Lord Jim Lesson Plan

Who benefits the most from Jim's plan to let Brown go? Is it the best available option?

Ask students to consider the options available to Jim and the Patusan people by the time he finally meets with Brown: they can either let him go, ambush the hillside, or simply let him and his men starve to death. Have them weigh the pros and cons of each option. The seeming best option for this situation is to simply let these men starve to death and be done with it.

Jim, however, decides to let them go. One may argue that Jim himself benefits from this arrangement. Remind your class that Jim has spent the entire novel trying to earn the lofty reputation that he now enjoys, and...