FEATURED AUTHOR - After graduating from Duke University, Glen Dawson owned and operated a flexible packaging manufacturing plant for 23 years. Then, he sold the factory and went back to school to get his Master's degree in biostatistics from Boston University. When he moved to North Carolina, he opened an after-school learning academy for advanced math students in grades 2 through 12. After growing the academy from 30 to 430 students, he sold it to Art of Problem Solving. Since retiring from Art of Problem…
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Jim takes up a career as a young officer in the merchant marine, after a course of 'light holiday literature', believing he is destined to shine heroically. He begins to live in a world of his own delusions as to his abilities and bravery.
He is tested and fails, abandoning the Patna on which he is first mate along with the rest of the disreputable crew, leaving the hundreds of Muslim pilgrims on board to their almost certain fate. The ship does not sink and is rescued and Jim later faces complete shame and the loss of his license and rank.
Marlowe, an experienced sea captain, befriends him, and it is he who narrates the story, with much personal reflection, digression and discussion, with other men of the sea.
Jim's 'case' is reflected on from many points of view, ranging from those who see him as someone who has lost his honour to those who believe he should have another chance. Marlowe's own position is intelligently ambivalent and critical, though generally sympathetic.
Jim eventually gets a second chance when he is offered the chance to run a remote trading station in Patusan (in the interior of Borneo). It seems that through a number of clearly heroic and decisive acts Jim redeems himself and becomes 'Lord Jim' among the natives whom he protects. All seems well until the final showdown with 'Gentleman Brown', when the reader is asked to reevaluate his/her position once again.