Imperialism and Rebellion Theme Analysis

“The Phoenix” was published in 1940, at a time when the British empire still extended across several continents, including large parts of Africa and Asia. This was also a time when the colonies’ growing demands for independence were threatening the empire’s future. In this context, “The Phoenix” can be seen as a story about the consequences of imperialism: when the aristocratic Lord Strawberry travels to “Arabia” to capture a rare phoenix and bring it home to Britain, his behavior parallels Britain’s extraction of valuable resources from the colonies. And when the exploited phoenix bursts into flames, killing its British tormentors, it parallels the inevitable uprisings in colonies that can no longer tolerate their oppression. Read with British imperialism in mind, the story’s ending suggests that British imperialism will lead to violent revolution.

When Lord Strawberry captures the phoenix and brings it to England from its habitat in the Middle East, the story suggests that Strawberry is an imperialist figure. Lord Strawberry travels to “Arabia” (a geographic space that is vague, telling more about British control over large swaths of land in the Middle East than the precise home of phoenix) in order to complete his rare bird “collect[ion].” The phoenix is his final (and most prized) part of that collection. Lord Strawberry, then, can be seen as an explorer of the Middle East who assumes that the birds that live there are his for the taking. These actions run parallel to the larger goals of the British Empire. The British established colonies around the world from which they extracted valuable goods, such as minerals or lumber. Lord Strawberry taking the phoenix back to his London aviary reflects the broader movement of goods from the colonies to England. But unlike many imperialists, Lord Strawberry’s intention is not to enrich himself—he’s merely an explorer, albeit one who feels entitled to take what he wants from nature. Nonetheless, it’s important to note that his actions do pave the way for Mr. Poldero to exploit the bird for money at his “Wizard Wonderworld” later in the story. In this way, Lord Strawberry can be compared to imperial explorers who may have been genuinely only interested in discovery, but who inadvertently opened up new regions of the world for colonial conquest.

Once in England, the phoenix captures the public’s imagination, showing how “exotic” delights could shore up public support for imperialist ventures. When Lord Strawberry brings the phoenix back to England, it causes a national stir. Journalists, poets, and other members of the British public are fascinated by the rare and exotic bird, making it the talk of the town. The public fascination with the phoenix is explicitly related to its perceived exoticism. The label on the phoenix’s cage at Mr. Poldero’s “Wizard Wonderworld” says that the bird was “specially imported from the East” (making clear that it’s rare and from far away). Later, Mr. Poldero compares the phoenix to “Cleopatra” and “wild gypsy music,” and he describes the bird’s love of “oriental wood, drenched in exotic perfumes.” These descriptions are meant to conjure an imagined world of faraway splendor—a world both vague and stereotypical—in order to excite the general public about both the phoenix and the empire. In this way, the phoenix is similar to the curiosities shown at colonial exhibitions. These exhibitions displayed fascinating treasures from the colonies in order to stimulate the public’s imagination and inspire continued support for trade and imperial rule.

But Mr. Poldero’s exploitation of the phoenix parallels the true horrors of imperialism. Once public interest in the phoenix wanes, Mr. Poldero resorts to torturing the bird, attempting to make the phoenix ignite itself so that he can make money by selling tickets to its death. Mr. Poldero wants to see the phoenix catch on fire so that it can be reborn, meaning that he sees no value in the bird itself. The phoenix is only a resource that he can use until the bird can be replaced. Mr. Poldero’s despicable response to the bird, unfortunately, is exactly how the empire often sees its colonized subjects. Yet, unlike the horrors of colonialism (which are often invisible to the general public in Britain, since they happen miles away in the colonies), Mr. Poldero’s exploitation of the phoenix is done for the public. The story then lays bare the violence that is normally masked by trade and exoticism. Disturbingly, however, Mr. Poldero’s ability to plan a large spectacle around the bird’s death shows the public’s comfort—delight, even—in the face of these horrors.  

When Mr. Poldero’s exploitation goes too far and the phoenix erupts into flames that kill Poldero and his audience, the story suggests that imperialism will destroy itself. Like British imperialists, Poldero believes that he can make money off of treasures from afar, no matter how cruel his means. But when he tortures the phoenix until it goes up in flames, it’s telling that things get out of hand—he does make money from it, but the flames are uncontrollable and they kill him and his whole audience, rendering his profits moot. Thus, these flames suggest how imperialism might destroy itself. By exploiting colonized people and stealing their resources, the British are perhaps inviting disaster, just as Poldero did. When oppressed people are pushed too far, perhaps they—like the phoenix—will all fight back with disastrous consequences for their tormentors. And while the deaths of Mr. Poldero and his audience suggest the eventual death of the British empire (which did, in fact, occur years after this story’s publication), the flames also predict a rebirth. The phoenix rises from the ashes, just as the former colonies will rise, independent and autonomous.