Conrad's Literary Analysis - Assignment Example

Article’s Argument The argues that the First World War had profound effects on many The literary materials that were based on the First World War expressed great disillusionment towards traditional Western ideologies and views. The tragedy of the war and its ideas of evolutionary progress provided materials for writers. In this case, the First World War influenced the ideas of writers such as T.S Elliott and Ezra Pound who wrote The Waste Land and Hugh Selwyn Mauberley respectively. The First World War provided opportunities for literary responses. Additionally, the effects of the war can be well captured in literary materials such as To the Lighthouse and The Great Gatsby by Virginia Woolf and Scott Fitzgerald respectively. According to John Peters, most of the literature during the period of the First World War could be seen as reactions against the values of the world before the war broke out. The literature shows the world in an iconoclastic, disillusioned, cynical or disenchanted form. The loss of life, in addition to the dehumanizing nature of the mechanized war had effects on those who directly or indirectly participated in the war. It also had effects on those who witnessed the consequences of the war. One of the effects of the war was the end of the values and life of Victorian and Edwardian England. The war introduced the world to new scales of destruction and violence. John Peters notes that among the disillusioned and disenchanted writers was Joseph Conrad. Conrad’s literary works stood out among other works because he did not exhibit the same disillusionment as his peers. Though Conrad despaired at the events and outcomes of the war and he was skeptical towards the emerging Western values, he did not appear to be disillusioned by the war. Peters notes that the events of the First World War corroborated with Conrad’s existing skepticism. Conrad has focused on human relationships while other writers articulated their disillusionment with Western views that emerged after the war. Conrad tried to identify meaning for constructing an ephemeral meaning for the existence of humans in the universe. For a long time, Conrad had considered transcendental meanings. Peters also stated that Conrad did not feel the general optimism concerning the direction of future generations and progress, and state of Western societies and civilization. The disillusionment expressed by the writers after the war can be attributed to the grandiose way of viewing the society. Writers during the Edwardian period used words such as golden afternoons, golden security and long garden parties. These words express the extravagant nature of the society. They created a sense of optimism during the time. The sentiments expressed by the disillusioned writers contrast the views of Conrad on civilized progress. Conrad expressed similar skepticism towards traditional Western values and views. The views of Conrad were later expressed by pre and post war writers. One of the main aspects of Conrad’s literary work is skepticism. His writing betrays his attitude of doubt. Elements of affirmation in his later works fail to represent the movement towards conventional outlooks. This acts as the writer’s ephemeral shelter from doubt. Conrad’s later writing locks out skepticism by using increased effectiveness. Though skepticism is still a subject, it is not a force that governs literary constructions. It is an explicit topic for discussion within a text. Peters argues that skepticism remains a vital topic of discussion, and it is at the core of Conrad’s perspective or view of the world. Conrad’s novels written during the period of the war and after the war emphasize on romance. The novels reveal skepticism that lay beneath the romance. The novels reveal that in a world characterized by death and suffering, there can be no transcendental meaning of life or human existence. This leads to a possibility of contingent meaning, which relies on human relationships. In the novel The Shadow Line, Conrad creates a meaning for the existence of the crew members. The author uses increased self-knowledge and cooperative struggles for survival. In another novel, Victory Lena, the author creates meaning for human existence through the establishment of connections between the characters. Post war authors showed an ability to acknowledge the weaknesses of their characters. The weaknesses of the characters in the novels provide meaning for their existence. These meanings are also derived from human relations, and not loyalties or political sentiments. Conrad’s novels such as The Secret Agent and Under Western Eyes show that human relations reinforce the meaning for human existence. Despite the romance in these novels, the author questions the preeminent position of Western civilization. Conrad’s doubts about traditional Western values and views prevented him from being disillusioned. In addition to the traditional views and values, Conrad is influenced by the fact that the war did not surprise him. For a number of years, Conrad anticipated a global event in which Germany would be at the center of a conflict. From his earlier works, it is possible to conclude that he clearly expected a major global conflict that would lead to a highly mechanized war. According to Conrad, any illusions of peace died when England confirmed war. In another article, Conrad predicted future wars or conflicts in Europe. He stated that “war is with us now, and whether this one ends soon or late, war will be with us again” (Conrad 18-19). Conrad felt this way because he considered Germany as a country where efforts and thoughts are likely to lose effect. He considered Germany as a voracious and powerful country that is full of self-confidence and unscrupulous people. Later in his literary works, Conrad elaborated why he felt that Germany would be at the center of a large scale conflict in the future. Conrad felt that Germany did not have any good intentions to the world, rather, the people in the country focused on personal gains. Peter states that Conrad believed that the expansionist desires of Germany and the strong emphasis on material development throughout Europe would lead to an inevitable conflict of interests. This would eventually lead to military warfare. His foresight proved prophetic because this is exactly what happened before the First World War started. Response to the Essay I would like to respond to Conrad’s influence on modern writing. The fact that Joseph Conrad was not disillusioned by the events before and after the First World War shows the complexity or uniqueness of his writing. While his peers were influenced and disenchanted by the events of the First World War, Conrad seemed