King Rat Setting & Symbolism

King Rat Objects/Places

Changi

The setting for most of the novel, Changi from a distance looks like a pearl on the green eastern tip of Singapore Island, but up close it is an obscene prison camp. Under the command of Gen. Shima, the Japanese issue orders to the Allied officers and expect them to enforce them. Camp law forbids trading. Everyone must wear an armband with rank insignia at all times. The men are allowed to move around almost freely, because there is nowhere to go. Shabby, graceless Korean guards stand careless watch. One road bisects the camp and another circles it. On either side of the road are thatched "go-downs," rough sheds set on stilts to house the officers. Senior officers (major and above) are housed in concrete bungalows. The overflow from the jail are housed in atap sheds further west, including 25 American enlisted men. Along the north wall are vegetable gardens...
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