King Rat Chapter Summary & Analysis - Part 1, Chapters 1-4 Summary

Part 1, Chapters 1-4 Summary

Chapter 1 opens with Lt. Grey, the camp Provost Marshal again summoning into the POW shack the King as he passes, to shake him down and check the inventory of his possessions. Grey is determined to catch him with something illegal and send him to the Utram Road jail, ghastly even by the standards of the Changi camp. The men nearly come to blows over this regular harassment when Col. Brant happens by and reprimands them both—Gray for behavior unbecoming an officer and the King for flaunting his wealth. Grey cannot make out with whom the King speaks across the compound after leaving. Chapter 2 reveals that it is Maj. Barry, asking the King to sell his Ronson cigarette lighter. While the King gets a haircut, Tex handles the leg work, picking up the lighter and thanking Brant monetarily for intervening earlier.

The King is thinking about a crucial...
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