" In more general terms, Conrad uses Marlow to give his tale, neither the full close of the plot of earlier fiction, nor James' more limited completeness in the formal structure, but a radical and continuing exposure to the incompleteness of experience and the impossibility of fully understanding it." (Watt, 1978)
The strength of subjectivity as far as perception was concerned is another modern theme. It is safe to state that Conrad managed to prove the profound importance of the subjective dimension in a very complex manner. The stream of consciousness and first person technique which he applied had as a result a process through which the reader completely identified with the inner life of the character.
Naturally all certainty and objectivity is lost in the process and not only does the reader not know where he is going, but he embraces the upcoming transformations as exciting surprises. From this point-of-view we could assume that Conrad succeeds to change the status of the author, from omniscient to omnipotent (since after all he is in control not only of the denouement, but of the manner in which the story unfolds as well):" and for a moment it seemed to me as if I also was buried in a vast grave full of unspeakable secrets. I felt an intolerable weight oppressing my breast, the smell of the damp earth, the unseen presence of victorious corruption, the darkness of an impenetrable night." (Conrad, 87)
Taking the analysis further, we can say that the use of the "I" is a means through which the narrator supports a process of inner discovery (valid for both the main character and the readers). Reading between the lines we understand that the route of the knowledge process is no longer oriented towards the direct contact with the external reality, but is accomplished through an inner journey meant to unveil some of the mechanisms of our unconscious self:" it is because Marlow has this "double privilege of subject and object" that the reader cannot see him as a fictional object very clearly; Marlow is in effect his own author, and so there is no reliable and comprehensive perspective on him or his experience." (Watt, 1978): "I did not betray Mr. Kurtz -- it was ordered I should never betray him -- it was written I should be loyal to the nightmare of my choice. I was anxious to deal with this shadow by myself alone -- and to this day I don't know why I was so jealous of sharing with anyone the peculiar blackness of that experience." (Conrad, 101)
It is safe to declare that the book present a great variety of hypostases in which the hero finds himself. These are a means through which the reader (and why not the author) is taken to understand the great complexity of the man at the centre of attention and of the overall situation. As the story unfolds, the character and the readers are forced to put the pieces of the puzzle together, always wondering if...
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