Abstract
During the First World War, Conrad believed himself peripheral to a transitional
historical moment. In November 1914, he wrote: 'the thoughts of this war sit on one's
chest like a nightmare. I am painfully aware of being crippled, of being idle, of being
useless with a sort of absurd anxiety' (CL 5, 427). In August 1915, Conrad felt the 'world
of 15 years ago is gone to pieces; what will come in its place God knows, but I imagine
doesn't care' (CL 5, 503). The political forces of nineteenth-century Europe that had
fashioned Conrad's literature, notably imperialism and nationalism, were undermined and
unleashed anew by the violence of the Great War and the uncertain legacy of the conflict.
Conrad closely observed Poland's fate throughout the war in his relationship with Polish
activist Józef Retinger, which inspired 'A Note on the Polish Problem' (1916) and 'The
Crime of Partition' (1919). While 1918 saw the political rebirth of Poland, antagonisms
provoked by the redrawing of Europe's historical boundaries made Conrad uneasy. On
Armistice Day, he wrote: 'The great sacrifice is consummated - and what will come of it
to the nations of the earth the future will show. I can not confess to an easy mind. Great
and very blind forces are set free catastrophically all over the world' (CL 6, 302).
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Joseph Conrad in Context |
Place of Publication | Cambridge |
Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
Pages | 155-162 |
Number of pages | 7 |
ISBN (Print) | 0521887922 |
Publication status | Published - Sept 2009 |
Keywords
- joseph conrad
- first world war