Summary Lord Jim

8/11/2019 Summary Lord Jim

1/21

Lord Jim - Joseph Conrad

Context

Joseph Conrad was born in the Ukraine in 1857. His father was a Polish revolutionar ! so Joseph spent his outh withseveral different relatives in several different pla"es. #n 187$! he first went to sea. %or the next twent ears he &adehis livin' as a sailor! (oinin' the )n'lish &er"hant servi"e in 1878 and eventuall be"o&in' a ship "aptain. #n histwenties! after (oinin' the )n'lish fleet! Conrad an'li"i*ed his +lavi" na&e and learned )n'lish. He did not be'in towrite until he was in his forties. ,ord Ji& is the first of his &a(or novels. #t appeared in 1- ! the ear after Heart of/arkness! whi"h is perhaps his best0known work. Conrad was onl &oderatel su""essful durin' his lifeti&e! althou'hhe &oved in pro&inent literar "ir"les and was friends with people like Henr Ja&es and %ord adox %ord2 with thelatter he "oauthored several works.

Conrad was writin' at the ver &o&ent when the 3i"torian 4'e was disappearin' and the &odern era was e&er'in'.3i"torian &oral "odes still influen"ed the plots of novels! but su"h prin"iples were no lon'er absolute. ovelists and

poets were be'innin' to experi&ent with for&. 6he (u&bled ti&e se uen"e and elaborate narrative fra&es of ,ord Ji&are part of this &ove&ent. 4s Conrad wrote in the prefa"e to 6he i''er of the ar"issus ! another of his novels!fi"tion wanted to 9strenuousl aspire to the plasti"it of s"ulpture! to the "olour of paintin'! and to the &a'i"su''estiveness of &usi".9 ,ord Ji&! with its insisten"e on the fre uent inabilit of lan'ua'e to "o&&uni"atestrai'htforwardl ! opens itself to new wa s of usin' words. 4 ter& as elusive as 9ins"rutable9 &a "ontain within itselfthe i&&ediatel "o&prehensible essen"e of the novel s prota'onist! while a si&ple word like 9water9 &a fra"ture intoa &ultipli"it of &eanin's! ea"h one available to onl a sin'le individual.

6he sun hadn t set et on 3i"toria s e&pire! however2 in fa"t! it was at its *enith. :hile this is one of Conrad s novelsleast involved in the set of issues surroundin' "olonialis&! ,ord Ji& nevertheless situates itself in a world wherenational differen"es are often redu"ed to the di"hoto& of 9us9 and 9the&!9 where the ter& 9us9 "an en"o&pass asurprisin'l hetero'eneous 'roup. ;oth e"ono&i" and ra"ial versions of the "olonial d na&i" "o&e into pla in thisnovel.

:hen Conrad died in 1-


2/21

ti&e it is &entioned! Ji& flees his "urrent situation! enlistin' arlow s help on"e a'ain. %inall ! with the help of +tein!an expatriate trader! arlow 'ets Ji& situated as post &ana'er in the re&ote territor of Patusan. Ji& is initiall"aptured b one of the warrin' fa"tions of the area! but soon es"apes and finall be"o&es a hero b defeatin' a lo"al

bandit. He falls in love with Jewel! the beautiful! half0native stepdau'hter of the previous tradin' post &ana'er! a bitter little &an "alled Cornelius. Ji& be"o&es the spiritual leader of Patusan. #ts "iti*ens pla"e their trust in hi& and rel onhi& to enfor"e (usti"e.

?ne da ! =entle&an ;rown! a pirate! shows up in Patusan with his "rew in sear"h of provisions. 4 skir&ish ensues!and ;rown holes up atop a hill. Cornelius! anno ed b Ji& s su""ess and his own failures! se"retl &eets with ;rownand a "onspira" ! in"ludin' a dissentin' Patusan fa"tion! is for&ed a'ainst Ji&. Ji&! unaware of the plot! a'rees to let;rown leave the area pea"efull @;rown 'uesses at Ji& s dishonorable past! and Ji& de"ides it would be still &oredishonorable to kill ;rown si&pl be"ause ;rown knows the truth about hi&A. Cornelius 'uides ;rown down analternate river "hannel! whi"h leads hi& to the "a&p of /ain :aris! the son of Ji& s "losest all ! /ora&in. ;rown andhis &en a&bush the "a&p! killin' /ain :aris. Ji&! reali*in' that he has still not been able to es"ape his initial failureaboard the Patna! i'nores Jewel s pleas and 'oes to /ora&in s "o&pound! where the 'rievin' father shoots and killshi&.

u"h of the novel is "on"erned with arlow s atte&pts to pie"e to'ether Ji& s stor fro& a variet of sour"es. %inall !

he re"ounts the stor to a 'roup of a" uaintan"es. 4t this point in ti&e! thou'h! ;rown has not et "o&e to Patusan!and the stor re&ains unfinished. ?n"e events are "o&pleted! arlow writes the& down in &anus"ript for&! whi"h hethen sends to a &e&ber of the audien"e of the first part of the stor . 6he novel fra'&ents ti&e! and arlow (uxtaposesdifferent! non0"hronolo'i"al pie"es of Ji& s stor for &axi&u& effe"t! all the while seekin' to dis"over the sour"e ofhis own fas"ination with Ji& and the &eanin' behind the stor .

Chara"ters

B

Ji& 0 4lso known as 9,ord Ji&!9 or 96uan Ji&.9 6he hero of our stor ! Ji& is a oun' &an who! inspired b popularliterature! 'oes to sea drea&in' of be"o&in' a hero. He 'ets his "han"e when the ship he is aboard 'ets da&a'ed! andfails utterl b abandonin' ship with the rest of the "rew. Haunted b his failure and stripped of his offi"er s "ertifi"ate!he wanders fro& (ob to (ob! finall be"o&in' the &ana'er of a re&ote tradin' post. He falls in love with Jewel! a

beautiful! half0native 'irl! and! b defeatin' a lo"al bandit! be"o&es leader of the people. His drea&s of herois& lead tohis failure to kill a &araudin' white pirate! =entle&an ;rown! whi"h in turn leads to the death of /ain :aris! his bestfriend and son of /ora&in! the lo"al "hief. Ji& allows /ora&in to shoot hi& in retribution.

arlow 0 6he narrator of this stor and a ship s "aptain. arlow first en"ounters Ji& at the in uir where Ji& loses his"ertifi"ation. %eelin' that Ji& is 9one of us!9 he takes an interest in hi&! first helpin' hi& find e&plo &ent as a water"lerk and as a tradin' post &ana'er for +tein! then "o&pulsivel pie"in' to'ether Ji& s stor and perpetuatin' itthrou'h various retellin's. #t is arlow who filters and interprets &ost of the narrative for the reader.

