Conrad’s Jim

Abstract

I have been arguing that, contrary to the opinion of many, Marlow in “Heart of Darkness” is not just a literary device or a static figure who presents no psychological problems and is untouched by the events in which he appears. He is an imagined human being whose responses reflect his personality and whose narrative serves a variety of psychological functions. This is equally true of Marlow in Lord Jim, where he is, once again, motivated by emotional needs and torn by inner conflicts. His relationship with Jim is far more complex than his relationship with Kurtz, and he is, overall, a more richly drawn character than he was in the earlier works in which he appeared.