Meeting Maung Maung

The theme of “Meeting Maung Maung” is never to judge someone based on your own preconceptions because you might discredit who he is. It isn’t until the very end of the essay that Iyer finally learns enough to trust Maung Maung and realizes that he genuinely cares for people. The descriptive language Iyer uses to show the clash between his skepticism and Maung Maung’s innocence drives the two apart in terms of their perspectives on the world. Iyer candidly describes himself as a cynic while he captures Maung Maung’s goodness in his friendly responses to his comments. I also think the language Iyer uses to describe his first impression of Maung Maung, “torn white shirt above his lungi, and an open, rough-hewn face,” make Maung Maung seem like a typical solicitor. By the time the I finished the essay, the same descriptions he used seemed less threatening, which proves that perspectives can be misleading.