In British India and Burma, “pukka sahib”—taken from a Hindi phrase that roughly translates to “real master”—became an English slang term meaning “true gentlemen” or “great fellow,” especially one who holds himself apart from and above colonized subjects. For Flory, the “pukka sahib” ideology is an outgrowth of the British Empire’s hypocrisy and racism—but for Elizabeth, being a “pukka sahib” is a good thing, and this shows the stark difference in the two characters’ political and racial ideologies. Despite this difference, Elizabeth still barely notices Flory’s birthmark. Since the birthmark has heretofore symbolized Flory’s social alienation, Elizabeth’s inattention to it suggests that she has yet to realize how different Flory truly is from the other, more conservative British people in Kyauktada.