Jewel 0 /au'hter of the /ut"h0 ala wo&an and stepdau'hter of Cornelius. +he and Ji& fall in love! and she &akeshi& pro&ise never to leave her. +he is a pra'&ati" wo&an and en"oura'es Ji& to fi'ht to survive after /ain :aris sdeath. arlow en"ounters her after Ji& s death at +tein s! where she! broken and saddened! re&inds arlow that her

predi"tion of Ji& s infidelit has "o&e true.

+tein 0 6he owner of a lar'e tradin' post! he sends first Cornelius and then Ji& to Patusan. +tein was for"ed to flee)urope as a oun' &an after be"o&in' involved in revolutionar a"tivities. Havin' &ade his wa to the )ast #ndies! hehas be"o&e su""essful as a trader. 4 thou'htful! anal ti"al &an who i&&ediatel 9dia'noses9 Ji& for arlow! he"olle"ts butterflies and beetles.

=entle&an ;rown 0 4 white pirate who! havin' barel es"aped +panish offi"ials in the Philippines! "o&es to Patusanhopin' to steal so&e provisions. He is rather fa&ous in this part of the world! and is used as the sto"k bad 'uwhenever lo"als are tellin' stories. He is proud! terrified of "onfine&ent. He and his &en are atta"ked upon arrival inPatusan b /ain :aris and his band! who have had advan"e warnin' of their "o&in'. 4lthou'h he had initiall wantedto "on uer and loot Patusan! he reali*es he is outnu&bered and ne'otiates with Ji&. #n those ne'otiations! ;rown


3/21

shows that he is aware that Ji& has a dark past! thereb appealin' to Ji& s tortured sense of ideals and re"eivin' per&ission to retreat in safet . ;rown has been "onspirin' with Cornelius and the >a(ah 4llan'! thou'h! and on hiswa ba"k to his ship! he surprises /ain :aris and his &en at their "a&p. /ain :aris is killed! whi"h will lead to Ji& sdeath. ;rown and his &en are shipwre"ked soon after. ;rown is the onl survivor! althou'h he dies soon afterward.

arlow visits hi& on his deathbed and 'ets part of the stor fro& hi&. ;rown is an i&portant "ontrast to Ji&! as a &anwho lives a ro&anti" life! but one that is far fro& &oral or ideali*ed. Unlike Ji&! ;rown is ui"k to own up to his pastand his fears.

Cornelius 0 Husband of the /ut"h0 ala wo&an! he is the previous &ana'er of +tein s Patusan post. 4 bitter!"onnivin' &an! he betra s Ji& to =entle&an ;rown and "auses the death of /ain :aris. He is Jewel s stepfather! andtreats her badl ! even askin' for Ji& to 'ive hi& &one in ex"han'e for her.

/ut"h0 ala wo&an 0 4 wo&an with a & sterious past! she is Jewel s &other and Cornelius s wife @althou'hCornelius is not Jewel s fatherA. 4s a favor to her! +tein 'ives Cornelius a post in Patusan. +he dies a horrible deathwith Cornelius! who has alwa s tor&ented her! tr in' to break down the door to her roo&.

Crew of the Patna 0 Ji& s fellow offi"ers aboard the Patna! the i&&ediatel be'in to tr to leave the da&a'ed shipafter the "ollision. 4 ph si"all repulsive and dishonorable lot! the flee before the in uir . ?ne of the&! the thirden'ineer! dies of a heart atta"k on board and is found b res"uers. arlow &eets with another of the& in a hospital.6he &an is delirious fro& the effe"ts of al"oholis& and is hallu"inatin' pink toads! but he tells arlow that he

personall wat"hed the Patna sink @the ship did not a"tuall sinkA. 6he "aptain is an enor&ous! dis'ustin' &an who bullies Ji&. Ji& en"ounters another of the en'ineers in the workpla"e of his first post0Patna e&plo er! whi"h "auseshi& @Ji&A to skip town.

Captain ;rierl 0 ?ne of the &ost de"orated and respe"ted ship s "aptains in the area. He is on the board of in uirthat tries Ji&. +e"retl ! he &akes arlow an offer of &one to help Ji& run awa . ot lon' after the in uir ! he"o&&its sui"ide! &otivated b so&e se"ret sha&e. He is i&pli"itl "ontrasted with Ji&.

Chester and >obinson 0 6wo disreputable "hara"ters who offer Ji&! throu'h arlow! a (ob takin' a wre"k of a ship toa desolate island to "olle"t 'uano. ;oth have uestionable pasts and "an be "o&pared with both Ji& and =entle&an;rown. 6he 'uano0"olle"tin' &ission! under so&eone else s "o&&and! leaves port and is never heard fro& a'ain2 it isthou'ht to have been wiped out b a hurri"ane.

%ren"h lieutenant 0 arlow &eets the %ren"h lieutenant in a + dne "af &an ears after the events of the novel. 6helieutenant was the &an who sta ed aboard the da&a'ed Patna as his 'unboat towed her ba"k into port. 4lthou'h his

a"t was heroi"! he see&s to have been &otivated &ore b dut and professionalis&. His prosai" attitude and his failureto des"ribe the & ster of the experien"e ade uatel in words disappoints and even dis'usts arlow.

/ora&in 0 Chief of the ;u'is2 a wise! kind old &an and a 9war0"o&rade9 of +tein s. +tein 'ives Ji& a silver rin' as atoken of introdu"tion to /ora&in. /ora&in saves Ji& after his es"ape fro& the >a(ah 4llan'! who had been holdin'hi& prisoner. /ora&in is the father of /ain :aris! Ji& s "losest friend. :hen /ain :aris is killed be"ause of Ji& s&is(ud'&ent! /ora&in shoots and kills Ji&! who has offered hi&self up as a sa"rifi"e.

/ain :aris 0 /ora&in s son and Ji& s best friend. 6he two are soul &ates! and /ain :aris serves as Ji& s se"ond0in0"o&&and. He leads the initial atta"k on =entle&an ;rown! but is not entirel su""essful! la"kin' Ji& s "haris&a as aleader of &en. He is killed when Cornelius leads ;rown down the river "hannel behind his "a&p! after Ji& foolishlfrees ;rown and his &en.

;u'is 0 4 'roup of traders fro& Celebes who i&&i'rate to Patusan &an ears before Ji& arrives there. 6he are

"onstantl e&broiled in "onfli"t with the >a(ah 4llan'! who wants to shut down their tradin' a"tivities and en(o a&onopol for hi&self. /ora&in is their "hief.

6a&b #ta& 0 4 ala who "a&e to Patusan and was enslaved b the >a(ah 4llan'. %reed b /ora&in! he be"o&esJi& s lo al servant and adviser. He es"apes with Jewel after Ji& s death and is the one to 'ive arlow the &ost"o&plete a""ount of Ji& s final da s.

>a(ah 4llan' 0 4lso known as 6unku 4llan'. 6he "orrupt! unoffi"ial ruler of Patusan2 the un"le of the le'iti&ate butundera'e and possibl &entall 0in"o&petent +ultan. He tries to enfor"e a &onopol on trade in the area. 4llan'"aptures Ji& upon his arrival in Patusan. He also se"retl allies with =entle&an ;rown a'ainst Ji&.

