Boundaries Explored in Burmese Days

Boundaries Explored in Burmese Days

The world is full of boundaries. Many people spend their lives attempting to overcome boundaries of some sort while others establish boundaries. Conflict arises when boundaries are challenged and George Orwell explores this topic in-depth in his novel, Burmese Days. Orwell examines the many boundaries set forth by man and the consequences they bring. In the novel, the boundaries are initially put in motion by imperialism. When the Europeans arrive, they must establish their place among the non-Europeans. Corruption emerges as different characters respond to boundaries in different ways. The Europeans are bent on maintaining the boundaries they put in place while Flory attempts to "reach across the aisle." Elizabeth represents the worst of these boundaries because she simply adopts the white attitude without giving much thought to her actions. Flory attempts to expose her to the non-Europeans and she only finds herself repelled by them. Burmese Days becomes a character study of the horror resulting from boundaries.

The physical and social boundaries are best demonstrated with the European Club. It is described as the "spiritual citadel, the real seat of the British power, the Nirvana for which native officials and millionaires pine in vain . . . It was the proud boast of Kyauktada Club that, almost alone of Clubs in Burma, it had never admitted an Oriental to membership" (Orwell). The club represents one of the oldest forms of discrimination society has ever seen. The powerful, or the "haves" separating themselves from the not-so-powerful, or the "have nots." Another scene where this is played out occurs when Flory takes Elizabeth to the bazaar. He takes her there to expose her to a different side of life. He wants to her to become accustomed to the non-Europeans as he has, hoping that this might bring them closer together. She is incapable of looking at them with anything but disdain. Even their tea offends her, prompting her to say, "You'd think they'd have the sense to put milk in it, wouldn't you?'" (Orwell). This scene illustrates the boundary that not only exists between the non-Europeans and the Europeans but Flory and Elizabeth as well. He wants more than anything for her to love him and see things the way he does but this is impossible. Orwell writes, "He did not realize that this constant striving to interest her in Oriental things struck her only as perverse, ungentlemanly, a deliberate seeking after the squalid and the 'beastly'" (Orwell). Flory and Elizabeth's relationship is important because it demonstrates how people become creatures of their own minds. While Flory is open to the non-Europeans, he is torn between that and Elizabeth's apprehension. He remains divided throughout the novel and receives nothing for it in the end.

The racial boundaries that exist in the novel are obvious and characterized best through Ellis and Elizabeth. These characters judge individuals by their skin color before anything else. They are stereotypical racists. Early in the novel, Ellis tells Flory and Westfield that a non-European in the Club would be "great" (Orwell) with "Little pot-bellied niggers breathing garlic in your face over the bridge-table" (Orwell). Elizabeth echoes this attitude. We are told she "decided to snub the Eurasians. She did not know why Flory was allowing them to hold him in conversation" (Orwell). When Flory introduces the notion that Europeans actually mated with non-Europeans, she finds it repulsive. She cannot relax with them the way Flory does and responds to them in a harsh way because she cannot believe that any white man who have anything to do with a native woman. She tells Flory, "only a very low kind of man would -- er -- have anything to do with native women" (Orwell). Here we see how racial boundaries are not only set but also maintained. Kyin is aware of the boundaries that exist but he is determined to overcome them. His ambition to become a member of the European Club corrupts him. His immediate boundary is Flory's friendship with Dr. Veraswami. Veraswami comes across as one of the decent people in the novel in that he does not allow himself to become involved with the depravity that Kyin does. Veraswami expresses a selflessness in that he allows Flory to confide in him but in this act, he is crossing a boundary because he is peeking at a side of the European life he would have never known otherwise. He delights in the Europeans loyalty to one another but he is also able to see the best and worst of this culture. It is also worth noting that while he is surrounded by these boundaries, he never loses sight of his own identity.

Boundaries are flexible to a certain extent and success or failure depends upon who is doing the flexing. Flory is perhaps most notable for flexing the boundaries between the Europeans and the non-Europeans but he gets nothing for it in the end. He appreciates different cultures and attempts to expose Elizabeth to them in a way that would make her appreciate it as well. Her reaction to them illustrates just how personal and deep boundaries are. Flory will not see the natives as Elizabeth does and she will never accept them as he has. Flory is friends with them and even takes a Burmese mistress. It should be noted that while Flory was forgiving of the boundaries that existed between these cultures, it made no difference to the society as a whole. His willingness to accept the non-Europeans provides a stark contrast to the others in the novel who see the non-Europeans as little more than animals. This is exemplified with his relationship with Elizabeth. She adopts the typical white attitude and through her and Flory's love for her, we see the devastating effects of such boundaries. Superiority reigns supreme and since it feeds the go, it keeps boundaries well in place.