The World Of Others--A Study Of Joseph Conrad's Female Characters

Joseph Conrad is a very important modernist writer at the turn of the 20th century. His writings are mostly based upon his personal experiences of the world as a polish nobleman, a sailor, and a writer in English. He is one of the writers most frequently commented upon. The perspective from which he is often criticized, however, is his portrait of women characters. Many even regard it a common sense that he is a misogynist without giving it a second thought.In this paper, I will try to have a bird-view of his major works of different periods to find the clue of his development either in his knowledge of women and in their literary presentation. The conclusion will be reached that he is not a misogynist. His women characters stand in moral opposition to their white male counterparts, and Conrad respects them for their faith in love. If he keeps women at a distance, it is his thematic choice. Women are portrayed as the center of the "Other" existence decrying men's moral deficiencies. Conrad sees the existential gap between men and women, and tries to leap over at genuine understanding of women, though the success is momentary and the gap never really closes. Conrad makes himself a bridge over the gap.