to predict what would happen. He seemed to be preparing himself psychologically given the fact that he was caught up in enemy line. Before and after the First World War, Conrad maintained consistency. His literary works do not exhibit the same levels of disenchantment as the works of his peers. According to the article by John Peters, Conrad has a lasting legacy in the field of literary writing. Conrad influenced play writers, novelists, and poets. His legacy extends to countries such as England, America, Germany, Poland and France. His writing technique was unique because he was not influenced by other writers. He was passionate about the themes of the tragedy of existence, political violence and the weakness of human nature. He also concentrated on human dignity, fidelity to lost causes and moral responsibilities. His themes and techniques to express the themes appealed to the modern sensibility that he helped to create. Some authors such as T.S Eliot praised Conrad’s use of idiom and their expression of the spirit of age. Conrad’s writing particularly influenced three writers, Fitzgerald, Faulkner, and Hemingway. In one of the instances, Hemingway described himself as the literary heir to Conrad. Conrad’s emphasis on heroic ethos, stoicism and codes of honor, in addition to the ability of people to test themselves in extreme situations influenced modernism and modern writers. Conrad’s literary response to the war shows an individual who is despaired by the progress and the effects of the war. He lived in different parts of England and Poland, and he personally experienced the war. His legacy is not only felt in the literary world, but also in the ability of writers to express the extremes of human destruction and political violence. His despondent view of the world is understandable from the fact that his experiences in Poland and England created his awareness for tragedies and experiences. Conrad did not show feelings towards the events that the world was forced to experience. Conrad found it difficult to be optimistic with the progress of the world. The effects of the First World War and the lessons that humanity learnt from the war were apparent to Conrad because he predicted them. Conrad’s feelings towards the world and how humans treat each other is best captured in his letters. In one of the letters to Ford Madox Ford, Conrad stated that, “our world of 15 years ago is gone to pieces, what will come in its place God knows, but I imagine doesn’t care”. His despair did not lessen as the war progressed. In another letter to John Quinn, Conrad stated that, “nowadays it is difficult to get any sort of mood to last, except the war nightmare mood which makes one a little sick of life”. These letters are linked to Conrad’s despair about the war. His parents were killed as a result of the conflicts in Poland and a number of his friends also lost their lives in the conflict. He was worried about the safety and future of his son. His writing seems prophetic because later, his son was gassed and suffered shell shocked. In my opinion, these feelings played a crucial role in the fact that Conrad was not disillusioned. His lack of disillusionment is expressed in his works such as The Shadow Line, The Warrior’s Soul and The Tale. In The Shadow Line, Conrad lacks direct implications that reflect the idea of a war, despite the fact that the story was dedicated to his son. The Warrior’s Soul is based on the First World War and the Napoleonic wars. As he wrote the story, the two wars occupied a central position in his mind. In the story, Conrad represents the devastative effects of war. According to Conrad, it is people who are always crushed in case large political forces have conflicts. Nonetheless, Conrad’s story primarily focuses on the moral dilemmas of people. Conrad sets The Tale around the First World War. He uses the story to highlight the exigencies and tragedies of war. The Warrior’s Soul and The Tale develop in a manner that the war is ancillary to the moral struggles of the protagonist. The two stories are characterized by moral conflicts and the horrors of war. The horrors lean towards the development of new forms of disillusionment and reinforcing already existing senses of doubt that are evident in his earlier works. Conrad’s works do not change from the presentation of horrors. They do not change after the war. While most post war writers returned to the prewar cultures, Conrad went further back to the conventional methods of representation. He experienced and lived the solace of historical escapism and memory. Though Conrad is right about the historical periods, escapism and solace, which provide foundations for the development of skepticism. As Conrad aged, his skepticism shifted to traditional affirmations such as solidarity, love and patriotism. His outlook and perceptions increasingly became conventional as his writing lost verve. Conrad’s criticism of Western societies was directed towards the underlying philosophical assumptions. It is vital to note that Conrad’s criticism was not based on the social policies and practices of the Western society. He focused on the fundamental presuppositions on which they were based. Conrad was joined by other writers such as Ford Madox Ford in expressing reservations towards the Western society. Conrad’s criticism towards the society was radical because he questioned the preeminence of Western civilization, and the values and views of the society. Most importantly, he questioned human existence, in addition to the existence of the ordered universe. Conclusion The response to John Peter’s essay is focused on the legacy that Joseph Conrad left in the field of writing. Joseph Conrad was one of the most influential writers of his time. He showed leadership characteristics when he refused to be influenced by the attitudes of disillusionment that was influencing his peers. This also proved that Joseph Conrad was a unique writer. He focused on the themes of political violence and the meaning of human existence. He seemed to predict the events that would lead to the world war and the values and views of the Western society after the war. Conrad was not disillusioned because he had prepared himself for the event. He had lived through the horrors of the war in Poland and England. He was also caught up within enemy lines. His aim in writing was to express the horrors of the war. A characteristic of his peers is that they changed their views after the war, though Conrad did not change. Conrad’s questioning of human existence and criticism of western societies was based on the underlying philosophical assumptions. As he aged, his skepticism turned towards traditional affirmations such as love, patriotism, and solidarity. Read More