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Title: Finding George Orwell in Burma
ISBN: B000EUKQWI
Author:
Emma Larkin
Publicate Date: 2005-06-02
Publish: 2005-06-02
List Price: $22.95
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Hardcover
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1: The Time of the Green Spectacles
Finding George Orwell in Burma
The premise of Emma Larkin's intriguing book is that the current political climate in Burma was eerily forecast in three of George Orwell's books: "Burmese Days," his first book based on his experience in the British Police Force in Burma in the 1920's; "Animal Farm," the allegory in which beasts take on the characteristics of their oppressors; and "1984," the grim projection of totalitarianism regimes. "It is a particularly uncanny twist of fate that these three novels effectively tell the story of Burma's recent history. The link begins with Burmese Days, which chronicles the country's period under British colonialism. Not long after Burma became independent from Britain in 1948, a military dictator sealed off the country from the outside world, launched "The Burmese Way to Socialism," and turned Burma into one of the poorest countries in Asia. The same story is told in Orwell's Animal Farm....Finally, in Ninteen Eighty Four," Orwell's description of a horrifying and soulless dystopia paints a chillingly accurate picture of Burma today, a country ruled by one of the world's most brutal and tenacious dictatorships." (Larkin, P. 3)
Larkin (a pseudonym, to protect her and her sources) is an American journalist based in Thailand who has seen modern Burma close-up.
As I write this, Beijing is opening the Olympics (August 8, 2008) The eyes of the world are on China, as it wrestles with coming of age economically and politically.
It is also the 20th Anniversary of a bloody uprising in Burma, which resulted in a brutal crackdown and the deaths of at least 3,000 people. The BBC (for which Orwell reported, and which itself is banned from reporting from inside Burma) says: "Elsewhere in Asia, human rights groups and activists who fled in the aftermath of the 1988 protests held demonstrations outside Burmese and Chinese embassies.
"We are here because China is the main supporter of the military regime," Kyaw Lin Oo, a Burmese activist, told reporters outside the Chinese embassy in Bangkok"
One of Burma's true heroes is Aung San Suu Kyi, who is the daughter of Aung San, who was assassinated as Burma gained independence from Britain. She has been under house arrest for virtually her entire adult life, but still heads the banned National League for Democracy (NLD). The Burma Government is faced with a dilemma with Aung San; he was instrumental in Burma's fight against colonialism and thus a national hero. But his daughter is the regime's sworn enemy. So the Government simply omits him in its official histories.
Larkin recounts a curious period in Burmese history. When the Japanese occupied Burma, there was a crop shortage, and the only thing available to feed the donkeys they depended upon for transportation was parched, white grain.The donkeys refused to eat it. So they developed an ingenious solution: they fashioned spectacles out of green glass and wire and hung them over the donkey's ears. The donkeys, thinking they were eating green grass, ate it happily. That period of Burmese History became known as "The Time of the Green Spectacles."
As one Burmese said: '"That's what we have to do...view the world through green glasses." White is green, bad is good, war is peace. Orwell is alive and well in Burma.
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2: Orwell the Prophet: biographical footnotes
I learned some new things about Orwell. Most importantly: did you know that O. wrote 3 books about Burma, not just 1 as I had thought, naively?
After 'Burmese Days', there was also 'Animal Farm' (how the pigs with the dogs overthrew the farmers to take power) and then '1984' (how the powers control the minds and the records). These are predictions on Burma! Who would doubt it?
Second: when O was on his death bed, dying from TB at a much too young age, he was working on another novel or story about Burma. That was really new to me.
This book by an American journalist written under a pseudonym works on 3 levels, like a layer cake.
There is the Orwell biography; and frankly speaking, that is a disappointing part, because when the author followed O's traces in Burma, she didn't really find much. That is mainly because she was travelling as a tourist and couldn't do open research. Not her fault. What she injects is from other sources, like visits to London libraries and the Orwell archive. The visits to O's Burma places serve more for background colour than for new insights.
Second layer: this is a travel book about the places where O lived in Burma. We get to look at Mandalay, the Delta, Rangoon, Moulmein, and Katha.The book delivers the travel account without much passion. Let's put it this way: Larkin as a travel writer isn't exactly sparkling. She may never make it to the top ten of the genre.
Third layer: maybe the most important part or level of the book is the description of the totalitarian routine of life in Burma. While even this lacks spark, it is certainly an important contribution to the international knowledge of a tough subject to be informed about. The descriptions of daily life are continuously set against a background of 1984 scenes.
In short: a book worth reading that somehow remains short of expectations.
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3: Eric Blair in Burma
Emma Larkin methodically followed Eric Blair's footsteps in Burma. As an expatriate Burmese (having left the country in 1969), I find her description of the present socio-political situation in Burma and the parallels she draws with Orwell's vision of the human condition rather fascinating. I agree with Larkin that Blair's experiences in Burma had a definite impact on Orwell's views about the nature of human societies, but more interestingly, it is clear from the way Larkin describes many Burmese in her book (especially the kind of english books they read) that the impact of the british colonial period on Burma was substantial. What is then the more subtle message here? How much Burma changed a single colonial officer (a rather moody and pessimistic type at that!), whose later books did influence the way the world views colonialism, communism, fascism and other totalitarian regimes or how much England changed Burma (where the present regime is totalitarian)
I like the literary style of the book (easy to read) and there are many interesting and illuminating details about Blair and Burma. but perhaps the narrative is a bit too naive to really give a deeper understanding of what Blair experienced in Burma and more importantly what Burma went through in history to reach the present state of "State". Human societies (even the "isolated" burmese society!) and individual human beings (even Blair) are very complex in nature and beyond the comprehension of a single person whether it is an Orwell or a Larkin. I do admit that I read books not to find the "final explanation" to any kind of problem, but to enjoy and I really enjoyed reading this book.
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4: A side of Burma that visitors can't see
I visited Burma recently for a tourism visit. I read this book in preparation. Since much of the narrative is in historical terms, I didn't, at first, get a sense of what to expect. Only on my return did I realize that it gave me a much richer experience than I otherwise would have had. It is an often beautiful book. I got to see a number of the places that are mentioned in the book, but I frequently recalled her descriptions, rich with historical context, when I was there.
What I gained from reading this book before my visit was to sit-in on the conversations that the author had with both seemingly ordinary and some extraordinary Burmese. Not knowing the language, and being a casual visitor, I wouldn't have dreamed of talking politics when I was there. This book is hardly a journalistic contemporary history piece, but the author asked all the questions of ordinary people that you would want to ask, but can't. Burma is an exceptionally beautiful place, but I was always conscious that I was seeing only what tourists are allowed to see. There was no obvious evidence of the horrible events of just a few months ago, but armed with the author's experiences I could better see what was around me.
The parallel narrative involving Orwell was quite effective. It made me want to reread Animal Farm, and seek out Burmese Days. For potential visitors to Burma, I would also recommend The Trouser People: A Story of Burma in the Shadow of the Empire
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5: A glimpse into a hidden world
I lived in Burma in the late 80's because of my father's U.S. government job. I find most American's know little about Burma (as I did not before I went there.) The current regime has sealed off the country, so that its people suffer behind a veil. They are hidden from the rest of the world. Through the lense of a study of Orwell, the author provides a window into a country few know about. I loved that this book was short and accessible. I recommend this to anyone who wants to find out about Burma. You don't have to be a George Orwell scholar to understand the comparisons. (Although, I'm an English teacher and thought the author made some insightful observations.)
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