If there's one thing we know about Jim from the get-go in Lucky Jim, it's that he loves himself a tall pint of beer. Jim turns to booze whenever the world around him gets a little too boring, which seems to be all the time. He seems to stumble through life in an alcoholic haze much of the time. Jim's drunkenness makes for some of the funniest moments in the book, and Amis seems to think that there are things so intolerable that the only solution is to get drunk. But although Jim's drunkenness gets him into trouble with Margaret, the bed sheets, and the College, it's his drunken lecture that ultimately frees him from his miserable existence. You can tell from Amis's descriptions of hangovers and inebriated states that he's intimately acquainted with that state of mind.
Questions About Alcohol and Drugs
- Is Jim an alcoholic? Do you think his life would be better if he drank less?
- Why does Jim get so drunk before his big lecture at the university? Is it because deep down, he doesn't want the job?
- In your opinion, does Mr. Gore-Urquhart intentionally make Jim drunk before his lecture? Is he trying to get Jim fired so that Jim can come work for him?
- What's the worst thing Jim does while he's drunk?
Chew on This
In Lucky Jim, Jim is completely responsible for everything that happens to him, good or bad. Drinking is just his way of hiding this from himself.
In Lucky Jim, there is nothing worse than boredom. And drinking is Jim Dixon's ultimate escape from boredom. Therefore, drinking is a legitimate way to deal with it.