preceding explanation, there are some elements that can be revealed from the society in China that is represented in the novel Empire of the Sun which are
political states, economic situations, and social cultural circumstances.
1. Political States
a. British Domination in China
British is one of many Western nations which established their domination and supremacy in China since the Empire of China until the
Republic of China. At first, the purpose of British came to China was for bargaining. Their relation broke off after British sold and smug opium into
China. This situation is worsened and the Opium War broke out. This history is noted by Tung Chi-ming, he describes that the Treaty
of Nanking is constructed to end the Opium War between British and China. This treaty forces China to open every strategic town port in China 1959:
216. From that explanation, the power of British is become stronger in China, especially Shanghai. This condition is explained by the author from
Jim‟s experience about Jim‟s family house at Amherst Avenue that dominated and preserved for the high class Westerns and also the glamour
party for the Westerners that is held on Shanghai by the vice chairman of the British Resident‟s Association Ballard, 1984: 11.
Jim lives in high class British family in Shanghai. His live is better than many Chinese as native. His house and Christmas party represent the
authority owned by the Westerners in China. He only thinks that his life in
Shanghai is full of fun, even though he knows that the Chinese is very miserable during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Based on the preceding paragraph, Tung Chi- ming‟s description is
shown in the novel by the author. These are seen from The Amherst Avenue neighborhood and the party which held by the vice chairman that shown the
power of British grows fast in Shanghai as the effect of the Treaty of Nanking.
Tung Chi- ming‟s description also supports another Jim‟s experience.
According to Jim‟s experience about the propaganda of the British embassy in Shanghai in order to counteract the German and Italian war films in public
theatres Ballard, 1984: 12, British does not want to be defeated by other power, such as Axis Faction in Shanghai. It is because Shanghai has been
ruled by British since a long time ago and they do not want to lose their supremacy in Shanghai.
Jim describes the authority of the British in Shanghai from the propaganda in every public theatre in Shanghai. He realizes that British
authority in Shanghai is very strong and he is sure that this people do not want to be defeated by anyone, especially by the Axis. Jim realizes that this
kind of propaganda is something usual during that time. It was because the war between the Allied and the Axis happened in Europe were spread into
Asia. If there is no propaganda in China, the British as the member of Allied forces can lose their authority in China. Jim does not like the war even though
he is British. It is why he relieved when he passes the propaganda in the street to the Christmas party.
Another British domination in China is seen from the Shanghai International Settlement. Clyde inscribes that British established Shanghai
International Settlement from many settlements which are established by other Westerners in Shanghai. Shanghai International Settlement has its own
rules and regulations. British can set up Shanghai International Settlement because many of the native are gone from Shanghai after the Second Sino-
Japanese War occurs or after the Westerners occupied the territory from the native 1958: 133-
134. The other Jim‟s experience represents the Shanghai International Settlement that has its own police and the treatment to the
Chinese as the native in Shanghai Ballard, 1984: 22. This experience describes that Shanghai has been controlled completely by the British. Their
control is seen from the police that attempt to control the crowd and their treatment to the Chinese along the crowded street in Shanghai.
Jim feels the differentiation that creates by society in Shanghai. He realizes that the Chinese is life under the other foreign authority. He
understands and feels the miserable of the Chinese when he is in the expensive car with other Westerners and the Chinese people only walk
together on the Shanghai street. He also feels the differentiation when he sees the Shanghai police beats some Chinese to stay away from the road used by
the Westerners car.
From the preceding quotations, Clyde and Ballard describe that British has governed Shanghai with their own regulations. Every regulation benefits
for the Westerners and makes the native as the trounced side. The power of Westerners is raised again after China, which is
supported by Allies Faction, wins the Second World War. Clyde inscribes that President Roosevelt asks Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek as the leader of
China to maintain the peace in China by sending military personals from America. It means that they have a higher authority in Shanghai then the
Chinese people 1958: 694- 695. From the novel, Jim‟s experience describes
the western domination in Shanghai. This is seen when Jim is walking along the Shanghai Bund and sees some Westerner sailors who are drunk and
urinating on the pavement in front of the Chinese without any respect to them Ballard, 1984: 350-351. This quotation represents that the Westerner sailors
do whatever they want in Shanghai without any respect to the Chinese. Jim does not like the provocation that done by the American and
British sailors. He feels that this is not true because the foreigners rule in China one more time and it is approved by the Chinese government. Jim can
feel the Chinese people feeling around the place from their expression. Jim can understand their feeling because he also got the same treatment as refuge
in the Second World War in China that made him as a prisoner in Japanese prison camp. Jim can understand the Chinese feeling as the victim because he
also treats same like them. Based on that point, Jim believes that someday those people will get the revenge from the Chinese.
According to Clyde‟s inscription and quotation from the novel, the power of Westerners is rising one more time in Shanghai after the Second
World War is over. This condition is represented in the novel by the author.
b. Nationalist-Communist Civil War
China is under Sun Yat- sen‟s government as president after the
collapse of the Empire of China. The Kuomintang party is separated into Kuomintang, which nationalist, and China Communist party, which
communist, after he passed away. These two parties attempt to regain the domination over China.
