Research Paper on:
Ivan Klima's My First Loves and J.G. Ballard's Empire of the Sun and the Incarceration Experiences of Miriam and Jim

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
character development; indeed, it is not merely a compilation of dates and events, but rather it is an exploration of humanitys spiritual side sometimes gone awry. Such is the  case with J.G. Ballards Empire of the Sun and Ivan Klimas My First Loves, inasmuch as these literary masterpieces share the common denominator of achieving self-awareness and wholeness so prevalent  in such stories. The very process of living life and expanding ones existence has often been perceived as a rebirth of sorts, with Ballard and Klima taking the concept  to an infinitely high level of appreciation with both Jim and Miriam. By embracing this inherent - and often esoteric - power, the reader is able to grasp a  significantly better understanding of each characters development of self-awareness and wholeness through their respective experiences of wartime incarceration. "History books and war movies (not to mention generals and presidents)  love to dwell on the pomp and sweep of war, but there are millions of tiny tragedies in each one that blind the poor victims with their intensity. Nobody  really should want to get caught in a war" (Loftus PG). II. JIM Death is the recurring theme throughout Empire of the  Sun, a theme so forceful and perceptive that the reader goes away with a distinctly different impression of Jims character from beginning to end. Sometimes that understanding is a  sense of calm and tranquillity -- almost an unrealistic fantasy; other times the sensation is decidedly more abrupt and disconcerting. Nevertheless, the author is effective in his pursuit to  present death as considerably more than a mere state of being; rather, Ballard digs significantly deeper into the perplexity of the human psyche in order to reveal the emotional complications