oppose the capitalist hegemony as his freedoms as a “British” man will be jeopardised.
The phrase “Pukka sahib” resonates ‘British’ control over the ‘natives’. The fear and respect imposed through Imperialism sustains a class divide. Implying the impossibility of the destruction of social classes.
Orwell uses the friendship of Flory and Veraswami to represent an element of despair about Flory’s character as Veraswami holds the capitalist ideology in a degree of veneration. “The slimey white man’s burden humbug” implies his disagreement with the Capitalist ideology. However, he carries it out, and shouts at Veraswami infront of the British because he is afraid of being cast from his own class.
Orwell uses Flory’s “birthmark” to represent a difference Flory has from the ‘British’ symbolising his alienation from them. Veraswami due to the colour of his skin shares a difference with Flory. Flory verbally abuses Veraswami, his friend, infront of the British. This Highlights the extent the Capitalist hegemony has conditioned Flory because he contradicts his egalitarian nature by reinforcing a class hierarchy. An advocate of the Capitalist ideology unwillingly leads to his suicide.
Flory achieves the consciousness that money has alienated the Burmese. He sees that Burmese culture is far superior to the British as it involves relationships formed from emotions, and the respect of nature. As opposed to a ‘man made’ object dictating social classes, and creating a hierarchy within the household. This hierarchy dictates Flory’s and ‘Elizabeth’s’ relationship as he is deemed the ‘breadwinner’. This artificial idea made by Capitalism as a means of concentrating capital and increasing competition makes women classed ‘inferior’ to men as they could, not compete.
Acting on behalf of human survival through reasoning and teamwork has been a primal instinct to survive. Flory’s an egalitarian who believes this. He cannot voice it because the idea of competition has been created by money, Flory is bound by the Capitalist hegemony as their main aim is to get more money and gain more power. Contradicting his own beliefs, and inevitably causing him to ask questions about the system which he doesn’t reach, due to the fear of risking his own freedom.
“They talked- so long as they talked of trivialities – with the utmost freedom, yet they were distant like strangers. He felt stiff in her presence, he could not forget his birthmark.”
Through ‘Elizabeth’s’ status of an orphan Orwell presents a character who has aims for going to Burma. Flory preys on the girl’s youthful façade and is bound by the societal institution of marriage. Flory shows desperation which becomes a disturbing fetish he cannot control. Orwell deliberately diverts expectations of a happy ending in marriage to highlight Capitalisms destructive nature. That without marriage a man is worthless, to some extent empowering women, but contradicting himself as he presents ‘Elizabeth’ as a person in feminist terms as someone who will settle for what is deemed as “legal prostitution” becoming an object of man. Highlighting the corrupted nature of society and damning Flory to isolation.
A ‘timber merchant’ suggests Flory’s lack of control. An egalitarian with a job that entails destruction of another’s country, suggests the oppression the hegemony has over him. Orwell does this to foreshadow a climax, where Flory will somewhat revolt against his oppressors because he is a slave to society. Carrying out the demands of a capitalist who is not even present proves his alienation to sustain his ‘freedom’ at the expense of an inferior class’s freedom. Inevitably damning an egalitarian toward a dialectical moment.