Topic > Analysis of Marakech by George Orwell - 1122

Very often in modern times people take for granted the things they have and where they come from. When eating, a person rarely thinks about the farmer who produced the food, or the bus driver who brought him to work. The theme of "disappearance" is one of the main concepts of George Orwell's essay "Marrakech". When looked at psychoanalytically or, in other words, looking at the author's personality, mood, feelings and motivations, the essay shows the degradation of humanity. It also shows Orwell's reaction towards the postcolonial relationship between whites and native Moroccans. George Orwell uses his essay "Marrakech" to open the reader's eyes to what is taken for granted and the poor treatment of humanity through the use of different "snapshots" of Moroccan life and analyzing one's feelings towards the situation. Although there are several messages that are conveyed through this essay, one of the main ones that Orwell focuses on is the idea that Moroccans are severely mistreated, to the point that they are worse off than animals. To make the reader understand this concept, Orwell describes several scenes of city life in Morocco. One such scene describes a situation where black women are carrying firewood, and as he says, “though they registered in my eyes, I cannot truly say that I saw them” (Orwell). By this he means that this poor treatment of women has become so common in Morocco that he no longer has any sympathy. Not only does it not register in his mind, it also does not register in his heart because it has become such a common situation in Morocco that it seems like the new “status quo”. This is because... halfway through the paper... it becomes a persuasive essay in an attempt to make the reader understand the problem and push him to solve it. Several messages are conveyed through Orwell's "Marrakech" such as the low status of the natives and their colonization of the mind; however, the way he conveys these messages is ultimately through describing life scenes and analyzing his thoughts and feelings regarding these scenes. Ultimately, his entire essay becomes persuasive, because by showing that he, a visitor to Morocco, can also succumb to being blind to the native's mistreatment, the readers are also vulnerable. As a result, he wants the reader to open their eyes and solve the problem around the world, not just in Morocco. Although “Marrakech” is an essay that shows snapshots of life in Morocco, Orwell uses it to make readers understand and want to solve the problem of the degradation of humanity.