+herif 4li 0 4 fanati" usli& bandit who terrori*es Patusan fro& a stron'hold in the hills. Ji& defeats 4li to be"o&e ahero in Patusan.


4/21

Chapters 1 and obinson now that he has been punished! arlow finds hi&and takes hi& ba"k to his hotel roo&! where he writes letters as Ji& stru''les with his own thou'hts. arlow ad&its

his responsibilit to Ji& and thinks about wa s to help hi&. +uddenl arlow draws ba"k and reveals to the audien"ethat soon Ji& will be 9loved! trusted! ad&ired! with a le'end of stren'th and prowess for&in' round his na&e.9 Heexplains wh he will not present Chester and >obinson s offer to Ji& @9he is too interestin' or too unfortunate to bethrown to the do's9A! and notes that their expedition was lost without a tra"e after a hurri"ane. 6he narrative returns to

arlow s hotel roo&. Ji& tells arlow that he thinks he will have another "han"e to be"o&e a hero! that he s 9bound to"o&e upon so&e sort of "han"e to 'et it all ba"k a'ain.9 arlow "onvin"es Ji& to sta a little lon'er and persuadeshi& to a""ept a letter of re"o&&endation for a (ob. Ji& thanks hi& for 'ivin' hi& a 9"lean slate.9

arlow re"eives a letter fro& Ji& s new e&plo er! praisin' Ji&. 6he &an wonders at what Ji& has done to needarlow s prote"tion! but sa s that Ji& is 9bloo&in'. . .like a violet9 in his new position. ot lon' afterward! arlow

re"eives another letter fro& his friend. Ji& has departed suddenl ! leavin' onl a note of apolo' . #n the sa&e bat"h of&ail! there is a letter fro& Ji&! explainin' that the se"ond en'ineer fro& the Patna turned up and 'ot a (ob with Ji& s

e&plo er. 6he en'ineer tor&ented Ji&! re&indin' hi& of the in"ident2 the an'uish for"ed Ji& to leave. arlow soonruns into Ji&! who is now workin' as a water0"lerk in another port. >eturnin' to that port a few &onths later! he findsthat Ji& has a'ain uit a pro&isin' (ob! this ti&e be"ause a da&a'ed stea&er "arr in' pil'ri&s had put in! and thePatna "ase had a'ain be"o&e a sub(e"t of "onversation. His &ost re"ent e&plo er re&arks to arlow that he had toldJi& that! althou'h he didn t know what he had done! 9the earth wouldn t be bi' enou'h to hold his "aper.9Co&&entar

6his se"tion explores the after&ath of Ji& s 9"onvi"tion.9 Ji& believes that he still has the "han"e to be a hero! butChester and >obinson s uestionable offer and his diffi"ult in retainin' a (ob su''est otherwise. Ji& has been &arkedin so&e wa b his a"tions @or la"k of a"tionA. arlow hints at a & sterious future for Ji&! however! in whi"h he will

be wildl su""essful! althou'h the state&ent is ualified in an odd wa 2 arlow sa s that a le'end will develop aroundJi& 9as thou'h he had been the stuff of a hero.9 :h is Ji& (ust "o&parable to a hero in the future! rather than a"tuall

be"o&in' one #t see&s that the &o&ent that has been o&itted fro& the narrative! the &o&ent of Ji& s leap overboard!will be"o&e the &o&ent that defines his life! and that! for Ji&! there "an be no su"h thin' as a 9"lean slate.9 6his is in part a result of his punish&ent. 6ried b a "ourt of his professional peers! Ji& has been found to be unfit to keep the"ertifi"ation he earned as a oun' &an2 in so&e wa ! he s no lon'er 9one of us.9

arlow! however! still thinks that he and Ji& do belon' to the sa&e fraternit . He helps Ji& re"over so&e se&blan"eof a life and "ontinues to follow hi& with interest. arlow s interpretive skills are "alled into uestion in this se"tion!thou'h! as he de"lares hi&self 9unenli'htened9 b his en"ounter with Ji&. He also &akes the stran'e "lai& that bhelpin' Ji& out he 9had saved hi& fro& starvation00of that pe"uliar sort that is al&ost invariabl asso"iated withdrink.9 6his is a stran'e "lai& to &ake. #t doesn t s uare with what we know of Ji&! and it doesn t see& in line with

arlow s opinion of Ji& in 'eneral. Perhaps arlow has be'un to fear the i&pli"ations of his own asso"iation with


11/21

Ji&! and "o&&ents like this one are a wa for hi& to distan"e hi&self. Chester and >obinson approa"h hi& be"ause of his buddin' friendship with Ji&! after all! and arlow hi&self sadl notes that! of he and Ji&! 9it was et he! of us two!who had the li'ht.9 Ji& &a have been publi"l "onde&ned! but it is arlow who has no "han"e. Ji& see&s to beheaded for a su""essful future! while arlow will be left onl to repeat Ji& s tale to an one who will listen.

Chapters 1- 0 a(ah 4llan'! a de"a in'! power0&ad opiu& fiend who& arlow en"ounters when he visits Ji&. +tein and arlow offer Ji& the Patusan post!whi"h he a""epts. arlow &akes hi& a 'ift of a revolver! and +tein! wishin' to repa his debt to the +"ottish traderwho laun"hed hi&! 'ives Ji& letters of introdu"tion and a silver rin'! whi"h he is to present to /ora&in! an old"o&rade of +tein s. Ji& returns fro& re"eivin' +tein s "o&&ission full of fire! ea'er to i&press upon arlow thero&anti" aspe"ts of the situation! parti"ularl the idea of the rin' as a token of friendship and re"o'nition. arlowfinds hi&self 9thorou'hl si"k9 of Ji&! who is foolish enou'h to 9hurl defian"e9 at the universe. Ji& hurriedl pa"kshis possessions! in"ludin' a volu&e of +hakespeare @whi"h surprises arlowA and ships for Patusan. 6he "aptain of theship that is to "arr hi& tells arlow! who "o&es aboard to offer Ji& "artrid'es for the revolver! that he will "arr Ji&onl to the &outh of the river leadin' to Patusan! sin"e he was fired upon b the natives the last ti&e he tried to as"end


12/21

the river. arlow later learns that the &an was publi"l hu&iliated and i&prisoned b >a(ah 4llan'. 6he ship is aboutto depart! so arlow takes leave of Ji&! who is still e"stati" over the 9&a'nifi"ent "han"e9 before hi&. 4s arlow s

boat pulls awa fro& the ship! Ji& shouts a predi"tionD 9 ou00shall00hear00of00&e. 9Co&&entar

