The Recruit

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of bullying. 

Throughout The Recruit, James grapples with different types of fear and various situations that frighten him. His relationships with swimming, right and wrong, and being a spy come together to define what fear is and show the effects it can have. At the outset of the book, James has been afraid of the water for years as a result of nearly being drowned by his classmates. When faced with swimming during the CHERUB entrance exam, James refuses, both letting his fear get the better of him and also recognizing his current limitations. In doing so, James shows that fear is a tool, not simply a negative response, because he realizes there is a great chance of suffering personal harm, and, thus, he removes himself from that situation. Once James becomes a CHERUB recruit, he is forced to overcome his fear of swimming if he wants to be a full agent. At first, this involves encouragement from Amy, but when this fails, two other CHERUB agents take a tougher approach, again showing how fear is a tool. While this latter strategy is manipulative in a way, it is also successful because, as the instructors tell James, “Your fear of us has to be greater than your fear of the water” (140).