Extract is taken form the scenes at the Open Air Cinema
Grade - B/B+

How does Ballard bring to life Jim’s quest for survival in this extract?

In this extract of Empire of the sun, Ballard uses detailed description of how Jim has changed since his parent’s last saw him. He makes Jim sound painfully thin, describing his face as “long with its deep eye-sockets and bony forehead.” This gives the impression that Jim is very unwell, however he is eager to survive.
Another way in which Ballard presents Jim to be eager of survival in the detention centre is how he thinks of his parents, and seeing them again. His wishes of seeing them again is keeping him going, “He knew ... that his parents may fail to recognize him.” This gives the impression that he will do whatever it takes to see his parents again.
From this idea of looking ahead, and into the future, I can also understand that Jim is eager of staying alive. He is thinking about seeing his parents “when he was missing his parents he often thought about aircraft.” This quote also helps us to understand throughout the novel when he is thinking about his parents. It also particularly indicates that the planes he thinks of are American Bombers. This could have something to do with thinking of survival. Basie, an American man, who Jim aspires to, as a replacement father-figure, is a strong character, and in Jim’s eyes, he will do anything to survive. Ballard could be using this as a representation of Jim’s admiration of Basie, and of survival.
Jim also is learning to become obsessed with food. This could be something that he uses to keep his mind from boredom. He is “hungry all the time,” and in this extract, it focuses a lot on Jim thinking about food. He was frustrated when he lost out at meal time when he had gone to sleep. “When he had felt feverish, he had missed his ration.” He is learning to become tougher from this, and more aware of routine. He is learning how the Japanese guards serve the food at meal times. They deliver to the mess-tins, and not to the people. This makes him think that he can survive if he keeps a mess-tin with him when food is served. However, in this extract, Jim is still feeling guilty and uneasy at trying to be ruthless with the other prisoners. “He had found himself eating (Mr. Partridge’s) watery gruel. Jim had felt uneasy.” This gives an insight into how Ballard is showing that he is still learning about how to attempt surviving over all the other prisoners.
Overall, I think from this extract Ballard presents Jim starting to establish his desperation for survival, by keeping his mind of thoughts of negativity. Jim, at the moment, is surviving on hopes and dreams alone. He is visibly sick and the only thought of looking to the future, being so sure of what will eventually happen to him, is keeping him motivated to live. This is also the introduction to where he begins learning about survival in these situations.