+tein offers a "ontrast to both arlow and Ji&. ,ike Ji&! he is! or at least was as a outh! invested in ideas of theheroi"! startin' out as a revolutionar ! then be"o&in' a traveler! a partisan fi'hter! and finall a "on uerin' "apitalist./espite so&e self0ad&itted defeats and the loss of his wife and "hild! he has "onstru"ted a satisf in' existen"e for

hi&self b takin' advanta'e of the opportunities offered hi& b others @the /ut"h naturalist! the +"ottish traderA. ,ikearlow! he feels an i&&ediate sense of identifi"ation with Ji&. His approa"h to Ji& is uite different fro& arlow s!

however. :hile arlow "onsiders Ji& 9one of us!9 +tein sees hi&! as arlow su''ests he will! as a 9spe"i&en!9 likeone of his butterflies. arlow! and even the &e&bers of the "ourt of in uir ! have been "onsiderin' Ji& al&ost as asort of &utation00an avera'e &an who for so&e reason displa s the worst that lurks inside of all &en. 6he "ourt ofin uir &ust "ast Ji& out! s &boli"all "astin' the evil out of the&selves. arlow is fas"inated! seein' in Ji& his owndark side. +tein! however! 9dia'noses9 Ji& as displa in' one a&on' an infinite variet of 9&aladies9 or abnor&alities.+tein deter&ines hi& to be a 9ro&anti"!9 and a""ordin'l sends hi& to the sa&e pla"e he has sent another da&a'edro&anti"! the /ut"h0 ala wo&an.

Patusan is an appropriate pla"e for Ji& in &ore wa s than one. oti"e the rese&blan"e between the words 9Patna9 and9Patusan92 we know before he 'ets there that Ji& is destined to repeat in so&e wa the in"ident aboard the Patna.

Patusan! too! is a pla"e where ro&anti"! heroi" idealis&00the hi'h adventure of the uest for pepper00"oexists with pra'&atis& and harsh realit . 6he territor was abandoned b histor ! is diffi"ult to rea"h! and has de'enerated to the point of bein' ruled b a outh with "on'enital defor&ities that would see& to be the result of inbreedin'. Ji& isthrilled to have another "han"e! and his hubris is un&istakableD 9 ou00shall00hear00of00&e.9 arlow and +tein s partin''ifts! thou'h! foreshadow the kind of pla"e he will find. 6he revolver su''ests Ji& will need to rel ! to so&e extent! on

brute for"e! and the te"hnolo'i"al superiorit of the white &an. 6he rin' su''ests that Ji& is enterin' a world ofsuspi"ion! distrust! and fa"tions! where identit re uires ph si"al proof and a &an s word is not enou'h. ;oth hint thatheroi" ideals &a be irrelevant here.

#roni"all ! +tein and arlow are bur in' Ji& the wa Chester and >obinson su''ested. 6he onl es"ape for Ji&! itsee&s! is to 'o so&ewhere where no one has heard of the Patna. et in the e"ho of the na&e of the ship in the na&e ofthe territor ! and in arlow s repeated in"ursions to see Ji& despite bein' 9si"k9 of hi& and wantin' to 9dispose9 of

hi&! it is i&plied that es"ape will not be possible! that! no &atter what he does! Ji& will still be the sa&e &an whoabandoned the Patna. 4t this point in the narrative! arlow s &ost re"ent infor&ation is that Ji& is a total su""ess. etarlow! at the end of Chapter a(ah. 6he >a(ah i&prisons Ji& in a sto"kade for several da s.

Ji& takes arlow to see the >a(ah! pointin' out where he was i&prisoned. He pauses to settle a dispute between the>a(ah and so&e villa'ers! then "ontinues with his stor D :hile he is a prisoner of 4llan' s! he is sub(e"ted to absurdtreat&ent00asked to fix a broken ew )n'land "lo"k! interro'ated about /ut"h "olonial strate' ! uestioned as to his


13/21

&otives. He &ana'es to es"ape the sto"kade fairl easil b leapin' over the wall and stru''lin' up a &udd slopeafter (u&pin' a "reek. Upon his es"ape! Ji& rushes to /ora&in s "o&pound and presents +tein s silver rin'. He isre"eived with war&th! and /ora&in s people prepare to repel the >a(ah. /ora&in! arlow relates! is the leader of oneof the &ost powerful fa"tions in Patusan! a 'roup of &er"hants "alled the ;u'is! who had e&i'rated fro& Celebes&an ears a'o. ost of the "onfli"t in Patusan ste&s fro& >a(ah 4llan' s atte&pts to enfor"e a tradin' &onopol and/ora&in s insisten"e on violatin' 4llan' s pro"la&ation. Ji& finds the ;u'is ar'uin' over the wisdo& of all in'the&selves with +herif 4li! an 4rab reli'ious *ealot who! alon' with his band of tribes&en fro& the interior! has beende"i&atin' the "ountr side around Patusan. +o&e of the ;u'is want to (oin with 4li to overthrow 4llan'.

Ji& &eets /ain :aris! /ora&in s son! who is to be"o&e his best friend. #t soon o""urs to Ji& that he has anopportunit to &ake pea"e in Patusan and thus &ake a na&e for hi&self. Ji& proposes that the ;u'is or'ani*e anatta"k on 4li. /ain :aris is i&&ediatel enthusiasti"! and the plan &oves forward. Ji& oversees the transfer of/ora&in s &ea'er artiller to a hilltop! fro& whi"h the atta"k is laun"hed and 4li defeated. arlow re&arks at the trustthe ;u'is pla"ed in Ji& in followin' hi& into battle. 4n old &an tells arlow that &an think Ji& possessessupernatural powers. Ji& see&s even &ore 9s &boli"9 to arlow than ever. #n re"ountin' the atta"k! Ji& &entions thevalor of his servant! 6a&b #ta&! a refu'ee fro& 4llan' who has devoted hi&self to Ji&. #n triu&phin' over +herif 4li!Ji& has finall be"o&e a hero! and the people of Patusan await his "o&&and.Co&&entar

#t is appropriate that arlow re&arks on how 9s &boli"9 Ji& see&s to hi& at this &o&ent. %ro& this point onward!

Ji& be'ins to re"ede fro& the text. 6he te&poral pro'ression of the narrative be"o&es ever &ore "onvoluted! asarlow has to work harder and harder to pie"e to'ether the stor . Ji& no lon'er spends entire "hapters stru''lin' toexpress his inner an'uish. #nstead! the narrative is "o&posed of his polished00if so&ewhat slan' 00a""ounts of hisa"tions! interspersed with s&all set0pie"e lands"apes. #t appears that Ji& s hubris has been enablin'! not fatal. arlowfeels distant fro& Ji&2 if Ji& was on"e 9one of us!9 arlow has no "lai& to bein' 9one of the&!9 a person like the newJi&. arlow su''ests that nothin' "an tou"h Ji& now! sin"e he has es"aped fro& the shadow of the Patna in"ident.Ji& s le'end is be'innin' to bloat! thou'h! as he revels in the unli&ited trust of his people and whispers of hissupernatural abilities spread. He see&s to be in peril even while on top of his world.

