LORD JIM과 NOSTROMO를 통해 본 CONRAD의 自己發見의 주제

Abstract

The primary characteristic of Joseph Conrad's works is that the beroes are isolated from their society. What the author intends by this isolation is to eliminate the factors which have control over human behaviours, such as social norms or ethics, thus giving his heroes the opportunities to behave according to human instincts; and to make a search for the human nature. Another aspect of his works, however, is found in his social interest, and it is the portrayal of humanity when it has the background. of complex human society. This is another attempt of the author to make a study on the nature of man by observing to what degree a man can be changed by the social environments. But the world of Conrad's works is not limited only to the investigation of the nature of man. It also involves the study of the response of the man who has recognized his real self-i.e. the study of the interior conflict which occurs to a man when he has found there exist in himself two kinds of nature, his ideal self and the real self. Self-discovery in Conrad's novels is thus achieved through 'man in isolation' and 'man in society'. But since the problem that a man faces in whichever case is an interior or psychological one, Conrad can be regarded as the first of the English novelists who treat fully on human psychology. In this article, an attempt is made to study Conrad's view of life, by dividing the process of self-discovery of the protagonists of the two novels, Lord Jim and Nostromo, and their attitudes towards life afterwards, into four stages: idealization, recognition of self, attempt for rehabilitation, and self-know-ledge. Conrad fully recognizes 'human littleness' and assumes a pessimistic view of life with his insight into the inherent evil of the human nature, but he does never lead his heroes to utter darkness. By making 'fidelity',which appears as good in the interior conflict, win at the moment of the hero's death, Conrad maintains that a man can overcome his own evil. What he propounds as the means of redemption of humanity is 'human solidarity'. To comply with the order of the society a man belongs to--to keep a wholesome balance with other components of the human society--has been propounded as the essential condition of human life; thus 'fidelity' becomes conscience, which is the judge of man's conduct, and good--ultimately the redeemer of humanity. In conclusion, Conrad is an investigator of human nature, who has seen the inherent evil and finiteness in men, but has found a relief in human solidarity.