Lord Jim

Stein entrusts Jim with a silver ring, thus transferring authority from one white man to another, signaling the continuance of the imperial mission. The ring originally comes from Doramin, so Stein believes that Jim can gain Doramin’s trust if he displays it when he reaches Patusan. Jim fears losing the ring; he is so anxious about keeping it close that he hangs it on a string around his neck. He believes that the ring confers authority—an authority that has not been earned—and thus he must keep it close. This reflects his anxiety over his presence in Patusan and symbolizes a broader anxiety within the novel about the imperial project itself. The ring itself functions, for a time, to give Jim access to all he desires during his time in Patusan.

Jim carries the ring with him while in Patusan, and the locals acknowledge its authority: They trust that Jim will make decisions that are for the good of the Bugis community. For example, when Jim asks Tamb’ Itam to deliver the all-important message to Dain Waris that he is to let Brown and his men pass freely down the river and back out to sea, Tamb’ Itam knows the importance of that message: Jim gives him the ring to signify that Tamb’ Itam assumes Jim’s authority in this instance.