Reflection-on-Marrakech(Marrakech读后感)

ReflectiononMarrakech“Marrakech”,anessay,whichrevealsthepovertyanddiscriminationcausedbythecolonialisminMarrakech.Georgeprovidesuswithsomesimple,yetimpressivepicturesoflocallifeinlaterpart.Forinstance,thelivingconditionsinJewsghetto,marginalizedsectionofsociety—women,sickeningmaltreatmentofanimals,etc.WecantellbythefollowingaspectsthatMarrakechisquitepoor.Firstly,astheessayopens,theauthortakesusthroughthestenchofacorpsethatattractedthecloudoffliesfromtherestaurant.Notonlyisadeadbodycarriedopenlythroughthestreets,buttheflies,enjoyingthedecay.Thereisanimpliedsenseofpityforthosepeopleforcedtoliveinsuchconditions.Secondly,Orwell’suseofvividdescriptioncontinuesasheconveysthesqualorofthelivingandworkingconditionsintheJewishghetto.OrwelldescribestheJewishghetto,highlightingthedisgustingconditionstheJewsareforcedtoliveunder.Andthenhegoesontovividlydescribeanothermarginalizedsectionofsociety–itswomen.OrwellpresentsavividphysicaldescriptionofthewomenofMarrakech,showingustheheavytollthattheirmistreatmenthastakenontheirbodies.Furthermore,theauthordescribesthemenialtaskstheyareexpectedtoperform,despitetheirlackofhealthandstrength.Hewritesaboutameetingwithagroupofwomencollectingwood.Orwellexploitsparticularlyvividandemotivelanguagehereinphrasessuchas,“poorold”,“reducedtobones”,“bentdouble”,and“crushingweight”.Thiscreatespityandsympathyforthewomen.ItisnotonlytheJewsandthewomenwhoaremistreated,andOrwellalsousesvividlanguagetodescribethesickeningmistreatmentofanimals.AsfarasIamconcerned,onecountrywouldbedestinedtosufferfrompovertyandbackwardnessifithadsurrenderedtoanother.Anditspeoplebecomeoneofthecolonialcountries’possessions,alongwiththelandandbuildings,andtheylosetheirindividualidentity.Asaresult,theyliveintheshadowoftheruthlessoppressors,assumingtheroleofthehelplessandsilentsubjectsandfeedingunmercifuloppressor.ThosepeoplewholivedinMarrakechwerenotconsideredandtreatedashumanbeings,theyhadnothingtodowiththeirbitterencounterbutdidmanuallaborforthecolonialpowers,andgenerationsofideasandeconomicpotentialwerelost.Moreover,anyopportunityfordevelopingthenationitselfinpreparationforindustrializationorimprovementwasignored.Asmostofusknowthatpovertycanleadtoaviciouscycle.Duetocolonization,Marrakechcannotdevelopitsowneducationalsystem,therefore,thelocalpeopleutterlylackknowledgeandthought.Someofthemevenbelievedinthatwhiteraceweretheirmasters,howpatheticitwas.