Conrad uses the two new relationships des"ribed in this se"tion to s"rutini*e so&e of the tropes of "olonial literature.6a&b #ta& is the uintessential lo al servant! and /ain :aris is the ulti&ate 9other9 onto whi"h a nearl ho&oeroti"ra"ial essentialis& is pro(e"ted. His relationship with Ji& is des"ribed as 9one of those stran'e! profound! rare

friendships between brown and white in whi"h the ver differen"e of ra"e see&s to draw two hu&an bein's "loser bso&e & sti" ele&ent of s &path .9 6his is Conrad at his &ost disin'enuous. Patusan see&s to be populated b twokinds of individualsD 9noble sava'es!9 like /ain :aris! whose astoundin' abilities and &oral "hara"ter lead to hi&

bein' "alled a 9white &an9 b his own people2 and dissolute! dirt ! s"he&in' representatives of a de"a in' hu&anit !like 4llan'. 6he extre&es in these two "ari"atures! espe"iall when "o&pared with the subtle &editations on "hara"terand the wide variet of people 9like us9 in the first se"tion of the book! see& to fun"tion as a subtle "riti ue ofrepresentations of "olonial sub(e"ts. 4t ti&es! Conrad "an be too subtle! thou'h2 he has o""asionall been a""used ofra"ist dis"ourse hi&self. 6he (uxtaposition of extre&es and the repla of stereot pes su''est! however! that Conrad isfull knowled'eable of his literar a"tions and &eans to be subversive.

Chapters


14/21

ne"essar to a""ept her situation. Ji& "alls her Jewel. arlow is stru"k b the at&osphere of both do&esti" happinessand hi'h ro&an"e surroundin' the pair. He re"alls visitin' a nearb re'ion and en"ounterin' a "orrupt "olonial offi"ial!who has heard of Ji& and Jewel and has &isinterpreted what Jewel a"tuall is. 6he offi"ial tells arlow that he hasheard of a white &an who possesses an enor&ous e&erald! whi"h he keeps "on"ealed on the bod of a wo&an! oun'and pure! who sta s with hi& at all ti&es. 6he offi"ial asks arlow to let Ji& know that he has friends who would beinterested in bu in' the e&erald.

arlow re"alls that he has seen ver little of Jewel! but that she see&s unusuall anxious about Ji&. 6a&b #ta&! too!

see&s to be overl prote"tive. arlow notes that Cornelius is alwa s skulkin' about Ji& rather o&inousl ! and herefle"ts that Ji& has been 'enerous in 'ivin' the &an his freedo&! and perhaps rather re"kless in not takin' proper

pre"autions to prote"t hi&self. Ji& sta ed with Cornelius upon his initial es"ape fro& >a(ah 4llan'! and his&istreat&ent of Jewel has led Ji& to be ver "areful toward the &an! lest he inadvertentl &ake her situation worse.Cornelius is apparentl uite bitter at havin' &arried Jewel s &other and bein' sent to su"h a ba"kwater. He "onsidersit his ri'ht to abuse the 'irl and to steal fro& the sto"k of 'oods "onsi'ned to hi& b +tein. +oon after his es"ape fro&the >a(ah! Ji& be'ins to hear ru&ors that plans are bein' &ade to assassinate hi&. Cornelius offers to s&u''le hi& outof the "ountr for ei'ht dollars. Jewel offers her help as an advisor. %inall ! thin's "o&e to a head. Ji& wakes up oneni'ht to find Jewel at his side! his revolver in her hand. +he leads hi& to a shed in the ard! where he dis"overs &enl in' in wait for hi&. Pleased at finall en"ounterin' 9real dan'er!9 he shoots one of the& and for"es the others to leapinto the river. 4s he is tellin' arlow the stor of that ni'ht! Ji& points out his own valor! then on"e a'ain "hallen'es

arlow s evaluation of his @Ji& sA worthiness! notin' that no one in Patusan would believe the stor of the Patna. Ji&

speaks of his desire to re&ain alwa s in Patusan.

arlow leaves Ji& and 'oes up throu'h the dark "ourt ard to the house. He is "onfronted b Jewel! who see&s to haveso&ethin' to sa to hi& but is unable to speak. %inall ! arlow is &ade to understand that she thinks he has "o&e totake Ji& awa . He tells her that this is not the "ase. +he tells hi& that she does not want to 9die weepin'!9 as her&other did. Jewel re"alls the ni'ht of her &other s death! the wo&an breathin' her last while Jewel barred the doorwith her bod a'ainst a ra'in' Cornelius. +he tells arlow that Ji& has sworn never to leave her! but that she is unableto believe hi& entirel ! sin"e her father and other &en have &ade and broken the sa&e pro&ise. +he de&ands that

arlow tell her what the thin' is to whi"h Ji& often refers! the thin' that &ade hi& afraid and that he "an never for'et.+ear"hin' for the proper phrase! arlow finall tells her that it is the fa"t that he is 9not 'ood enou'h9 that Ji& "annever for'et. #n a ra'e! Jewel "alls arlow a liar! infor&in' hi& that Ji& said the sa&e thin'. arlow tries sheepishlto ba"ktra"k! sa in' that no one is 'ood enou'h. +he refuses to listen! thou'h! and the "onversation breaks off as

footsteps approa"h.Co&&entar

6his se"tion fills in the events that o""ur after Ji& s defeat of +herif 4li. ore i&portantl ! thou'h! it offers the "han"efor Ji& to develop hi&self as a ro&anti" hero. u"h of the a"tion and al&ost all of the "onversations in these "hapterstake pla"e at ni'ht. 6he pi"tures ue aspe"ts of Patusan are e&phasi*edD the full &oon risin' over the hills! the starstwinklin'! tor"hes burnin' in the dark. Patusan has "learl be"o&e so&ethin' of a paradise for Ji&. He wants tore&ain there forever! and he finall feels as if he has been freed fro& the taint of the Patna in"ident! throu'h his ownvalor and noble intentions. He even tells arlow that the people of Patusan wouldn t believe the stor of the Patna! so"onvin"ed are the of his essential "hara"ter. ;ut! (ust as the darkness of the ni'ht hides so&e of the essential s ualorof Patusan00the ra&sha"kle buildin's! the fetid &ud00so too does the overla of ro&an"e hide the funda&ental proble&with Ji&. He &a have the love of a re&arkable wo&an and the trust of an entire people! but he still feels "o&pelled to

(ustif hi&self and "onfront arlow over arlow s faith in his "hara"ter @9F Gou wouldn t like to have &e aboard our own ship00he 9A. arlow s presen"e in Patusan is "onta&inatin' in so&e wa ! sin"e he "an testif to Ji& s previousfailure! et it is also essential! for arlow is still the one who &ust preserve Ji& s stor . 6he narrative re&ains distantfro& Ji&. arlow 'athers infor&ation throu'h "onversations with other people @/ora&in! JewelA and b &akin'assu&ptions based on observations2 wh ! for instan"e! is 6a&b #ta& alwa s lurkin' (ust outside arlow s roo& Ji& istrapped in a horrible paradox. He is so&ehow 9too 'ood9 for Patusan2 therefore! his presen"e there &ust indi"ate adark se"ret that &akes it i&possible for hi& to live in the outside world. 6hose "losest to hi& suspe"t a proble&! andde&and answers of arlow.

