Empire of the Sun Plot Summary

Chapter Title Key Events Jim Jim/Parents Jim/Chinese Jim/Basie Jim/MrMaxted Jim/Dr Ransome Jim/Japanese
PART ONE
1 The Eve of Pearl Harbour Coffins, Sunday service, newsreels, war, changing for the party, Vera Bridge, understanding of war, amazement at the idea of living in one room Father - "I'll kill you" Amah - "I'll kill you"
2 Beggars and Acrobats Front gate, beggars, refugees and police, toy planes, party at Dr Lockwood's, drained swimming pool Cantonese acrobats and weeding women Mr Maxted (description) and the swimming pool Jim's attraction to the Japanese
3 The Abandoned Aerodrome Burial mound, plane wreck, old battle ground, Japanese platoon, finders keepers, tyre tread on the beggar's foot, move to the hotel, hunchbacks Guilt at putting his father in danger, sorrow for the beggar, enjoyment of the Shanghai streets Jim dreams of being a Japanese pilot
4 The Attack on the Petrel Paper flowers, watching the harbour, signal lamps, attack on the Petrel, leaving the hotel, Japanese tank, wounded sailors, "get out of the car!", yellow silk glove, bayonets in the sun. Thinks he may have started the war Father and Jim try to rescue the petty officer - separated from his mother
5 Escape from the Hospital Children's ward, Japanese aircraft, Japanese victory, evacuation of the prisoners Father taken to military prison Plane spotting with the guard
6 The Youth with the Knife Public executions, Jim attacked for his watch, home is empty, in through the rubbish chute, footprints, the smashed mirror Image of a small exploding boy Looks to the Japanese for protection
7 The Drained Swimming-Pool Waiting, playing games, food, sinister drained swimming pool, cycling to the Raymonds', the Maxteds' apartment, Mr Guerevitch, knocked off his bicycle Slapped by the Raymonds' amah
8 Picnic Time Living at the Maxteds', repairing the bicycle, changes on the streets, breaking into the Belgian dentist's house Getting thinner
9 An End to Kindness Scavenging, sick and thin, the Japanese patrol, thrown out, kindness counts for nothing The strange face in a strange mirror Begs fish and rice from the Japanese patrol
10 The Stranded Freighter The funeral pier, following the truck, losing the bicycle, paddling out to the sunken freighter, the American Starving - down to his last liqueur chocolates
11 Frank and Basie Appraisal, teeth, new name for a new life, food, new words, Basie controlling Frank, corpses and gold teeth Jamie becomes Jim Basie (descriptions)
12 Dance Music Trading, stories about his parents, exploring the suburbs, planning to dump Jim, capture Doubling of identity - mirror self (coping strategy) Feels sorry for the destitute Chinese Basie (descriptions)
13 The Open-Air Cinema Mr and Mrs Partridge, hostiliity to the Eurasian women, avoiding mirrors, condition of newly-arrived prisoners, real purpose of the detention centre, Basie's mess tin
14 American Aircraft American planes, caring for Basie, making himself useful, only drinking rice water, no self-sacrifice about food, collecting the rations of the dead, no guilt Never looked after anything except an angora rabbit which died Basie teaches Jim to make himself useful and to bow to Sgt Uchida
15 On their Way to the Camps Evacuation of healthier prisoners, Basie leaves Jim, knowing the way to Woosung
16 The Water Ration Chapei, getting lost, talk of aeroplanes, the railway line, Jim begs for water Beginning to enjoy the war No resentment at Basie's deserting Jim for the other boys Dr Ransome, undefeated Englishman (description). Disapproval of Jim. Ironically protected by Japanese in area where he would have been killed. Feels closer to the Japanese because of his willingness to take risks.
