Running head: BURMESE DAYS 1
Burmese Days
HaoJun Chen
HIS 100E
Authored by George Orwell, Burmese Day is a tale from the British colonial time in
Burma 1. In the whole story, the British are dominating the Burmese who surprisingly do not
1 George Orwell. Burmese Days (Florida: Harcourt, Inc., 1934), 109-116.
BURMESE DAYS 2
respond negatively. Instead, some selfish individuals are lying low with the belief that they
would gain recognition from the British officials and have a chance to join the British club.
Membership in the club came with a lot of privileges such as prestige, and money allowances.
Non-British characters are competing for a position in the club. The Burmese magistrate faces
stiff competition from an ideal club candidate, Dr. Veraswami the Indian. He plans to ruin his
reputation before the British. In the long run, Dr. Veraswami is sent to exile and U Po Kyin the
Burmese magistrate is elected into the British club. The native Burmese, therefore, lost their
dominion willingly to the British superiority in their society in exchange for favors. Although the
Burmese are not contented with the European rule, they continue to inhabit their motherland a
society in which some people are self-centered, and the only struggle for power is very dominant
because of the membership club that is of great significance to them.
