| Joseph Conrad is acclaimed as one of the most outstanding British writers of the twentieth century. As a writer in the period of transition, this acute man with wide field of vision never ceases to show his solitude for the times and society. He strives to reflect the new reality with new art form.Lord Jim is considered as a masterpiece of Conrad's works. By profound moral significance, minute psychological descriptions and unique narrative techniques, Conrad passes his judgments on the human life and the contradiction of human nature in the plot which is not so complicated. The appearance of this novel arouses the interest of a lot of critics. Conrad's innovative narrative techniques become the key point of criticism. In the study of its themes, Chinese critics tend to regard Conrad as a moralist and analyze the novel from the angle of morality. Absorbing the theories of psychoanalysis and phenomenology etc, the western critics have conducted systematic criticism of Lord Jim and widened the research of this novel. However, there has as yet been no detailed studyof the theme of Lord Jim in the light of existentialism. Existentialism aims at therexploration of human condition. It maintains absurdity and alienation man experiences, man's self-discovery in the world, and interpersonal relationship man demands. The issues Conrad explores in his fiction share affinities with those the existentialists elucidate. So the object of my study is to expound the theme of Lord Jim in terms of existentialism. Such a study brings out the full scope of Conrad's art and interpretations of Lord Jim. At the same time, it reflects Conrad's existential evaluation of human life and philosophical exploration into the ultimate meaning of human existence.My thesis consists of four parts.Chapter one deals with the relationship between Conrad and existentialism: section one provides a brief introduction to some theory preliminaries of existentialism, focusing on the notions and terms to be used in the thesis; section two relates the affinities between Conrad and the existentialists in their concerns about human living condition in detail.Chapter two centers on Conrad's exploration of man's existence in the world: section one reveals Conrad's perception of the absurd world and human existence. Thisabsurdity lies in the basic discord in the relationship between man and the universe. As a physical part of the world, man cannot escape this absurdity; section two relates alienation that is induced by the indifferent and absurd world. Alienation various characters experience in Lord Jim shows man cannot escape the alienating force from the world. What Conrad explores in Lord Jim is also the expressions of the themes of existentialism.Chapter three deals with Conrad's preoccupation with Jim's self -discovery: section one reveals Jim's inauthentic self determined by external forces; section two depicts the process of Jim's self-discovery out of his personal conscience; section three reveals the achievement of Jim's authentic self though it is short-lived. Conrad's presentation of authenticity shows man's positive attitude towards his struggle of the absurd world, which is also the credo of existentialism.Chapter four centers on Conrad's presentation of interpersonal relationship: section one relates the relationship between Jim and Jewel; section two reveals the relationship between Jim and Marlow. It illustrates the positive interpersonal relationship is key to self-transcendence, which shares the affinities with the relevant theories, of existentialism.Based on the above four chapters, the conclusion of this thesis arrives at: in Lord Jim, Conrad reveals the absurdity of the world and the human condition as well as alienation man experiences. At the same time, Conrad existentially reveals that, man is his own source of transcendence. Through man's resolute moral efforts to create his own authentic self, Man has the potential to overcome the world that induces feelings of alienation and absurdity and to fashion his own private...
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