Posted by peterp on December 01, 2001 at 13:20:36:
In Reply to: Burmese Days posted by adam on November 30, 2001 at 21:54:59:
He is an outcast, and forced to live as an outlaw. He has a deep seated hatred of the bourgeoisie, domestic family life, and children. This developed before the novel starts (in what is called in film terminology the back story), when his hand was bitten off by a crocodile. The crocodile (almost certainly a symbol of the evils of empire and the crushing conformity of middle class life, recurring themes in Orwell) also digested a clock, again almost certainly symbolic. His struggle against the accepted order tragically results in defeat.
Hope this helps.