Marlow’s Maelström. A Few Remarks on the Possible Gothic Inspiration of Joseph Conrad’s Fiction: The Case of Lord Jim
Marlow’s Maelström. A Few Remarks on the Possible Gothic Inspiration of Joseph Conrad’s Fiction: The Case of Lord Jim

Author(s): Joanna Pypłacz
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Literary Texts
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego
Summary/Abstract: This article discusses the surprising similarities that are to be found between EdgarAllan Poe’s novella “A Descent into the Maelström” and Joseph Conrad’s novel LordJim. Despite the apparent differences—including the obvious fact that each of theseworks belongs to a different genre—they actually have quite a lot in common. First ofall, their main characters are lonely, tortured men who have undergone a trauma atsea. Secondly, both works are set in a characteristic environment that can be describedas Gothic sublime—Lord Jim in particular exhibits many typically Gothic traits. Inaddition, Conrad has given specific hints, such as the mention of the Norwegian seas,which could be considered to be an allusion to Poe (whose short story is set in Norway).Thirdly, both works revolve around the problem of dealing with moral responsibility, difficult choices and deep remorse by means of rationalization. Finally, Poe’s novellaand Conrad’s novel share yet another feature: they are arranged according to thesame compositional scheme, that is “a story within a story,” where the troubled maincharacter confesses his tragic story to a casual, yet rather compassionate friend. Tosum up, all the similar motifs, including the use of the Burkean sublime, as well astell-tale allusions, show that the fact that both works have so much in common mightnot be the result of sheer coincidence.

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