chapter 16 by Laurie

The water ration

'Were they lost'. The opening of this chapter shows the uncetainty of the situation and also that Jim knows rather more than would be expected of an 11 year old boy in his situation (which is a common theme throughout the next few chapters).
Ballard then goes on to describe the landscape that the cart goes through as it leaves the city. Chapei, then the outskirts of Shanghai and into the coutryside, and how the war has affected these places and their contants. 'Before the war a small english boy would have been killed for his shoes within minutes. Now he was safe, guarded by the Japanese soldiers'. this journey marks the starts of Jims new life, and with it he meets a whole host of new people. Most of them are unremarkable through this journey and the rest of the book, but they ask Jim questions about the Japanese and Aircraft, as though they acknowledge Jim knowledge of the situation and his power within the group. On page 128 we are introduced to Dr Ransome properly for te first time. He is quite a respected member of the group and seems to know, like Jim, what is going on. He is quite friendly and interested in Jim, but Jim 'knew that for some reason Dr Ransome disapproved of him'.
Jim as leader is a key theme in this chapter and this comes to a head after their meal when he retrieves the bottles of water, something that none of the adults can manage. This shows that despite his years, Jim has bravery and iniative and leadership skills that the others do not, and he is able to help them survive.
Jim is on a journey, not just to the camps, but in himself as well. Although he still has immature tendencies, he is independant, and is using what he has learnt throughout his short life to help him in this critical situation.