King Rat | Social Concerns

King Rat Social Concerns

A major concern of Clavell's first novel, based on his own suffering as an inmate of the infamous Japanese prisoner of war camp at Changi in Singapore, is the clash of values among different groups. King Rat contrasts the behavior of the British and American troops with the behavior of their Japanese captors. The understandable conflict between the British and the Japanese over the proper treatment of prisoners is exacerbated by the fact that the Japanese believe surrender itself is dishonorable regardless of circumstances, so prisoners of war deserve to die miserably. The class strife endemic to English society also has its place in the camp in the conflicts between the lower-class officers and men and their upper-class colleagues. Finally, Clavell contrasts the behavior and the culture of the prisoners of war with the "normal" behavior of the Allied soldiers sent to care for them and transport them home. He...
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