I find it interesting to read Burmese Days after “Shooting an Elephant”. If I had not read “Shooting an Elephant” first, my attitude towards Burmese Days might have been quite different. As it is, I have problems with Elizabeth’s and Flory’s characters.
In my previous post, I said Orwell in “Shooting an Elephant” reflects the conflicts the White man faces simply because he is seen as a colonist. Flory seems to embody these conflicts and magnify them in Burmese Days. Both show an intense dislike for the British Empire and proclaim an interest in and sympathy for the Burmese. Both also reveal the pressures they are under to perform their proper prescribed roles in the colony. For Orwell, it was the act of having to shoot the elephant that highlighted his helplessness, that he even lacked control over whether or not he could shoot an elephant. For Flory, this helplessness was more profound. First, as a friend of Dr. Veraswami, he does not have as much power as the rest of the Europeans in the club. Second, despite his constant criticisms of ‘the British prestige, the white man’s burden, the pukka sahib sans peur et sans reproche’ (36), he still subscribes to it. He gives excuses for not being able to help his Oriental friend out: ‘No, he could not face that row! It was not worth it’ (46). Despite what Flory says, I still find that he desires to be a part of the White community, to fit in or at least, have someone else just like him. Which was why he desired Elizabeth, someone whom he thought would understand him and shared his point-of-view. This desire for her reflects his desire to conform and assimilate into British society more than to show his open-mindedness towards Burmese culture. Ultimately, Flory is still a White man who wants to belong somewhere, and this somewhere is still British society, whether he likes it or not.
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I thought Flory does not want to belong to either side, he is a mere capitalist figure in Burma to earn a living and does not want to get involved in the politics of colonialism. Which is why he loathes "club-chatter".
Even his desire for Elizabeth is motivated by a capitalist slant, which is to benefit the 'self'. We are told that he has this "pain that is all but nameless", hoping that Elizabeth can salvage his life and "nullify" the loneliness. It is merely for his own benefit, I do not think that he cared much about Elizabeth, and even if he appears to be. Elizabeth is merely a crutch for him to pull himself together to start afresh.
I think Flory hates himself for sinking so low, and it is a painful reminder of him losing his dignity as he meets other Europeans, especially Verrall. It is somewhat arguable that his 'regression' is due to his surroundings, the easiness of it all to become a drunkard and womanizer. However, he was never quite that successful back in England. He harbors hopes of re-joining the English society, but that is rather contrary to his actions of sharing his fascination with Burmese culture and tradition.
Perhaps Flory is like Fielding (A Passage to India), except that he is not fortunate enough to get married and re-join the English society.
Interestingly, how come marriage has such a drastic effect of gaining entry to the previously excluded society of Englishness?
"Even his desire for Elizabeth is motivated by a capitalist slant, which is to benefit the 'self'. We are told that he has this "pain that is all but nameless", hoping that Elizabeth can salvage his life and "nullify" the loneliness. It is merely for his own benefit, I do not think that he cared much about Elizabeth, and even if he appears to be. Elizabeth is merely a crutch for him to pull himself together to start afresh."
How is it capitalist? Given Flory's pittance of a pay - according to Mrs Macgregor - Elizabeth would only be a burden, no? Besides, their temperaments are so different even he himself recognises the "silly, snobbish, heartless" bitch she is, that he'd probably still suffer, if not more after marriage.
Hi Max! I agree with you, that's why I find Flory problematic. While on one hand I do see that he doesn't want to belong on either side but rather is trying to survive, I also get a sense that this 'trying to survive' attitude has led to his loneliness and thus desire for someone to understand and share this loneliness. But the problem would be the moment you want someone to share in something, doesn't it mean that you have to belong somewhere? In that sense, his choosing of Elizabeth (I don't know if one can go so far as to say choosing her over the doctor) shows he still wants to belong to a society, if only to "nullify the loneliness". That's what I think anyway.
But yes, it strikes me as interesting as to why marriage figures so importantly as a means to enter/re-enter British society. Perhaps because it is one of the strongest social institutions around? Or perhaps, for Flory and Fielding, marriage functions as a place where their attraction to the colonized cultures are watered down and make them more acceptable to British society.
I'm quite sleepy so excuse my incoherence. My thoughts aren't exactly coming out right... Haha.
Hmm, I quite agree with what you have raised. Perhaps I'll try and clarify what i mean by capitalist first.
I do not mean 'capitalist' literally, but more of the idea: of transaction and material exchange.
I say 'capitalist' mainly because Flory's romance with Elizabeth is mainly for his own benefit, a psychological 'profit'. I think that this is similar to how capitalism works, to benefit the self as main priority. He is self-absorbed in how he can benefit from marrying Elizabeth, more than what he can give Elizabeth.
I see his marriage with Elizabeth as an investmentl. She will potentially change his life, and make him a 'better' person. In his fantasy, his marrying Elizabeth will mark the start of a prosperous change in his life. To be regain some semblance of his Englishness, to be accepted back into the English community proper. This translates into possible economic benefits.
you mentioned that he realised how flawed elizabeth is, but what are the motivations behind his relentless pursuing of her as his potential wife?
One can see him as a fool who is driven half-witted by loneliness to be desperately seeking out Elizabeth. I see it as an obsession of benefiting the self, to 'profit' from the marriage.
I have read through the whole romantic part again, perhaps my view is pessimistic. I do start to see some instances of Flory's real affections for her.
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Very good Yuen Mei! This reading of yours will also be enhanced by our reading of Fanon in the last week.
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