Burmese Days Characters

The protagonist of the novel, John Flory is a haggard British man with a large blue birthmark on his left cheek who works as a timber merchant in remote British Burma. As a schoolboy, Flory… read analysis of John Flory

U Po Kyin, an obese man in his mid-50s, is the Subdivisional Magistrate of Kyauktada, the fictional town in Upper Burma where the novel takes place. When U Po Kyin was a child, he witnessed… read analysis of U Po Kyin

Elizabeth Lackersteen, a pale blonde with cropped hair, is a 22-year-old orphan. She comes to live in Kyauktada, Burma, with her uncle Mr. Lackersteen and his wife Mrs. Lackersteen after her mother’s death. During Elizabeth’s… read analysis of Elizabeth Lackersteen

Dr. Veraswami, a short, chubby man with glasses, is an Indian doctor and jail superintendent in Kyauktada, Burma. Though a colonized subject, Dr. Veraswami is an enthusiastic supporter of the British Empire; his support often… read analysis of Dr. Veraswami

Mr. Lackersteen, the local manager of a British timber firm in Kyauktada, Burma, is an alcoholic who chases Burmese girls despite his marriage to Mrs. Lackersteen, whom he considers an impediment to all his… read analysis of Mr. Lackersteen

Mrs. Lackersteen, an elegant woman in her mid-30s with a “sighing, discontented voice,” is wife to Mr. Lackersteen and aunt-by-marriage to Elizabeth Lackersteen. Aware of her husband’s alcoholism and infidelities, she is constantly trying… read analysis of Mrs. Lackersteen

Mr. Macgregor, the Deputy Commissioner in Kyauktada, Burma, is a big man in his 40s with a “puggy” face and glasses. He tends to talk in a joking, facetious way, and he tells repetitive, boring… read analysis of Mr. Macgregor

A small, pale, fidgety, clever man with a Cockney accent, Ellis is the local manager for a British company in Kyauktada, Burma. He loathes the Burmese—indeed, all non-white people—and constantly berates John Flory for being… read analysis of Ellis

A blue-eyed, tanned British man in his mid-20s with a “rabbit-like” face, Verrall is the youngest son of an aristocrat. He lacks money and is frequently dodging debts, as he spends exorbitantly on clothes and… read analysis of Verrall

Mr. Westfield, a blond, gray-eyed Englishman with a moustache and skinny calves, is the District Superintendent of Police in Kyauktada, Burma. He speaks in a “clipped” fashion, and while he is usually joking, he always… read analysis of Mr. Westfield

Maxwell, a large blond man in his mid-twenties, is the acting Divisional Forest Officer in Kyauktada, Burma. After he helps U Po Kyin put down a tiny, non-threatening anti-imperial rebellion in a rural village (which… read analysis of Maxwell

Ko S’la, whose full name is Maung San Hla, is a small, dark-skinned Burmese man who works as John Flory’s manservant. Though the same age as bachelor Flory, Ko S’la has two wives and… read analysis of Ko S’la