When U Po Kyin claims that white British people are never loyal to their non-white friends and that Flory is a “coward,” the novel implicitly poses a question: is U Po Kyin right, or will Flory prove U Po Kyin wrong by remaining loyal to Dr. Veraswami? Meanwhile, U Po Kyin’s casual dismissal of the girl he likely impregnated hints that the novel takes place in a misogynistic and sexually exploitative environment.