Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines and Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant” both portray the negative ramifications of the colonizers’ assumption of white supremacy. The racial and cultural divisions between the British and the countries they occupy are boundless. The British, the Burmese, and the Kukuanas are from different places, they look different, think different, believe in different things, and value things differently than each other. The British believe and rely heavily on cultural relativism, meaning that the British expect the Burmese and Kukuanas to understand and know their culture. The British objectively believe they’re right and the countries they occupy aren’t. Due to the fact that the British are white and have technological advances …show more content…
“How dost thou know that I am not the equal of the Inkosi I serve?” he said. “He is of a royal house, no doubt; one can see it in his size and in his eye; so, mayhap, am I. At least I am as great a man.” In this quote, it talks about heritage, honor, and how roles in their societies are different. Umbopa wonders how Quatermain knows how Umbopa and Ignosi are honored differently and have different roles in society. Umbopa hints at his heritage, saying that he knows Ignosi is of royal heritage, but maybe he is noble as well. Next is a quote of when the group first stumbled upon evidence of the lost civilization; “This vast gulf was actually filled in, apparently with huge blocks of dressed stone, with arches pierced at the bottom for a waterway, over which the road went sublimely on...Here we noticed that the sides of the tunnel were covered with quaint sculptures mostly of mailed figures driving in chariots. One, which was exceedingly beautiful, represented a whole battle scene with a convoy of captives being marched off in the distance.” The group led by Quatermain, Good, and Sir Henry start to see the difference between the beginning of their trip to the great architectural feats. This 'lost' civilization also can allude to the 'lost' culture within the civilization. They see the old and beautiful ancient works of art and give credit to the different societies and their unique cultures. Finally, here is a quote from Infadoos speaking to Good, “Nay, my lord,” put in Infadoos, “would my lord cover up his beautiful white legs from the eyes of his servants? Have we offended my lord that he should do such a thing?” This quote shows how the indigenous people basked in the white man’s glory. It also shows how more superior Good, the white man, was based solely on looks and physical