Lord Jim · Character

Doramin

The old Bugis chief whose massive, impassive presence anchors Patusan's politics, and whose private counsel Jim seeks before every decisive move.

supporting

Also known as old Doramin, the impassive old Doramin, O Doramin

First appearance: xx

As a supporting figure in Lord Jim, Doramin is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The Bugis chief who receives Jim after his escape, restrains his people, and provides shelter.

In the storyXXVOpen this moment free

See Doramin in XXV Book page

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Doramin rules the Bugis settlers of Patusan from a chair that seems less furniture than throne, issuing orders in a deep veiled rumble while lesser chiefs panic around him. Jim speaks to him alone before all others, trusting that the old man knows his heart and its greatest desire, and Doramin's stillness becomes the measure against which Jim's restless authority is taken. His weight in the story is the weight of the old world Jim has chosen to serve, and the reader watches that alliance with the uneasy sense that such gravity always exacts a price.

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The fuller portrait of Doramin sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Doramin in xx

Character Web

10 connections

A slice of how Doramin sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Friendship
Other

Character groups

Patusan Conflict Catalysts
Protagonist
Patna Inquiry and Wanderings

+5 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

In this passage, the emotional and psychological peak occurs when the narrator confronts Jewel’s raw, irration…

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Relationships

Jim
friendship · positive
Doramin, the powerful Bugis chieftain, trusts Jim as a leader and friend, but their bond… How this plays out →
Jim
friendship · positive
Doramin, the powerful Bugis chieftain, trusts Jim as a leader and friend, but their bond… How this plays out →
Jim
friendship · positive
Doramin, the powerful Bugis chieftain, trusts Jim as a leader and friend, but their bond… How this plays out →

Jim
Doramin, the powerful Bugis chieftain, trusts Jim as a leader and friend, but their bond ends tragically when Jim fails to protect his son.
Jim
Doramin, the powerful Bugis chieftain, trusts Jim as a leader and friend, but their bond ends tragically when Jim fails to protect his son.
Jim
Doramin, the powerful Bugis chieftain, trusts Jim as a leader and friend, but their bond ends tragically when Jim fails to protect his son.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Doramin in xx

In the story

Doramin appears across 15 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter III
Not present in this chapter.
XXV
The Bugis chief who receives Jim after his escape, restrains his people, and provides shelter.
Chapter XXVI
Depicted as an imposing, monumental figure who was carried up the hill in his armchair, with immense flintlock pistols, ready to die if the plan failed.
XXVII
Waits immovably on the hillside during the battle, receives news of his son's safety, and then lies down to sleep covered in white sheeting.
XXVIII
Doramin is the old Bugis chief, anxious about the future and secretly hoping his son will rule Patusan.
The Night of Decision
Sends a trusty servant twice to warn Jim that he cannot guarantee his safety unless he recrosses the river to live among the Bugis.
XXXI
Doramin hosts Jim for the day's council; Jim preaches vigorous action to the Bugis community at his campong.
XXXV
Mentioned as part of the tableau of characters left behind, described as immense and magnanimous.
XXXVI
Doramin agreed to furnish guns for Jim's fort, showing his support for Jim's defensive plans in Patusan.
XXXVIII
Mentioned as the builder of the mosque; his people fire on Brown's boat.
XXXIX
Attends the council but remains silent, hesitant to endorse his son's aggressive plan; later orders Dain Waris to a safer post.
XL
Remains unmoved and steadfast, keeping his countrymen together behind the stockade.
XLII
Consults privately with Jim about the course of action, listening as Jim declares his wish for the people's good.
Chapter XLIII
Doramin consents to Jim's plan after the council, stating that there is no reading of hearts, and agrees to let the whites go.
Chapter XLV
Doramin, grieving for his son Dain Waris, shoots Jim in retribution.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Doramin unlock in the free preview.

See Doramin in xx

See Doramin in XXV