Conrad's Narrative Method

ELT: VOLUME 34:4, 1991 Other essays include J. Verleun's "Conrad's Denouements: The Early Phase"; G. D'Elia's "Let Us Make Tales Not Love"; A. Gillon, "Hand Imagery in Selected Works of Joseph Conrad"; J. Dobrinski, "From Coal to Diamond: A Psychobiographical Reading of Axel Heyst's Progress in Victory"; P. Pugliatti, "From Narrative to Drama: Conrad's Plays as Adaptations"; H. van Marie, "Conrad and Garibaldi"; M. J. Larsen, "Conrad and Coppola on the Struggle for Hearts and Minds"; F. Marenco, " 'Toil' vs. 'Consciousness' in Conrad's Work"; J. de Vries, "Conrad in Holland"; I. Vidan, "Conrad in his 'Blackwood's Context' "; and Cedric Watts, "Conrad's Hidden Texts." Despite the rather numerous if obvious typographical errors—so obvious that they are not really a serious problem, the volume is a solid addition which will add to the ever-growing understanding and greater appreciation of Conrad, the man and his work. Earl E. Stevens Rhode Island College Conrad's Narratpte Method Jakob Lothe. Conrad's Narrative Method. New York: Clarendon Press, 1989. 315 pp. $49.95 THE PROLIFERATION of approaches to literary texts has had at least one odd consequence in literary criticism—books on individual authors, eras, or movements often begin with a kind of credo, a statement of faith in one approach. The book may go on to argue the legitimacy of that approach, to respond to criticisms, and/or to condemn competing theories. In short, a theoretical introduction now seems to be a requirement for almost every piece of literary criticism. In his theoretical introduction, Jakob Lothe sets out the tenets and terms of his approach to the short stories and novels of Conrad, an approach that is essentially structuralist , heavily influenced by Genette and Chatman. He indicates awareness of recent developments in literary theory and some of the challenges which those developments pose for structuralist categories and distinctions . But he does little more than indicate an awareness. Hence, readers for whom certain terms or distinctions are problematized (such as "author," "meaning," "summary versus interpretation") will find Lothe's 506 Book Reviews defense somewhat weak and his continued use of those terms and concepts troubling. He mentions, for example, the doubt which various critical schools have thrown on the status of the "author" in literary criticism. He responds to Foucault's rhetorical question "What difference does it make who is speaking" by saying that it makes a significant difference in Conrad because Conrad's voice is distinctive and forceful. Clearly, Lothe answers a different question from the one that Foucault poses. The question is an abstract one about the assumptions which we make while reading, about the utility of using biographical information, about a reader's ability to infer intention, about the ontological status of "author," about the reality of theoretical constructs. Lothe's answer is a practical one which assumes the answers to the very questions Foucault (and others) pose. Some readers may find it annoying to have serious concerns—such as whether or not it really is very useful to talk about "the author"— rejected in a paragraph. But every book cannot be a theoretical argument ; every piece of criticism need not attempt to resolve difficult and troubling questions. Lothe's evasion of theoretical questions merely means that people who want a theoretical explication and defense of structuralism will have to look elsewhere. His audience is therefore necessarily somewhat restricted (one could not reject Genette and Chatman and find the book very valuable) but it does not invalidate his overall purpose. And Lothe's purpose is distinctly modest. He sets out to show the value of close analysis of Conrad's narrative method. The major portion of the book is made up of such analyses of individual works, in which Lothe tries to show the connection between the "meaning" of the text and the kind of narrator which Conrad uses. However certain analyses are very strong. In the section on "Outpost of Progress," for example, Lothe persuasively argues that, while the narrative strategy in that story is comparatively uncomplicated, the narrator's omniscience and irony contribute to the "thematics" of the story. The narrator's generalizations about fear and civilization, reporting...