George Orwell Imperialist Experience Essay

After the civil war, United States took a turn that led them to solidify as the world power. From the late 1800s, as the US began to collect power through Cuba, Hawaii, and the Philippines, debate arose among historians about American imperialism and its behavior. Historians such as William A. Williams, Arthur Schlesinger, and Stephen Kinzer provides their own vision and how America ought to be through ideas centered around economics, power, and racial superiority.

At the same time, the narrator is also the victim of the Imperialism System itself. Under the system, it seems that the British manipulate the Burmese, but in reality, it is the opposite situation. The Burmese had the control over the British, especially people like the author who worked in a country under colonization. Orwell

Imperialism was a time period in which more developed nations colonized less developed nations. The developed nations took advantage of the less developed nations resources, people, lands, and much more. Many countries lost their freedom and independence due to imperialism, however, they also received new technologies and innovations.

“One of the things Orwell bequeathed us was the adjective ‘Orwellian’…. It is a frightening word, generally applied to a society organized to crush and dehumanize the individual, sometimes signifying the alienation of that individual if he dares to rebel” (Lewis 13). George Orwell, the pseudonym for Eric Arthur Blair, depicted the importance of the individual in society and the danger of too much community in his literature. Through his personal experiences, however, he explored the ideas of socialism and was torn between the individual and community ideals. In his literature and his past, Orwell spoke against movements that remove the individual, but still emphasized the importance of community. Thus, he advocated a

According to Edward Said, a literary critic on imperialism, every empire tells itself that its mission is “not to plunder and control but to educate and liberate.” Twisted intents like these allow the immoral methods used in different faiths and cultures to be justified. Doing what is right is no longer the better choice if those who have power think otherwise. When one sees the outcome of the brutal methods in which alpha humans treat their “inferior” members of the same race in the process of colonization, they will begin to doubt whether these highly respected people should be followed as an example of strong and just leadership, and so strongly that one may deem the enemy the wiser choice to follow. In Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant”

American Imperialism has been a part of United States history ever since the American Revolution. Imperialism is practice by which powerful nations or people seek to expand and maintain control or influence over weaker nations or peoples. Throughout the years there has been many instances where the Americans have taken over other people countries, almost every time we go into we have taken over a new piece of land. The Americas first taste of imperialism came about five hundred years ago when Columbus came to America. We fought the pleasant inhabitants and then took over their land making them slaves. Americans over the years have been known to become almost selfish, no matter how much we have we will never be happy until we control the

Britain owned many colonies throughout the 1800’s including Burma. While the British were able to manufacturing raw materials from Burma until the early 1900’s, British Imperialism would forever influence the Burmese Natives. In George Orwell book “Burmese Days,” racism is one example of this British Imperialism influence. British Imperialism allowed the use of racism to influence the European Club members and British military. Some British authority used racism to diminish the natives, which Ellis, a timber merchant, demonstrated. Then, superiority ranking and separation started amongst the natives themselves, which U Po Kyin and Ma Hai Mary sought to achieve. Then Ellis and the European Club members pressured Flory

Imperialism is a single entity that is still present at this time. In “Shooting an Elephant”, George Orwell shares his experiences of oppression and imperialism by the British as it unfolds in front of him. How does this tie into modern day circumstances, some may wonder. Three Metaphors like being an actor in a leading role, strings being pulled like a puppet, or a conjurer performing a magic trick are just a few Orwell mentions and can be compared to working in an environment with oppressed feelings.

Local people have hates to the colonizers. From George Orwell’s article, we can see that he wrote those hates in many places in his article, such as the Burmese would spit juice to women in the bazaars and he, as a European police officer, was always laughed by the locals. These hates of the Burmese were coming from the British imperial’s control and wants from the locals who would like to have their own freedom and got back their homeland. The prisoners who were trying to fight against the oppression of the British had a really terrible life in the prison and were treated terribly by flog with bamboos.

According to George Orwell, his argument starts with the British imperialism over the Asia especially India and Burma. Before Blair started his job he already hated the rich and power. He knew how it feels to be ruled under someone else since he was also one of them. Even Though, he was secretly for the Asian’s and against the British. He wasn't letting anyone to be known. “In a job like that you see the dirty work of Empire at close quarter(229).” In other words, Jobs like ruling a territory with your power is not going to bring peace, it’s going to make your job more difficult because you would not be liked and respected by the limited people.

“In India you are not judged for what you do, but for what you are.” With this one sentence author George Orwell depicts colonialism and racism in the novel perfectly. Burmese Days by George Orwell tells the tale of white Englishmen, and women, ruling over the native Indian population during the early 20th century. This was during an era of colonialization in which native Indians had next to no rights and all laws were made by the British in power. This created tension on both sides and racism became the norm between the two races. Orwell blended racism with the idea of colonialism masterfully. The way these two ideas were presented in the novel depicted them as essential to one another, however Orwell believed colonialism to be necessarily racist. To completely understand the feelings of both sides during this time some background knowledge is essential.

Britain’s power helped it colonize many regions of the world, which caused a lot of hate and racism amongst people. Orwell is a young and mentally discontent

In many respects, the Boer War resembles the struggle toward globalization a century later that Friedman describes in The Lexus and the Olive Tree. The British, with their more advanced industry and technology, attempted to pull the Boer Republics away from the Olive tree and into the new global economy, golden straightjacket and all. The British Empire had much at stake in the conflict, and eventually achieved its main goals. It protected its holding at Cape Town, which was essential in order to control the southern trade route to India, and resisted the threats of increased European presence in South Africa as well as the threat of Afrikaner nationalism in Cape Colony and in the Boer Republics that bordered

Initially, he was an outsider and he saw Burma and its people in a way that was shown by the British people. But, eventually he realised the difference and the reality. This thing is clearly seen in the novel. So, the imperialism and anti-imperialism go hand-in-hand in the novel with the help of different characters. Ellis, Mrs Lackersteen, Elizabeth, Dr. Veraswami showed the side of Imperialism while Mr. Flory, the native people, Ma Kin showed the side of Anti-imperialism. Through the characters, Ma Hla May and the visitor girl, Orwell proves that not only the coloniser but also the colonised is given the epitomes of hypocricy. Orwell showed that this society was deeply divided along racial lines, with Europeans exploiting both the land and people of Burma. At the same time, there were clearly those (Dr. Veraswami and U Po Kyin) who both believed and collaborated with the colonial rule. The themes of racialism and social repression, hatred and empire were clearly depicted in “Burmese

Nineteen Eighty-Four was a book written by George Orwell based on a dystopian society turned somewhat mental. George Orwell was but a pen name for Eric Arthur Blair; Orwell was born in colonial India, attended boarding school in England, and there discovered the harsh reality of prejudice within his community. At age eighteen, Orwell graduated from his boarding school and became a part of the Burmese Indian Imperial Police or BIIP. There he saw the abuses of power and grew to hate imperialism, thus using this new information to quit five years later to become a writer and create Nineteen Eighty-Four and other various works. Winston, the thirty-nine year old protagonist of Nineteen Eighty-Four, shared many sides of what the town of Oceania was like for him and what his life was like. Winston was your average Joe type of guy working for the Ministry of Truth in London and living in a flat (apartment) with his telescreen that he cannot be too far from, but there was nothing average about this ministry or his telescreen. There are four ministries: Ministry of Truth, Ministry of Love, Ministry of Peace, and Ministry of Plenty; they each play a different role in the government system. The telescreen, along with everyone else’s in Oceania, in each house and flat was there to aid in the government as well. There was also the introduction of “Big Brother” with billboards all around London and close to each ministry. Orwell discusses government’s role in society, the characters of Big