17 The Landscape of Airfields Conversation with Dr R, man-flying kites, fighter base, the unbuilt camp, sweet-potatoes, constellations Dr Ransome (description) - Jim suspicious of him Imagines he will join the Japanese air force
18 Vagrants The pontoon bridge, worsening condition of the prisoners, turned away from the internment camp by the British leaders Enjoys the war, imagines he's the leader of the group, feels closer to the conditions of the war than his old home Sad that his search for them is nearly over. Then feels they may be in the camp and rejecting him - no longer cares Dr R's wounds get worse Better relationship with the driver
19 The Runway Brewster Buffaloes, Lunghua airfield, emaciated Chinese, the runway, dust, the execution pit, the embrace of death Knows that he is going to be worked to death Hopes his parents are dead Smart Japanese soldiers like the Europeans
PART TWO
20 Lunghua Camp Pheasant trap, kendo, outside the camp, turtle, golf shoes, description of the camp, collaboration/patriotism, a game of marbles Feels uncomfortable outside the wire. Stronger than many of the men. Poor opinion of the English. Forgotten what his parents' faces. Envies other children their parents. B exposes J to danger by making him go to check the trap. J feels it is important to keep with B because of food Private Kimura - some sympathy, but would like to challenge him. Has given him English lessons.
21 The Cubicle Mr Maxted fetches the food ration, the Vincents, J's beggarly cubicle, Mrs V's "films", pictures on his wall, air raids, execution of escapees, camp as place of security, relationship with Mrs V Attraction to Mrs V
22 The University of Life Changes in Mr M, J and Mr M's partnership, waiting for the food ration, beggars inside and outside the camp, memories of concerts, lectures and school, food shortages, stealing a second sweet potato, weevils, sexuality Parents in Soochow camp, J is worried they will have changed B does not allow J to listen to his radio
23 The Air Raid The ruined assembly hall, derelict aircraft, the runway, kamikaze pilots, schoolwork, air raid, Mustangs, deaths of the pilots (one burns in his plane), the sun scorching the earth Knows that he is worth nothing, enjoyment of the war Uneasy relationship, Dr R has wasted away giving food to J, Admiration for the kamikaze pilots
24 The Hospital Dr Ransome, breaking of windows, bravery, hospital, stealing from the dead, Sgt Nagata, "difficult boy", roll call, fantasies and violent light Sgt Nagata - knows J is involved with illicit activities but can't catch him.
25 The Cemetery Garden Fertilizing the garden, the last kamikaze, burying Mr Radik, graves, souls and death, Latin and the trigonometry of war, the problem of food and survival, tomatoes and condoms Ambiguity about whether J wants the war to end J lies about remembering his parents J has to give B something every time he sees him J reminds Dr R of how people can adapt to the war. Dr R's background and ambiguity
26 The Lunghua Sophomores Amateur dramatics and rugby, the American dorm and Basie's cubicle, news, words, pheasant traps as a decoy, condoms, another sweet potato, optimism, arrival of the food ration Knows that he is being used by the Americans B's limitations - the petty thief. B is obviously using J but is also capable of some generosity.
27 The Execution Food ration halved, excitement over B-29s, boiling drinking and laundry water, magazines, beating to death of the Chinese rickshaw coolie, confrontation with Mr Vincent over the turtle Running errands stops J thinking about what would happen if the war were to end B teases J over his enthusiasm for American magazines Japanese contempt for the Chinese and the British for not intervening to rescue the coolie
28 An Escape Japanese prepare to leave, rumours of the end of the war, continuous air raids, food supplies fail, escape of Basie and two others. Return of the gendarmerie (security troops), probability of the prisoners being killed, packing for the march to Nantao, bantering with Mrs Vincent; "rememeber you're British". J and Mr M are among the few who have not stockpiled sweet potatoes. In the face of death, all Mr M can do is to remind J that he is British. J wonders whether will Mr M will stand the march and whether he would better ingratiating himself with Mrs V
29 The March to Nantao Exhaustion before they start, difficulty getting used to being outside the camp, the problem of Mr Maxted, trying to stay at the head of the column, the polluted canal, Mrs Philips looks for God and gives him her sweet potato, light and death, Japanese assess the prisoners who cannot move, belongings dropped on the road J realises that they are being taken up-country to be killed. He almost does not join the column when they move on. He holds onto his possessions with renewed determination to survive. J realises Mr M needs his help to cope with the march but realises this will compromise his own chances. Mr M encourages J to rejoin the column, thus saving his life.
