Final answer:
Jim perceives himself as rich based on his substantial income that outpaces others in his region, signifying financial success.
Step-by-step explanation:
Jim considers himself rich now because of the significant income he makes, which he suggests is more than any other man his age in the Northwest. This claim of wealth denotes his financial success, implying that his riches come from the lucrative returns of his investments or business dealings.
Throughout these various excerpts, wealth is portrayed in different lights, whether it's Percy discussing his father's immense riches, John being impressed by wealthy acquaintances, or a character reflecting on the abstract and moral dynamics of wealth and poverty.
Each perspective offers a glimpse into how characters in these texts perceive and measure their richness, whether in monetary value, the quality of precious items, or the metaphorical richness of fulfilling obligations to loved ones or moral justifications.
Jim considers himself rich now because he is making more money than any man his age in the Northwest and his father is by far the richest man in the world.
Jim's remark about being rich is supported by the fact that he has a successful career and a high income.