Many of the soldiers are described as frightened and aimless after the arrival of the allied troops, what might be causing their uncertainty? Their fear?

Throughout the camp, prisoners walk around aimlessly, almost like zombies, and many of them – including Peter Marlowe – run in terror when Captain Forsyth first approaches them to introduce himself. Although these men did not thrive in Changi like the King did, many of them have been there for two or three years and the world outside the camp has ceased to exist for them. They have had no contact with the outside world and are terrified by what they may find out has happened to their loved ones and to their own ability to fit in outside the camp. Although in Peter Marlowe’s case the terror is only a temporary thing when he first meets Captain Forsyth, for many of these men the prospect of going home and trying to exist outside of the camp is incredibly frightening. The reader understands that the physical scars the men have will heal much faster than the psychological scars that Changi has left. For some, like Max, the scars will probably never heal while others, like Sean, prefer to die rather than face the outside world.