30 The Olympic Stadium Encouraging Mr Maxted to keep going, the docks at Nantao, J pushes his suitcase out onto the water "like the coffin of a Chinese child", destruction of their transport ship, the stadium, sleeping beside Mr M dreaming of death and runways The disposal of the case is J's symbolic farewell to the life he has led in Lunghua - "a sentimental but pointless gesture, his first adult act." Still with Mr M, J regrets dumping his possessions because it leaves him nothing to barter
31 The Empire of the Sun American cars and looted possessions, J decided to stay with Mr M, fetching water. The light of a second sun (the atomic bomb) - a premonition of his own death. He stays while the remaining living prisoners are marched away and is robbed of his shoes. J realizes that they are being marched to death. He reverts to being called by his childhood name, "Jamie". J cares for Mr M and fetches water for him and some others, including Mrs V - "having someone to care for was the same as being cared for by someone else."
PART THREE
32 The Eurasian Hail from the wings of aircraft, the Japanese have left during the night, the Eurasian collaborator tells J about the atom bombs, golf shoes, leaving the stadium, light and death J feels as if he and the whole world are dead Mr M dies but J stays by the body for several days
33 The Kamikaze Pilot Walking back to Lunghua, a derelict Zero, the starving schoolboy pilot, the mango The young pilot gives J a mango
34 The Refrigerator in the Sky Dreams of learning to fly, parachutes, food, shooting of Pte. Kimura, Spam, Klim, Reader's Digest J fantasizes about making friends with the pilot but death of Kimura very matter of factly described
35 Lieutenant Price Whether to go home or not, communist soldiers, an American aviator, return to Lunghua, Mr Tulloch the Packard mechanic, Lt. Price, another drop, the guardhouse, dead Japanese soldier in his own cell, Price's mania Exclusion of the Chinese from the relief drops
36 The Flies Back in his room, scent of Mrs Vincent, missing people, bodies in the hospital and flies, Spam like corpses, the Japanese pilot J sees himself from Mrs V's point of view: some understanding of her Memories of another Japanese pilot
37 A Reserved Room Careless drops, neither war nor peace, magazines describing a distant war, growing strength, prisoners with Chinese wives return to prison so they can be free, the next war J feels that the war is both familiar and strange to him J wants to prepare a room for his parents
38 The Road to Shanghai Price's driving, the stadium, Tulloch killed, captured by bandits, Basie B seems to lack interest in J, is prepared to allow him to be killed
39 The Bandits The bandit gang, Capt. Soong, raiding villages, this war/the next war, words, dreams of appearing in Life magazine, the Japanese pilot, the communist village, an Nationalist armoured junk shells the village, exploding ammunition, American cruiser Soong is prepared to use J "as a dog to be worked to death" and a decoy. Change in the Chinese attitude to Europeans B the survivor because he does not dream and does not take anything for granted; us untouched by the war; expects nothing; and is therefore dangerous Dr R probably dead on the march J distracts B from shooting the Japanese pilot
40 The Fallen Airment Nationalist v Communist battles, Basie goes to raid the stadium, back to the airfield, feeding the fish, body of the young Japanese pilot The remnants of the gang avoid the armed refugees J does not tell B that the stadium has probably already been looted. B leaves him with the car to decoy the attention of Chinese militiamen
41 Rescue Mission Despair, all as good as dead, bringing the corpse to life like Dr R, the resurrection of the dead, Dr Ransome, end of the war Reunion with Dr R in the camp hospital The pilot is J's "twin" and symbol of his hopes of escape
PART FOUR
42 The Terrible City The bustle of the city, newsreels and Nationalist propaganda, films, Yang the chauffeur, unreality of home, return to Lunghua, shiny American planes, destruction of graveyard and hospital, World War III, memory of reunion with parents, urinating sailors, China's revenge, a child's coffin J is leaving for a country he does not know - part of his mind will always be in Shanghai Distance between J and his parents when they are reunited J understands what the Chinese are thinking as they are insulted by the sailors