Tung Chi-ming states that since the party is separated, they are counteracting each other. This situation is worsened because of the ideologies
that maintain by every party 1959: 351. Tung Chi- ming‟s statement is
represented by the author in the novel. According to the novel, there are some of Jim‟s experiences that represent about the condition of these parties. The
first experience is when Kuomintang does not give any help to Communist party, even though they are combined their troops in order to win the Second
World War against Japanese Ballard, 1984: 330. Jim realizes that there are some special purposes from every side, like
the Kuomintang wants to defeat the Communist, the Communist wants to regain its power in China, and the Allied that wants to increase its superiority
in China and other Asian countries. Jim understands this from his experiences during the Second World War in China.
According to the preceding paragraph, Tung Chi- ming and Jim‟s
experience describe the situation is worsened between these parties after the separation. Tung Chi-ming and the novel explain that the ideologies are
become a reason that they do not want to unite, even though they are combined their troops in the Second World War against the Japanese.
The Civil War between these two parties also inscribes by Clyde. He inscribes that the Kuomintang and Communist are open the way for violent
competitive to take over Japanese-occupied China. Kuomintang is using progressive force to unify China and Communist is capitalizing on the
resulting demoralization Clyde, 1958: 783. Clyde inscription is shown by another Jim experiences when the combination of Nationalist and Communist
soldiers wins the war, Kuomintang under Chiang Kai-shek try to eliminate Communist from Shanghai and other Cities Ballard, 1984: 346.
Jim feels the injustice done by Kuomintang to the Communist. Kuomintang try to eliminate the Communist by get rid of them from the cities
in China and not to tell the people that this party is taking its part in the war. Jim feels many lies in the Chinese government after the Second World War is
over. The preceding paragraph describes that Clyde‟s inscription about the
way to unify China is represented in the novel. Based on the novel, the way to unify China is by eliminate Communist from Shanghai and other cities.
Based on all quotations, the nationalist party and communist party have already in war since Kuomintang is separated. The distinctions in
ideologies make the members in the party fight each other. As the result the party is separated into two sides, the nationalist and the communist. The
Nationalist party and the Communist party attempt to gain the main domination in China, even though they come from the one and same nation.
c. Second Sino-Japanese War and Second World War in China
The Second Sino-Japanese War is a war between China and Japan from 1937 until 1945. The Second World War becomes the climax of Second
Sino-Japanese War. O‟Neill inscribes some factors which trigger the Second World War in
China which are the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese influences in China‟s internal and external jurisdiction, and the domination of Empire of
Japan as the member of Axis faction 1987: 150. Jim experience that retells about the first invasion by the Japanese at
Hungjao and Lunghua battleground in 1937 explains about the beginning of the second Sino-Japanese War Ballard, 1984: 14. This quotation supports
O‟Neill inscription about the Second Sino-Japanese War. The preceding Jim‟s experience describes the condition of the people in Shanghai during the
Second Sino-Japanese War. This experience also describes the starting point of a long war between China and Japan. The war has a purpose to gain the
domination over China. Jim believes that the war has already begun since the attack by
Japanese military in 1937. He also becomes the witness of the war when he
walked around the war zone with his parents after the attack is over. He believes that there is no winner in the war. He feels this condition even
though he is a child from British family. He never does anything about it because he is a child and he lives in a high class family in Shanghai.
O‟Neill inscription is supported by Bain that states about the Japanese Puppet Government in China. Bain inscribes that the Japanese established a
new Chinese Regime in order to create the allegiance which is not anti- Japanese in China 1958: 598.
The Japanese Puppet Government is shown by the author in the novel. This is shown by Jim‟s experiences when he sees the picture of Wang Ching-
wei as the leader of the puppet regime over the commercial billboards in the junction of Avenue Pétain and Avenue Haig Ballard, 1984: 56. This
quotation describes the Japanese Puppet Government that stated by O‟Neill and Bain in previous paragraphs. The picture of Wang Ching-wei as the
leader of the puppet regime that describe in the novel is the representation of the political condition in China during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Jim felt the change in his life after the Japanese attacked Shanghai in 9 December 1941. He lives by himself for a few years. He cannot find his
parents and he has lost his wealth. He realizes that this condition happens because of the Japanese has taken over the authority in Shanghai from the
Westerners, in this case British. This condition is showed by the picture of the Japanese puppet government in the main street of Shanghai.
Chinese government under Chiang Kai-shek that counteracts with Japanese makes propaganda to resist the puppet government. O‟Neill in his
description, this tactic is constructed as an attempt to avoid the Japanese invasion into China. The struggle to resist this aggression is led by Nationalist
Party 1987: 150. According to O‟Neill‟s description above, the existence Japanese
puppet government lead by Wang Ching-wei is also described by Jim‟s
experience in the novel. It is when he sees the picture of Chiang Kai-shek in front of Sincere Department Store Ballard, 1984: 14. Jim explains in the
novel that this is the way to resist the Japanese. Jim realizes about the Second Sino-Japanese War that has already
begun in Shanghai from the picture of Chiang Kai-shek that he sees in the Sincere Department Store in Shanghai. This picture is set up by Kuomintang
in order to resist Japanese aggression. Kuomintang party does this because this party is the leader of the resistance against the Japanese aggression and
the leader of Kuomintang Party is Chiang Kai-shek. Based on these descriptions by O‟ Neill and Bain, the conditions in
China during that time are shown in the novel fro m Jim‟s experiences.
2. Economic Situations