?n"e a'ain! too! a proble& arises "on"ernin' lan'ua'e and knowled'e. arlow notes that 9three hundred &iles be ond the end of tele'raph "ables and &ail0boat lines! the ha''ard utilitarian lies of our "ivili*ation wither and die! to


15/21

be repla"ed b pure exer"ises of i&a'ination.9 4lthou'h he has be"o&e a &an of publi" a"tion! Ji& is still anins"rutable fi'ure. 6hose around hi& wonder about his past! while spe"ta"ular ru&ors "ir"ulate outside of Patusan. 6he"orrupt offi"ial arlow en"ounters has taken the na&e 9Jewel9 literall ! assu&in' that Ji& is in possession of a lar'e'e&stone rather than a lovin' "o&panion. 4'ain! as with the 9"ur9 and 9water9 in"idents &u"h earlier in the text!lan'ua'e00a sin'le word00is sub(e"ted to interpretation. 6he interpreter! in this "ase the offi"ial! &akes the sa&e&istake Ji& has &ade previousl D he pro(e"ts his own interests and his own view of the world onto another s lan'ua'e!and in the pro"ess lan'ua'e preserves and asserts its own essential ins"rutabilit . +eparated fro& those who 'ive it life!lan'ua'e be"o&es sub(e"t to 9pure exer"ises of i&a'ination.9 6he narrative s distan"e fro& Ji&! "o&bined with

in"reasin'l fre uent 'li&pses of arlow retellin' this stor at a &u"h later date! "alls into uestion whether an9truth9 lies behind this stor . 6he "lai& that 9FrGo&an"e haFsG sin'led Ji& for its own9 su''ests that there is so&ethin'funda&entall obs"ure and fi"tionali*ed about the a""ount bein' 'iven to us.

Chapters I$ 0 ILB+u&&ar

arlow! preparin' to leave Patusan! visits the 'rave of the /ut"h0 ala wo&an. #n the darkness and silen"e! hefan"ies hi&self the last &an on earth and re&arks on the for'otten! lost nature of Patusan. Cornelius appears and

be'ins to talk. arlow! notin' re'retfull that he see&s to be 9doo&ed to be the re"ipient of "onfiden"es!9 has no"hoi"e but to listen. Cornelius tries to (ustif his treat&ent of Ji&! "itin' his fear of >a(ah 4llan' and his need to pla

both sides to save hi&self. arlow tells Cornelius that Ji& has for'iven hi&! althou'h arlow knows that Corneliusa"tivel hates Ji& and that Ji& does not trust Cornelius. Cornelius ra'es at Ji&! uestionin' his intentions towardPatusan! and at Jewel! "o&parin' her to her late &other. He then asks arlow to talk to Ji& for hi&. Cornelius wants a&onetar 'ift in ex"han'e for his "ontinued 'uardianship of the 'irl after Ji& returns ho&e. 4stounded at the &an svul'arit ! arlow infor&s hi& that Ji& will not be leavin' Patusan. Cornelius erupts in a fit of an'er and frustration.

arlow leaves Patusan the next &ornin'. Ji& a""o&panies hi& down the river to the "oast! as the (ourne b "anoe9throu'h the ver heart of untou"hed wilderness.9 6he ali'ht at the "oastal villa'e! where two of the fisher&en ask for an audien"e with Ji&. He and arlow take leave of one another2 for the first ti&e! Ji& speaks of the intense strain hefeels at tr in' to 9'o on forever holdin' up FhisG end! to feel sure that nothin'9 of his past "an "o&e ba"k to spoil hissu""ess. arlow tells hi& the will not &eet a'ain! unless Ji& leaves Patusan. arlow departs for his ship! while Ji&takes up with the fisher&en. /rawin' awa fro& shore! Ji& s white0"lad fi'ure re&ains visible lon' after other details

have vanished.

arlow ends his stor tellin' session here. 4t this ti&e! he has no further knowled'e of Ji&! and the stor see&sdestined to re&ain in"o&plete. 6he narrative skips ahead two ears! when one of arlow s audien"e re"eives a pa"ketfro& arlow "ontainin' a sheaf of do"u&ents. 6his &an! who re&ains unna&ed! is the 'reatest doubter of arlow stake on Ji& s stor ! but he is also the &ost interested! and the &ost pole&i"al2 he de"lared that for Ji& to dedi"ate hislife to the non0white inhabitants of Patusan was like 9 9sellin' our soul to a brute.9 9 @6he use of triple uotes here isre&arkable for its rarit ! for the si&ple reason that it is "orre"t! and be"ause it is uni uel evo"ative of Conrad s dense!la ered narratives.A 6he pa"ket "ontains a letter fro& arlow explainin' that the en"losed papers represent the best hehas been able to do in pie"in' to'ether the rest of Ji& s stor . #t also "ontains a letter fro& Ji&! in whi"h he "ontinuesto tr to (ustif hi&self and his plans to arlow2 a ver old letter with &oral advi"e fro& Ji& s father! the parson2 and a&anus"ript! written b arlow! detailin' the rest of Ji& s adventures. arlow tells the pa"ket s re"ipient that he

9affir&FsG nothin'9 of the truth or the &eanin'fulness of his a""ount! that perhaps Ji& s final &essa'e is! in fa"t! in thewords that Ji& had wished to send to the outside world! nothin'.Co&&entar

arlow s interpretation of Ji& shifts dra&ati"all durin' this se"tion. 4s he is leavin' Patusan! he sees Ji&! standin'on the bea"h! as 9the heart of a vast eni'&a.9 #n the letter to his friend! however! he de"lares that Ji& is no lon'er the9white spe"k at the heart of an i&&ense & ster 9 but 9of full stature! standin' disre'arded. . .with a stern and ro&anti"aspe"t! but alwa s &ute! dark00under a "loud.9 arlow s initial evaluation! that Ji& stands at the "enter of an eni'&a!su''ests that the va'ueness and diffi"ult that surround hi& "an be interpreted00after all! & steries and eni'&as havei&plied solutions! if onl one is "apable of findin' the&. #f Ji& is alread of 9full stature!9 thou'h! and is &erel9&ute9 and "louded! then perhaps the va'ueness and "onfusion surroundin' hi& are all there is to know. Ji& s stor


