A Preface to Conrad: Second Edition

Widely recommended, this guide to Conrad offers a vivid and incisive account of his life and literary career, and gives detailed attention to the contexts, themes, problems and paradoxes of his works.

Cedric Watts is Professor of English at the University of Sussex and is an internationally recognized leading authority on the life and works of Joseph Conrad and has published several books on the subject.

List of Illustrations and Maps

vii

Foreword to the First Edition

ix

Acknowledgements and Editorial Notes

xi

Abbreviations

xiii

PART ONE: THE WRITER AND HIS SETTING

Chronological table

2

(5)

Biographical Background

7

(35)

The double man

7

(1)

Poland

8

(9)

Marseille

17

(3)

England and the Merchant Navy

20

(5)

The Congo and its aftermath

25

(3)

The second career: Conrad the novelist

28

(14)

Cultural Background

42

(69)

The tensions

42

(2)

Conrad's pessimism

44

(3)

Religious matters

47

(4)

Poland and Conrad's political outlook

51

(4)

Imperialism

55

(9)

Science and determinism

64

(1)

The Superfluous Man

65

(2)

The Hamlet/Don Quixote Dichotomy

67

(7)

Anti-rational primitivism

74

(5)

Determinism and solipsism

79

(3)

Darkness and the dying sun

82

(3)

Darwinism

85

(3)

Darwinism and psychology

88

(2)

Atavism and doubles

90

(3)

Evolution, Aestheticism and sex

93

(6)

Literary influences

99

(12)

PART TWO: THE ART OF CONRAD

Conrad On His Art

111

(3)

The Pressure Towards Paradox

114

(5)

The Convert Plot: Three Examples

119

(3)

Abdulla's defeat of Almayer in Almayer's Folly

119

(1)

The conspiracy against Kurtz in `Heart of Darkness'

119

(1)

The attempt to defraud the hero in The Shadow-Line

120

(2)

Textual Commentaries

122

(18)

The opening of Almayer's Folly (1895)

122

(2)

The ending of `An Outpost of Progress' (1897)

124

(2)

A passage from `Heart of Darkness' (1899)

126

(5)

Jim's jump: Lord Jim (1900)

131

(2)

The ending of `The Secret Sharer' (1910)

133

(2)

Two Conradian cruces

135

(5)

Nostromo

140

(36)

Genesis and production

140

(1)

Sources

140

(10)

Nostromo and the meanings of its techniques

150

(13)

Critical challenges

163

(6)

Chronology and topography

169

(7)

Heroes, Heroines, Gender And Feminism

176

(8)

Models of conduct

176

(2)

A type-list

178

(2)

Feminist criticisms of Conrad

180

(4)

Conrad's Place In Literary History

184

(27)

PART THREE: REFERENCE SECTION

A list of symbolic or allegoric names in Conrad's fiction

193

(5)

Gazetteer

198

(2)

Short biographies

200

(7)

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A Preface to Conrad: Second Edition

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

FREE SHIPPING

Rent More, Save More! Use code: BBRENTAL

5% off 1 book, 7% off 2 books, 10% off 3+ books

A Preface to Conrad: Second Edition

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

Digital License