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Burmese Days

Burmese Days
Burmese Days is both an intriguing story about life in Burma and a negative commentary on Imperialism. Orwell delivers a futile world that includes Europeans idling and an entire native population suffering. Burma was a corrupt region ruled by money where appearance was paramount and reality could be overlooked. Strong characters like U Po Kyin and Verall flourished due to their cruelty while Flory and Dr. Veraswami withered away because of their mildness. Imperialism created an upside down world where villainy and lack of morality were rewarded, whereas good deeds and gentleness led to ones downfall. Ultimately, it was a pointless cycle in which destruction reigned and there were no victors.
In a society completely ruled by whites, the cunning U Po Kyin was able to carve out a powerful niche in Kyauktada. While he started out as a poor boy, he rose through the ranks through blackmail and deceit (6). Through extortion, taxation, and his litigation, he managed to amass a fortune which allowed him, with bribery, to secure his power (7). With it, he was able to set himself apart from his native people and brutalize them like he was the imperialist. More able and scrupulous men probably were in line for U Po Kyin's job but the Europeans in charge valued appearance more than anything. From the outside, he was a strong, judicious ruler whose misdeeds were immaterial as long as he paid his dues and kept his people in line. His wife, worried about his afterlife, stated "you have done very much evil in you life" (15). U Po Kyin knew that was the truth, but he was a man of no shame, no morals. Unfortunately, this trait was the source of his power, and allows him to manipulate weaker people for his benefit.
Consequently, U Po Kyin acquired just about anything he desired. In describing U Po Kyin to Flory, Dr. Veraswami exclaims, "The outrages he has committed, The extortions, the briberies! The girls he hass ruined, raping them before the very eyes of...