Description
Book SynopsisThe Discerning Narrator sheds new light on Joseph Conrad’s controversial critique of modernity and modernization by reading his work through an Aristotelian lens. The book proposes that we need Aristotle a key figure in Conrad’s education to recognize the profound significance of Conrad’s artistic vision.
Offering Aristotelian analyses of Conrad’s letters, essays, and four works of fiction, Alexia Hannis illuminates the philosophical roots and literary implications of Conrad’s critique of modernity. Hannis turns to Aristotle’s ethical formulations to trace what she calls the discerning narrator in Conrad’s oeuvre: a compassionate yet sceptical guide to appraising character and conduct. The book engages with past and current Conrad scholarship while drawing from Aristotle’s Poetics, Politics, and Nicomachean Ethics, as well as classical scholars to offer original philosophical analyses of major an
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments Introduction: The Deeper Significance of Sailing Ships 1. Conrad’s Vision of Things 2. An Outcast of the Islands: Tragedy, Pathos, and Conrad’s Narrative Appeal 3. Seeing Jim’s Virtues in Lord Jim: A Tale 4. The Discerning Narrator in Falk: A Reminiscence 5. Marlow’s Practical Wisdom: Chance: A Tale in Two Parts Conclusion: “Speakings” Notes Bibliography Index
