| In light of the French philosopher Michel Foucault’s power and discourse theories, the thesis is intended to anatomize Lord Jim which confirmed Joseph Conrad’s place as one of the pioneers of English modernism in a detailed and comprehensive way.Foucault’s power theory discusses from the point of history how a subject, under specific social relations, yields to and resists the panopticon-like disciplinary power. His discourse theory mainly focuses on the institutional basis of people’s discourses, the opinions included in their discourses, and on analyzing the practices which have been presupposed by these discourses. In Lord Jim, Conrad himself holds a pessimistic view towards the world and thinks the civilization serves only to power and desire. Between the textual lines of Lord Jim, pervade the imperialist and racist hegemonic power, discourse and their impact on the subjects. Overall, Foucault’s theory fits Conrad’s world view and the themes of this novel, is fully operational, and provides a relatively new perspective for interpreting this novel.This research aims to analyze the application of techniques of disciplinary power in Lord Jim and the most representative characters’ discourse practices; reveals the condition of the pilgrims on Patna and the that of the natives in Patusan, repression on them from the disciplinary power, classification and examination on Jim, and Jewel’s courageous revolt; tries to get the conclusion that imperialist power and hegemonic culture and discourse have disrupted the harmony of society and hindered the sound development of the personal character; it is suggested that divergence be the prerequisite of the existence of society and the whole society should not speak with merely one voice; only when everyone keeps his or her own discourse rights and has full freedom to make their voice heard, can a society’s stability, sound development, and people’s harmonious coexistence be realized and guaranteed. |
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