Burmese Days - Book Report/Review Example

Some people would call this "herd mentality" and throughout the book the examples of how people do what everyone else does, is very evident. The main character of the book, John Flory, is a pitiable character. He is seen first with a birthmark on his face that makes him both black and white in a sense. He has low self-esteem, he is mocked by the other Europeans and he is feeling like an outcast. He befriends an Indian doctor who becomes the center of controversy for the entire book. The novel is set against a backdrop of "The Club" in which Europeans go to rest and relax without interference by the natives.

Unfortunately for them, times are changing and they are being pressured to bring into their environment the first black member which many think should be Dr. Veraswami because he has some stature in the community and the other members want someone that they can relate to even in a small way. The chief of police, U Po Kyin, is out to discredit the doctor in some way to protect the Europeans from this invasion and to further his own agenda. He is a cruel man and has made many people do things for him to keep his status above reproach.

The central theme is racism. This has created the greatest boundary for everyone because it is not only physical, but it encompasses all the other barriers that are present. The racism is what holds the story together and makes it intriguing because it is a picture of not only what is happening in India, but the same fate for blacks happened in the United States. Flory tries to stay out of it but he is faced with an internal conflict. On the one hand, he wants to fit in with the Europeans but he is not like them.

He hates the way they treat blacks, but he does not do anything to stop it. He sees that their ways are cruel and unjust, but he does not stop it … possibly for fear of retribution. On the other hand, he has made a very close friend