Joseph Conrad: Speaking of His Own Time and to Our Own

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Joseph Conrad: Speaking of His Own Time and to Our Own Henry James said to Joseph Conrad, “No-one has known—for intellectual use— the things you know, and you have, as the artist of the whole matter, an authority that no one has approached.” More than almost any of the other major writers of his time, Conrad was a man with considerable experience of the rapidly evolving world of the late 19th century. He was born into a Poland that existed only in its people’s historic memory (his citizenship was Russian). From ages 5-11 he experienced, with his parents, life in the Russian gulag. He had a 20 year career as a sailor, with one trip up the Congo river. In this course we’ll study three of Conrad’s major works. “Heart of Darkness” explores issues of colonialism, bureaucracy and race. Lord Jim appears to be a typical 19th century colonial adventure-romance while questioning the presumptions of that genre and exploring issues of personal responsibility. The Secret Agent, the only one of Conrad’s major works set in Britain, strongly foreshadows the work of later writers like Graham Greene and John le Carré in its exploration of the world of spies, double agents and the cynical manipulation of political opinion by both foreign powers and local authorities. Texts: I use the Penguin editions of Lord Jim and The Secret Agent, but you should feel free to use any other edition. For “Heart of Darkness” I use the Norton Critical Edition, but, again, you should feel free to use any other text. Syllabus: Meeting 1, Feb 18: “Heart of Darkness” Meeting 2, Mar 24: Lord Jim, Chapts. I-XX Meeting 3, Apr 28: Lord Jim, Chapts. XXI-end Meeting 4, May 19: The Secret Agent, Chapts I-VIII Meeting 5, Jun 9: The Secret Agent, Chapts IX-end About the Instructor: Raymond Brebach is an emeritus professor of English at Drexel University. His research has centered on the work of Joseph Conrad and he is especially interested in Conrad’s manuscripts. Over the last 35 years he has done considerable work for The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Joseph Conrad, serving as contributing editor, and he is assistant editor of ’Twixt Land and Sea. .

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Lord Jim, by Joseph Conrad
Lord Jim, by Joseph Conrad AUTHOR'S NOTE When this novel first appeared in book form a notion got about that I had been bolted away with. Some reviewers maintained that the work starting as a short story had got beyond the writer's control. One or two discovered internal evidence of the fact, which seemed to amuse them. They pointed out the limitations of the narrative form. They argued that no man could have been expected to talk all that time, and other men to listen so long. It was not, they said, very credible. After thinking it over for something like sixteen years, I am not so sure about that. Men have been known, both in the tropics and in the temperate zone, to sit up half the night 'swapping yarns'. This, however, is but one yarn, yet with interruptions affording some measure of relief; and in regard to the listeners' endurance, the postulate must be accepted that the story was interesting. It is the necessary preliminary assumption. If I hadn't believed that it was interesting I could never have begun to write it. As to the mere physical possibility we all know that some speeches in Parliament have taken nearer six than three hours in delivery; whereas all that part of the book which is Marlow's narrative can be read through aloud, I should say, in less than three hours. Besides--though I have kept strictly all such insignificant details out of the tale--we may presume that there must have been refreshments on that night, a glass of mineral water of some sort to help the narrator on.
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Heart Darkness
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Joseph Conrad's Culturally Liminal
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