BIOGRAPHICAL CRITICISM: Empire of the Sun by J.G. Ballard

The Theory:

Biographical criticism is a form of Literary criticism which analyzes a writer's biography to show the relationship between the author's life and their works of literature. Biographical criticism is often associated with Historical-Biographical criticism, a critical method that "sees a literary work chiefly, if not exclusively, as a reflection of its author's life and times".

(courtesy of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biographical_criticism)


The Story:

courtesy of: http://www.theinsoundfromwayout.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/wp-content/uploads/empireofthesun281sted29.jpg

The novel recounts the story of a young British boy, Jamie Graham, who lives with his parents in Shanghai. After the Pearl Harbor attack, the Japanese occupy the Shanghai International Settlement, and in the following chaos Jim becomes separated from his parents.
He spends some time in abandoned mansions, living on remnants of packaged food. Having exhausted the food supplies, he decides to try to surrender to the Japanese Army. After many attempts, he finally succeeds and is interned in the Lunghua Civilian Assembly Center.
Although the Japanese are "officially" the enemies, Jim identifies partly with them, both because he adores the pilots with their splendid machines and because he feels that Lunghua is still a comparatively safer place for him.
Towards the end of the war, with the Japanese army collapsing, the food supply runs short. Jim barely survives, with people around him starving to death. The camp prisoners are forced upon a march to Nantao, with many dying along the route. Jim then leaves the march and is saved from starvation by air drops from American Bombers. Jim returns to Lunghua camp and finds Dr. Ransome there, soon returning to his pre-war residence with his parents.

(courtesy of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_of_the_Sun)


The Criticism:

The novel tells the story of a young British boy, Jamie Graham, and his life during World War II.

Ballard based the novel upon his experiences during the Second World War. Although the novel is considered fictional, the events that transpire in the story draw from Ballard's real-life boyhood in the Shanghai International Settlement and his internment by the Japanese Imperial Army. Considering Ballard's choice in including his life experiences in this literary work, it can be perceived as an outlet upon which he can retell the events that transpired during those times through the character of Jamie Graham. It can be thought of as a way for Ballard to relate his life to the readers without actually relating it directly. The usage of the character of Jamie Graham and the events concerning him, the Chinese and the Japanese serves as an effective tool in relaying vital information that ultimately tells the story of Ballard's life to the readers.