How does George Orwell through his characters, dipict the empire in the novel?

The novel's core examines the colonial lifestyle, and it is probably for this aspect more than any other that the novel has endured. The narrative is set in a historically interesting period when the British Empire spanned the globe. The Empire's influence after World War I was stronger than ever. Despite constant conflict and rebellion, the Indian colony, including Burma, was firmly controlled and managed by a distant government. Like the American Colonies, Burma would eventually shake off the English yoke, but for many, many decades it was completely subjected. Some characters in the novel—for example, Ellis—refer to Burma as India and consider all of the native peoples to be the same—non-white. Others, like Macgregor, espouse a somewhat paternalistic sensitivity and can at least distinguish Indians from Burmese. Flory, on the other hand, is fully aware of the subtle cultural differences and appreciates the non-white cultures for what they are.