Imperial Eyes and Native Shadows: A Study of Othering in George Orwell's Burmese Days

Abstract

George Orwell’s Burmese Days (1934) offers a profound critique of British imperial rule in Burma, exposing how racial hierarchies and cultural prejudices legitimized colonial authority. This study applies Edward Said’s (1978) concept of Othering to examine how the colonizers construct the Burmese as inferior and fundamentally different, thereby reinforcing imperial dominance. Through close textual analysis, the paper argues that Orwell simultaneously critiques and reflects orientalist ideologies, presenting a complex narrative of empire, race, and identity. The analysis further explores how systemic racism manifests in institutional spaces, such as the European Club, and in individual attitudes embodied by characters like Ellis and Elizabeth. Moreover, the protagonist Flory’s moral conflict illustrates the psychological toll of colonial contradictions, while Dr. Veraswami’s internalized racism reveals the cultural alienation of the colonized. By situating the novel within postcolonial discourse, this paper demonstrates how Burmese Days interrogates the ideological foundations of imperialism while exposing the fragility of its moral justifications.