Meeting Maung-Maung

I think the theme of Meeting Maung-Maung by Pico Iyer is the importance of the goals and dreams of people met while traveling. Maung-Maung shares his whole life with Iyer and shows him what he really cares about, making Iyer's travels very different from what it would have been without meeting Maung-Maung. This theme is evident as Iyer presents all the precious writing Maung-Maung shows him, and all the stories he hears that are so open and honest. The focus of the story is what Maung-Maung shares with him.

Iyer's language is very honest, showing a lot about the author. While describing Maung-Maung and things around him, the reader learns a lot about Iyer. This language was an effective way to see how Iyer was really thinking at all times. For example, Iyer writes "Maung-Maung did nothing to dispel these suspicions as he pedaled the trishaw off the main street..." This describes what happened in the story, but also how the author was feeling.

Iyer also uses language such as "Made quiet by this labour of love" to show more meaning in a small phrase. Instead of going on about how important Maung-Maung's writing was to him, he put all that meaning in a simple phrase, effectively conveying his point.