Richard Maurer - Reading Blog 2: King Rat

King Rat revolves around Cpl. King, an American soldier in a Japanese prison camp who manages the black market operations amongst the incarcerated American and English POWs. His confident demeanor and bearing stand out because of his willingness to advance on the needs of others. It is clear that King takes pleasure in living on what would be considered an empowered existence, and always seeks ways to increase his organization by recruiting and controlling talented prisoners such as Peter Marlowe, an English soldier who speaks fluent Japanese. Marlowe refuses King’s offerings of money and goods for his services. Marlowe in contrast to King attempts to continue living by a code that transcends any financial gain despite the harsh conditions of the camp. He genuinely considers King a friend because of their shared experiences being interred together the cruel watch of the Japanese military. King Rat demonstrates humanity as it attempts to not only survive in an extreme environment but also maintain and reaffirm respect for its fellow man.