Victory: An Island TaleIn Victory (1915) Conrad returns to the Malay Archipelago, to the setting of his first mature novel, Lord Jim, and in Axel Heyst he creates a hero who is in many ways similar to Jim, a noble altruist destroyed by his ideals. Heyst is emotionally crippled by the influence of his dead father, a sceptical philosopher who has bequeathed to Heyst an attitude to life summed up in the father's dying words: 'Look on - make no sound.' Despite this injunction Heyst allows himself to become inextricably involved with an English Cockney girl whom he rescues from Giancomo's Travelling Ladies' Orchestra and carries off to his isolated retreat on the island of Samburan. His action incurs the fatal wrath of Schomberg, the island's innkeeper, who sends in pursuit of Heyst three demonic strangers whose invasion of his island paradise leads rapidly to the novel's violent and tragic close. Victory was the first of Conrad's novels to be completed after the commercial success of Chance (1914) had transformed Conrad's fortunes and made him internationally famous. It is a more complex example of the literary form which Conrad evolved for Lord Jim: a story of action and high adventure coexisting with an exhaustive study of the psychology of the central character. |
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Page 180
... Wang had invited them . But this was the only occasion when any sound louder than the buzzing of insects had troubled the profound silence of the clearing . The natives were never invited again . Wang not only knew how to live according ...
... Wang had invited them . But this was the only occasion when any sound louder than the buzzing of insects had troubled the profound silence of the clearing . The natives were never invited again . Wang not only knew how to live according ...
Page 184
... Wang come out that he himself entered the twilight of the big room . By that time Wang was out of sight at the back of the house , but by no means out of hearing . The Chinaman could hear the voice of him who , when there were many ...
... Wang come out that he himself entered the twilight of the big room . By that time Wang was out of sight at the back of the house , but by no means out of hearing . The Chinaman could hear the voice of him who , when there were many ...
Page 224
... Wang made himself visible . Heyst was tempted to laugh at first . This practical comment on his affirmation that ... Wang's bearing suggested his being out of breath ; but he did not pant , and his voice was steady . 99 " No - row . " It ...
... Wang made himself visible . Heyst was tempted to laugh at first . This practical comment on his affirmation that ... Wang's bearing suggested his being out of breath ; but he did not pant , and his voice was steady . 99 " No - row . " It ...
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Common terms and phrases
Alfuro arms asked believe boat breath bungalow chair Chinaman Chink Conrad course dark Davidson door doorway dream eyes face faint feeling fellow felt Flores Sea Ford Madox Ford frightened gaze gentleman girl glance gleam gone governor hand head heard Heyst hotel-keeper island Java Sea jetty JOHN BATCHELOR Jones Joseph Conrad Lena light lips looked Lord Jim Martin matter mean mind Morrison moved murmured mysterious never night Norman Sherry Nostromo Number once Pedro perhaps Ricardo round Samburan Schom Schomberg schooner secretary seemed seen shadow shoulders side sight silence smile sort sound Sourabaya speak staring stood strange suddenly surprised table d'hôte talk tell Tesmans There's thing thought tion told tone Tony Tanner turned understand verandah voice walked Wang Wang's watched wharf What's whispered woman wonder words Zangiacomo