The shock of trifles: Decadence in the novels of Joseph Conrad
Abstract
This dissertation considers the influence and the interpretive possibilities of late nineteenth-century decadence in the novels of Joseph Conrad. Four novels are examined: Lord Jim, Victory, The Secret Agent, and The Arrow of Gold. It considers not only such matters as how Conradian vision in landscape and cityscape is similar in point of view to painters and writers of the fin de siecle, but also how Conrad's work evokes decadent style and paradigms, and how his characters are expressive of decadent temperament and values. Whenever possible this dissertation attempts to use decadence as an interpretive tool, leading to new readings of Conrad's texts, rather than simply tracing influence. It considers, for instance, how Marlow in Lord Jim, a narrator normally considered to be Conrad's alter-ego, is first invested with decadent qualities and then shown to fall in his task as both observer and writer. The Secret Agent is considered as emblematic of decadent concepts of ontology, and Victory is examined as an exercise in decadent self-parody.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Gottfried, Purdue University.
Subject Area
British and Irish literature
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