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The Tragic Ending of Burmese Days

1. Introduction

Burmese Days is a novel by George Orwell, published in 1934. The story is based on his experience as a British expatriate in Burma, during the 1920s.

The plot of the book is centered on poignant character of John Flory. He is a manager of logging company, situated in the non-real town of Kyauktada in Upper Burma. Flory is a British expatriate and the only one European who lives there. All the other characters are Burmese, living under British rule.

Flory is a middle-aged man, with a small birthmark on his cheek. He is weak and lonely person, who recedes to the European Club for solace. He has only one friend – native doctor Veriswami.

Flory competes to the villain of the novel – U Po Kyin – for an entrance card to the Club. U Po Kyin is an ambitious and cruel man, who wants to destroy Flory in order to get what he wants.

The ending of the book is very tragic. Flory kills himself, because he can not bear the thought of living without his beloved Burma.

2. The plot of the book

The story starts with the description of European Club, which is situated in Kyauktada town. This Club is a place where only Europeans can socialize and spend their free time.

Flory is sitting in the Club, reading a book and thinking about his life. He feels very lonely and miserable, because he does not have any friends or companions. All the other members of the Club avoid him, because he has a small birthmark on his face.

Later Flory goes to meet his only friend – native doctor Veriswami. They spend some time together, talking about various things. Flory confides in Veriswami that he is planning to kill himself, because he can not bear the thought of living without Burma anymore.

Veriswami tries to convince him that life is worth living and that he should not give up so easily. He also tells Flory about U Po Kyin – an ambitious and cruel man, who wants to destroy him in order to get what he wants.

Flory realizes that he can not live without Burma anymore and decides to kill himself. He walks into the jungle and shoots himself in the head with his revolver.

3. The main character – John Flory

John Flory is a British expatriate and the only one European who lives in Kyauktada town. He is a manager of logging company and has a small birthmark on his face. Because of this birthmark, all the other members of European Club avoid him and do not want to be seen with him in public.

Flory is weak and lonely person, who recedes to the European Club for solace. He has only one friend – native doctor Veriswami – with whom he talks about various things (including his plans to commit suicide).

Flory competes to U Po Kyin for an entrance card to the Club (which would allow him to bring local women as guests). U Po Kyin is an ambitious and cruel man, who wants to destroy Flory in order to get what he wants.

The ending of the book is very tragic. Flory kills himself, because he can not bear the thought of living without his beloved Burma.

4. The conflict between Flory and the villain of the novel – U Po Kyin

The conflict between Flory and U Po Kyin starts when they both compete for an entrance card to the European Club. U Po Kyin is a very ambitious and cruel man, who wants to destroy Flory in order to get what he wants.

Flory realizes that he can not live without Burma anymore and decides to kill himself. He walks into the jungle and shoots himself in the head with his revolver.

5. The ending of the book

The ending of the book is very tragic. Flory kills himself, because he can not bear the thought of living without his beloved Burma.

6. Conclusion

Burmese Days is a novel with a very tragic ending. The main character – John Flory – kills himself, because he can not bear the thought of living without his beloved Burma.

FAQ

The novel is set in the fictional town of Kyauktada, Burma during the 1920s and tells the story of John Flory, a British colonial officer who becomes disillusioned with the British Empire.

Orwell uses Burma as a setting to explore British colonialism and its effects on both the colonizers and the colonized. He also critiques the racism and classism that were prevalent in colonial society.

The main characters in the novel are John Flory, Elizabeth Lackersteen, Dr. Veraswami, U Po Kyin, and Ko S'la. John Flory is motivated by his desire for companionship and love, Elizabeth Lackersteen by her need for security and status, Dr. Veraswami by his ambition to be accepted by the British community, U Po Kyin by his thirst for power, and Ko S'la by his loyalty to U Po Kyin.

Themes explored in "Burmese Days" include colonialism, imperialism, racism, classism, sexism, and alienation.

Orwell's own experience as a colonial officer in Burma informed his writing of "Burmese Days" in several ways; most notably through his firsthand knowledge of British colonialism and its effects on both those who were colonized as well as those doing the colonizing .

When "Burmese Days" was first published reviewers generally praised Orwell's writing but critiqued his portrayal of Burma and its people. Some reviewers felt that he was too critical of British colonialism while others felt that he was not critical enough.

The novel still holds up today, nearly eighty years after its release, as a scathing critique of British colonialism and its effects on both the colonizers and the colonized.