16/21

'ains a few la ers of distan"e in this se"tion! too! be"o&in' not a dire"t a""ount but a pat"hwork put to'ether barlow fro& different sour"es. arlow is no lon'er tellin' the stor in person! either. #t "o&es to the na&eless reader

fro& a distan"e! as a written text. o lon'er "an the audien"e interro'ate arlow2 he s not there. Ji& s stor be"o&es&ore of a fi"tional "onstru"t! &ore of an atte&pt to i&pose &eanin' on a series of events that &a not have anintrinsi" &eanin'. arlow tells his friend that 9FiGt is i&possible to see FJi&G "learl .9 96here shall be no &essa'e!9 hesa s! 9unless su"h as ea"h of us "an interpret for hi&self fro& the lan'ua'e of fa"ts! that are so often &ore eni'&ati"than the "raftiest arran'e&ent of words.9 6his state&ent hi'hli'hts the doubled "onfusion in arlow s stor D not onlis his set of 9fa"ts9 va'ue and open to sub(e"tive &anipulation! but lan'ua'e00that whi"h "onve s the fa"ts00is also

9"raft 9 and arran'ed. 6his is wh arlow sends the re&ainder of Ji& s stor to the person who has shown the &ostdoubt in the exalted &eanin' arlow as"ribes to it2 the na&eless re"ipient of arlow s pa"ka'e will be the one leastlikel to find in Ji& s stor so&ethin' that s not there.

?n"e a'ain in this se"tion! people approa"h arlow seekin' to a""ess Ji&. arlow is! of "ourse! the sole point of"onne"tion between 9(ust Ji&9 and 9,ord Ji&!9 the onl person who has "onta"t with hi& in both his Patna and hisPatusan da s. Ji& &a feel se"ure in his new little world! but the fa"t that people are "onstantl turnin' to arlow forinfor&ation should &ake hi& nervous.

Chapters I7 and I8B+u&&ar

arlow s narrative be'ins b des"ribin' an en"ounter with a d in' pirate! =entle&an ;rown. arlow tells us that;rown s stor will fill in the 'aps of a narrative he has 'otten fro& a visit to +tein s &an &onths before. 4rrivin' at+tein s! arlow re"o'ni*es a ;u'is who& he had o""asionall seen at Ji& s. )nterin' +tein s house! arlow finds6a&b #ta&! and asks hi& if Ji& is there. 6a&b #ta& looks distrau'ht and sa s! "r pti"all ! 9He would not fi'ht.9 +teintakes arlow to see Jewel! who is also at his house. 6he people fro& Patusan arrived two da s a'o! a""ordin' to theirhost. Jewel! uietl and "al&l ! re&inds arlow that she had predi"ted that Ji& would leave her! as all &en do. +he'ives arlow a brief sket"h of events! an a""ount that is not shared with the reader. +he is too distrau'ht to talk &ore!and! when arlow en"ounters her later in the da ! he upsets her still further b pointin' out that her distrust of Ji&

probabl "ontributed to whatever has happened. +tein reassures her that Ji& was true! and tells her he will tr toexplain it to her so&eda . arlow leaves +tein s house in the "o&pan of 6a&b #ta&! who "o&pletes Jewel s narrative@a'ain! the infor&ation about what happened to Ji& is not shared with the readerA.

arlow be'ins to tell the stor of Ji& s final fate b relatin' the histor of =entle&an ;rown! a su""essful pirate whohas be"o&e the representative ruffian of the area. ;rown is d in'! sheltered in the hovel of a dissolute white &an in;an'kok who worships ;rown s le'end and feels privile'ed to let hi& die in his ho&e. ;rown tells arlow that he hada run of bad lu"k! be'innin' with his "apture at the hands of a +panish patrol boat while s&u''lin' 'uns. He &ana'edto bribe his wa into an es"ape! stealin' another ship to repla"e his! whi"h had been disabled b his "aptors.Unfortunatel ! the stolen ship had ver little in the wa of fresh water or provisions on board! and ;rown fearedenterin' port in a stolen vessel. / in' of hun'er! he re"alls hearin' of the re&ote territor of Patusan. He and his "rewan"hor off the fishin' villa'e and &ake their wa upriver in a boat fro& their ship. 6he fisher&en have &ana'ed to 'eta warnin' to the people of Patusan! thou'h! and ;rown and his "rew are atta"ked the &o&ent the land. 6he arefor"ed to retreat to a s&all hilltop! where the di' in.Co&&entar

arlow s interview with =entle&an ;rown is si&ilar in stru"ture to his interview with the al"oholi" se"ond en'ineerof the Patna. 6hese two &orall ! &entall ! and ph si"all "orrupted &en serve as "onduits for parts of Ji& s stor .;rown is another fi'ure who "an be viewed as an alternate to Ji&. His life is patterned on ro&anti" tales and abstra"tideas of heroi"s! albeit rather i&&oral ones. He! too! is lar'el &otivated b fear of bein' held responsible for hisearlier a"tions! as the next "hapters will show. ;ut there is a realis& to ;rown s stru''le to reali*e his &ental i&a'e ofhi&self! a realis& that Ji& s stor la"ks. ;rown is a s&all0ti&e bandit! a bla"k&ailer of poor villa'ers2 his &istress diesal&ost i&&ediatel after he steals her awa fro& her &issionar husband2 he hi&self is "onstantl sub(e"ted to theexi'en"ies of ever da life00thirst! hun'er! illness2 and he dies horribl ! "hokin' to death in a ;an'kok slu&. ;rown sfate is an i&portant "ontrast to Ji& s! whi"h will be"o&e "lear in a few "hapters. ;rown represents the real0life versionof ro&anti" tales. His life stor is the 'eneri" bastard "hild that o""urs when ro&an"e tries to be"o&e realit . Ji& s


17/21

stor will end tra'i"all ! but aestheti"all . Ji& s atte&pt to &ake heroi" tales "o&e to life is not as su""essful as;rown s! thou'h. ;rown has alwa s been a &an of a"tion! while Ji& is still &arked b his failure to a"t heroi"allaboard the Patna. Perhaps this a""ounts for the differin' fates of their storiesD ;rown be"o&es the ver t pe of the+outh Pa"ifi" ruffian! known even to those ba"k 9ho&e9 in )urope! while Ji& is onl of interest to a "oterie ofs &patheti" individuals! who &ust stru''le to pie"e to'ether the final "hapter of his histor ! and who still find his taleessentiall inde"ipherable.

Jewel s rea"tion to arlow and his "o&&ents to her "o&pro&ise his "lai& to Ji& s &e&or . arlow has often been

"ruel to Ji& in their "onversations! but his harshness in the fa"e of Jewel s 'rief see&s extre&e. Jewel predi"ted Ji& seventual infidelit based on her own life experien"e and that of her &other. +he see&s intelli'ent and "redible! and inthe end she turns out to be ri'htD Ji& does abandon her in favor of so&ethin' else! so&ethin' he per"eives to be better!an ideal. +tein i&&ediatel ali'ns hi&self with arlow in his interpretation of Ji& s a"tions @whi"h! re&e&ber! arestill & sterious to the readerA. Jewel su''ests that there is an alternative stor here! one in whi"h the worst thin' &anot be the failure to reali*e a heroi" ideal but instead &a be the betra al of the people "losest to one. Her take on thesituation finds the a"tions that will be detailed in the su""eedin' "hapters selfish rather than unselfishl honest! and her version of the stor ! if it were told! would "onsider /ain :aris s fate! not Ji& s! to be the tra'i" out"o&e. 6hat arlow

privile'es the a""ount he 'ets fro& =entle&an ;rown rather than the versions fro& Jewel or 6a&b #ta& is su''estive.?n the other hand! arlow! a'ain! is the onl person in the novel who has known Ji& both in his &o&ent of 'reatestfailure and at his ti&e of 'reatest triu&ph! so perhaps he is the onl individual who has the ne"essar perspe"tive to

(ud'e Ji& trul .

