Chapter 2 Summary

Remembering that it is "English Mail Day", Mr. Flory arises early and visits the Kyauktada European Club, a dingy four-room affair. Flory, addressed in the native patois as "Mr. Porley", is about thirty-five years old, of middle height, and has black, stiff hair. He wears a moustache and has sallow, nearly yellow, skin. His most distinguishing feature, however, is a grotesque and large birthmark which covers most of the left half of his face, running in a large crescent from his eye to his chin. Flory is exceptionally self-conscious about the birthmark and always stands with it away from whomever he is addressing, and often simply covers it with his hand. Flory works as the local representative of an English timbering company. Kyauktada is a small town with a population of four thousand, including perhaps two hundred fifty Indians, sixty Chinese, seven Europeans...