Burmese Days

The novel never reveals the first name of Mr. Flory, the protagonist and primary character of Burmese Days. A 35-year old English bachelor, Flory has spent his entire life in Burma working as a manager for a timber firm. Flory’s drinking and jungle life have aged him beyond his years; his most distinguishing physical feature is a large, crescent-shaped birthmark that runs across the left side of his face. Flory takes care not to show the left side of his face to others—he considers his birthmark hideous and blames it for all of his life’s disappointments.

Flory is caught between two cultures: his English upbringing and his Burmese home. He has been in Burma since he was 19, dodging the WWI draft, and later realizing that he has no ties in England and is too enmeshed in the local lifestyle. He loves Burma and Burmese culture, which isolates him from the other Europeans. On the other hand, although he is a fierce critic of colonialism and the British Empire, he hypocritically admits that he has no desire to see it end since it is how he hopes to become wealthy. Flory struggles with loneliness, and his primary

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