Synopses & Reviews
Whereas Marlow has usually been discussed as a literary device who is of no special interest in himself, this study argues that Conrad portrays Marlow and his relationships with a psychological depth that is unsurpassed in literature. In "Youth," "Heart of Darkness," and Lord Jim, he is a continuously-evolving character whose thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are expressions of his personality and experience. Understanding Marlow's motivations newly illuminates the formal complexity and thematic richness of these works, for his inner conflicts profoundly affect the structure of his narrations, his interactions with his auditors, and the elusive meanings of his tales.
Review
"Bernard Paris offers a direct challenge to critics, who have commonly viewed
Conrad's Marlow not as an "imagined human being" but instead as a literary device or a purveyor of themes or a purely functional character. Paris, who has long been interested in the psychological study of literary characters, uses close textual analysis in his straightforward and thoroughgoing assessment of the crucial links between the evolving character and personal psychology of the Marlow who appears in "Youth" and the Marlow of "Heart of Darkness" and
Lord Jim. A work of literary analysis but also a highly personal work that reads, in part, like a passionate tribute to a time-honored and deeply appreciated literary friend,
Conrad's Charlie Marlow offers readers a penetrating and deeply sympathetic psychological portrait of Conrad's Charlie Marlow in a refreshingly accessible way."--J. Brooks Bouson, Professor of English, Loyola University of Chicago
Synopsis
Whereas Marlow has usually been discussed as a literary device who is of no special interest in himself, this study argues that Conrad portrays Marlow and his relationships with a psychological depth that is unsurpassed in literature. In "Youth," "Heart of Darkness," and
Lord Jim, he is a continuously-evolving character whose thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are expressions of his personality and experience. Understanding Marlow's motivations newly illuminates the formal complexity and thematic richness of these works, for his inner conflicts profoundly affect the structure of his narrations, his interactions with his auditors, and the elusive meanings of his tales.
Synopsis
In this book, Paris argues that Marlow has usually been discussed as a literary device who is of no special interest in himself, and argues that Conrad portrays Marlow and his relationships with a psychological depth that is unsurpassed in literature.
Synopsis
This study approaches Marlow not simply as a literary device but as one of the greatest character creations in literature, an understanding of whose inner conflicts newly illuminates the structure of his narrations, his interactions with his auditors, and the thematic ambiguity of his tales.
About the Author
Bernard Paris is Emeritus Professor of English and former Director of the Institute for Psychological Study of the Arts at the University of Florida.
Table of Contents
Introduction * Young Marlow * The Journey to the Inner Station * Marlow and Kurtz * Marlow the Narrator * Conrad's Jim * Marlow's Initial Response to Jim * Marlow Becomes Jim's Ally * Marlow's Inner Conflicts * Jim as a Mimetic Character * Marlow on Jim in Patusan * Where Does Conrad Stand in Lord Jim? * References