Chapters I- 0 $obinson s 'uano0"olle"tin' expedition to the :alpole >eef. Here! finall ! the stor&00the s &bol of


20/21

hi'her powers or order00fails to i&pose its &eanin'.

4nal sisB

,ord Ji& is re&arkable for its elaboratel woven s"he&e of narration! whi"h is si&ilar in &an wa s to that of 6he=ood +oldier! a novel written b Conrad s friend and "ollaborator %ord adox %ord. 6he narrative "o&es to the reader

pri&aril throu'h arlow! a world0wear sea "aptain who identifies deepl with Ji& s fallibilities. arlow has

"o&plete "ontrol over the stor ! thou'h! and he exer"ises his power in in"reasin'l "o&pli"ated wa s. 6i&e is brokenupD in a sin'le para'raph of narration! arlow will referen"e the past! the present! and the future. ; &anipulatin' theflow of the narrative! arlow is able to "reate (uxtapositions and "ontrasts that hi'hli'ht parti"ular aspe"ts of the stor .He is a &aster at withholdin' infor&ationD Ji& s final fate be"o&es a &atter for dis"ussion ei'ht "hapters before thereader learns what that fate a"tuall is. 6his "reates suspense! of "ourse! but it also allows arlow to shape the reader seventual rea"tion when he or she does re"eive the relevant infor&ation. arlow also offers the reader narrative blo"ksfro& a variet of sour"es! of differin' de'rees of reliabilit . u"h of the stor has "o&e fro& Ji&! but si'nifi"antse"tions have "o&e fro& other "hara"ters or have been pie"ed to'ether b arlow based on inferen"e. #nfor&ation is"onve ed b letters! &idni'ht "onversations! deathbed interviews! forwarded &anus"ripts! and! &ost si'nifi"antl ! inthe for& of a tale told to an audien"e of listeners. 6he narrative o""asionall breaks to show arlow tellin' Ji& s storto a 'roup of a" uaintan"es at a &u"h later date. 6e&porall ! this s"ene of stor tellin' takes pla"e after Ji& s arrival inPatusan but before the arrival of =entle&an ;rown and Ji& s eventual defeat. arlow &ust thus leave the stor

unfinished for a ti&e. He "o&pletes it b sendin' a &anus"ript to one &e&ber of his audien"e. 6his shift fro& an oral&ode of stor tellin' to a written for& of narrative is si'nifi"ant. 4 stor teller has the power to shape his &aterial to&at"h his audien"e s response2 a writer! on the other hand! who works in solitude! &ust offer his distant reader a

predeter&ined &essa'e.

arlow "onstantl ponders the 9&essa'e900the &eanin' of Ji& s stor . His lan'ua'e is dense with ter&s like9ins"rutable9 and 9inexpli"able!9 words that denote i&pre"ision and inde"ipherabilit ! but whi"h also possess a "ertain

ualit of un"ertaint in the&selves! as words. He stru''les to na&e thin's! and is often redu"ed to wonderin' if thereeven is a &eanin' to Ji& s stor and his fas"ination with it. +o&eti&es he "on"ludes that the &eanin' is an 9eni'&a92so&eti&es he de"ides there is no &eanin' to be found at all. :ords are "onstantl bein' "ontested in this novel2 atleast three &a(or episodes "enter around the &isinterpretation of a sin'le spoken word. 6his un"ertaint aboutlan'ua'e is the ke feature of Conrad s st le. Conrad is the &aster of a hi'h! ele'ia" lan'ua'e that see&s to "ontain

depths of profundit nearl inexpressible in words. 4s one who did not learn )n'lish until he was in his twenties! he&ust "ertainl have been aware of ea"h and ever word he used! and ea"h &ust have been "arefull "hosen. Hislan'ua'e is often deliberatel diffi"ult! and in that ualit his prose shares so&e of the features of &odernis&. ;ut hisdi"tion also &at"hes! in its lin'uisti" diffi"ult ! the the&ati" and interpretive diffi"ult of his &aterial. 6his s nthesis

between for& and "ontent is powerful! &akin' Conrad s prose a thin' of tortured beaut .

)ven &ore tortured is the anal sis of idealis& and herois& that lies at the "enter of ,ord Ji&. Ji& is a oun' &an whoenters the world &otivated pri&aril b fantasies of darin' and noble deeds lifted fro& "heap novels. His ideals breakdown! however! in the fa"e of real dan'er2 the are! in fa"t! untenable when applied to an for& of realit . 6his naMveidealis& see&s absurd when it leads to Ji& s refusal to for'et the Patna in"ident! but it leads to real tra'ed when heallows it to 'uide his "ondu"t when Patusan is threatened. :hat is honorable behavior in this world Captain ;rierl !who is presented as the pri&e exa&ple of su""ess both professionall and in ter&s of "hara"ter! "an t live with hi&self

and "o&&its sui"ide. =entle&an ;rown! one of the &ost self0possessed and self0s"rutini*in' of &en! is nothin' but a pett bandit. 4ll these &en are "onne"ted b bein' what arlow "alls 9one of us!9 but what does that ter& &ean#deals are a troubleso&e burden! and ea"h "hara"ter reveals to so&e de'ree a fear that he will be "onfronted with asituation in whi"h he &ust "hoose between ideals of "ondu"t and a happ out"o&e.

,ike &an of Conrad s works! ,ord Ji& is set in a "olonial world. 6he "riti ue of "olonialis& is &u"h less "entral here!however! than in a novel like Heart of /arkness. Colonialis& is &ost i&portant as a ba"kdrop to the a"tion and the&oral stru''les. #n this world! the rules of 9ho&e9 @i.e. )uropean so"iet A do not ne"essaril appl ! parti"ularl whenone is dealin' with &en who aren t white. ational affiliations are &u"h &ore tenuous! too. ?ther alle'ian"es00the ideaof bein' 9one of us9 versus 9one of the&!9 for exa&ple00take their pla"e! alterin' expe"tations of honorable behavior.

ost of all! thou'h! ,ord Ji& is a novel about stor tellin'! and in the "onfusion and "onvolutions of its narrative for&


21/21

are refle"ted the a&bi'uities of its ideals and its settin'.

Summary Lord Jim

Documents