Jim's Survival Strategies
Throughout the novel Empire of the Sun Jim uses many effective survival strategies in order to live through the war. In Shanghai during World War II Jim, a young British boy, and his parents, are separated and Jim is left to survive on his own. He goes to multiple war camps and faces many life threatening situations throughout his journey. Without his parents he finds ways to bond to others and receive resources from them. He learns to steal and forage for food, losing a sense of empathy along the way. He stockpiles food and other resources in case they become necessary in the future. He acquires knowledge on how to survive from watching others, gaining experience throughout the novel.
Jim resorts to stealing other's …show more content…
When Jim is in Shanghai without his parents he goes into several people's houses looking for food. He enters a Belgian dentists home searching through the cupboards for something to eat: "there was a single can of condensed milk, of a richness and sweetness Jim had never remembered. He drank the milk, sitting at the desk in the dentist's study" (58). Dr. Ransome, a doctor Jim meets in the camps, takes Jim to the prison hospital where he helps out. Jim notices a ring on a dying man's hand he wishes to steal, Dr. Ransome disapproves of this but knows about Jim's stealing ways: " Dr. Ransome disapproved of the grave robbery, though he was aware Jim traded the belt buckles and and braces for food" (156). Jim knows it is necessary for him to steal food, or items in order to trade for food, to live. He's not empathetic towards the people he steals from and does it …show more content…
Now that Jim is alone after the war he starts to stockpile items for future use: "he continued to collect the magazines from the floor of the commandant's office, concealing them within a few extra cans of Spam and powdered milk, part of a long-term reserve he had sensibly begun to stockpile" (244). Jim portions out his food when he knows he might not find any for awhile. After escaping from the march Jim is alone without food and water: "drinking the rainwater that dripped from the furniture in the stands, he survived on a single potato he had found in the pocket of Mr. Wentworth" (216). Jim often thinks ahead to possible dilemmas he could encounter in the future, portioning out food and collecting
Throughout the novel Empire of the Sun Jim uses many effective survival strategies in order to live through the war. In Shanghai during World War II Jim, a young British boy, and his parents, are separated and Jim is left to survive on his own. He goes to multiple war camps and faces many life threatening situations throughout his journey. Without his parents he finds ways to bond to others and receive resources from them. He learns to steal and forage for food, losing a sense of empathy along the way. He stockpiles food and other resources in case they become necessary in the future. He acquires knowledge on how to survive from watching others, gaining experience throughout the novel.
Jim resorts to stealing other's …show more content…
When Jim is in Shanghai without his parents he goes into several people's houses looking for food. He enters a Belgian dentists home searching through the cupboards for something to eat: "there was a single can of condensed milk, of a richness and sweetness Jim had never remembered. He drank the milk, sitting at the desk in the dentist's study" (58). Dr. Ransome, a doctor Jim meets in the camps, takes Jim to the prison hospital where he helps out. Jim notices a ring on a dying man's hand he wishes to steal, Dr. Ransome disapproves of this but knows about Jim's stealing ways: " Dr. Ransome disapproved of the grave robbery, though he was aware Jim traded the belt buckles and and braces for food" (156). Jim knows it is necessary for him to steal food, or items in order to trade for food, to live. He's not empathetic towards the people he steals from and does it …show more content…
Now that Jim is alone after the war he starts to stockpile items for future use: "he continued to collect the magazines from the floor of the commandant's office, concealing them within a few extra cans of Spam and powdered milk, part of a long-term reserve he had sensibly begun to stockpile" (244). Jim portions out his food when he knows he might not find any for awhile. After escaping from the march Jim is alone without food and water: "drinking the rainwater that dripped from the furniture in the stands, he survived on a single potato he had found in the pocket of Mr. Wentworth" (216). Jim often thinks ahead to possible dilemmas he could encounter in the future, portioning out food and collecting