My Paper of Joseph Conrad's Stories

Zahra Nur Fadilah

180410140027

05/01/2015

The Symbols of The Darkness in Conrad’s Story “The Lagoon” and “An Outpost of Progress”

The stories of Joseph Conrad describe the darkness on each side. In “The Lagoon” the narrator describes condition the river as unclouded and dazzling place. As in the sentence “At the end of the straight avenue of forests cut by the intense glitter of the river, the sun appeared unclouded and dazzling, poised low over the water that shone smoothly like a band of metal”. It means that the place is full of happiness and good things. But the sentence contrast with the next sentence “The forests sombre and dull, stood motionless and silent on each side of the board stream”. Thus, in the different place the forests is described as place where gloomy and darkness things came from. Conrad wants to show us about darkness, death, crime, betrayal, and regret.

The darkness symbol in this story can be found in the sentence “They would have preferred to spend the night somewhere else than on this lagoon of weird aspect and ghostly reputation” it means that there was decayed influence who was given by some people who dislike Arsat. The same symbol also be found in Conrad’s story “An Outpost of Progress” in the sentence “cherished in his innermost heart the worship of evil spirits”. In the sentence “like the placid and impenetrable mask of an unjustifiable violence” that is the same illustration as in “An Outpost of Progress” “Makola, taciturn and impenetrable, despised the two white men”. Arsat, Makola, Kayerts, Charlier, and The Director like wear a mask which like with another. And hide his real face. The Director says "Look at those two imbeciles. They must be mad at home to send me such specimens. I told those fellows to plant a vegetable garden, build new storehouses and fences, and construct a landing-stage. I bet nothing will be done! They won't know how to begin. I always thought the station on this river useless, and they just fit the station!" but the director pointed kayerts for the post and pointed Charlier as second in charge. The Director wants to be a person who is appreciated, he wants people to consider him as a kind person. Kayerts also wear it. As Kayerts thinks “The idea that he would, perhaps, have to bury Carlier and remain alone, gave him an inward shiver”. So Charlier, while he thinks "That poor Kayerts; he is so fat and unhealthy. It would be awful if I had to bury him here". Same with Arsat who loves his brother. But he let his brother was killed by some poeple who chased him for get diamelen and make her to be his. Arsat same with Kayerts who like wear a mask for his needs. As if they have two sides in themselves. Arsat abusing his brother's kindness for get Diamelen. And on kayerts, his kindness to build his image. In order to be good friends with Charlier and work together with him. But, at the end Arsat was betraying his brother with comply his natural instinctive urge. Arsat puts more attention on his love life to a woman rather than on his love to his own brother. The proof is Arsat left his brother and brought Diamelen with him at the past. Kayerts, he did not intentionally kill his fellow, Charlier. However in that time, Kayerts gets trouble when he fights with Carlier, he has to decide between he is killed earlier by Carlier or he kills Carlier earlier. Similarly Arsat, who has to decide between his brother or Diamelen. His natural instinctive urge changes Arsat become another person. That action isn’t originate from himself. As if there is such things as ghosts. While he was telling about the past, he has realised that his brother as important as his lover. War and love are very important in Arsat’s life. In the sentence “...for where can we lay down the heaviness of our trouble but in a friend’s heart? A man must speak of war and of  love. You, Tuan know what war is, and you have seen me in time of danger seek death as other men seek life! A writting may be lost; a lie may be written; but what the eye has seen is truth and remains in the mind!”. His feeling and his mind can’t move from the past, but he thinks positive and optimist. Therefore, he can continue his life.

Arsat doesn’t have friend. Some people surrounding him don’t like him as strange person and Arsat proclaims that he was not afraid to live amongst the spirits that haunt the places abandoned by mankind. Therefore, he can only tell his feeling to The White Man. He afraid towards loneliness. He don’t want alone. As he says about his wife’s condition “Tuan, will she die”.

            Kayerts and Charlier don’t want see the situation, people in their around. As the illustration “They lived like blind men in a large room, aware only of what came in contact with them (and of that only imperfectly), but unable to see the general aspect of things”. They don’t want adaptation. They like people who don’t know about anything. As if they don’t have direction. They seem like children, they walked arm in arm.

            In the end of this stories the narrator describes that there are mist. The narrator wants to show us that the place is described as the mysterious place. That is tragic situation. When Arsat loved his brother, but he has left his brother, and choose Diamelen rather than his brother. That is signifying the darkness. The mist are described as death. That illustration as the situation which in the beginning are peace, light, and shine became dark, gloomy, quiet, and empty. The situation after Arsat finished tell about the past as “The stars shone paler as if they had retreated into the frozen depths of immense space”. As if Arsat retreats from crowd place into the dark place. “Then from behind the black and wavy line of the forests a column of golden light shot up into the heavens and spread over the semicircle of the eastern horizon”. It seems that Arsat has passed his past period which are dark, sombre. “The sun had risen. The mist lifted, broke into drifting patches.” that mist become symbol that there were two people who died for Arsat’s happiness, “vanished into thin flying wreaths; and the unveiled lagoon lay, polished and black, in the heavy shadows at the foot of the wall of trees”. It reveals that Arsat is lonely person. Since Arsat was left by Arsat’s brother and Diamelen, he does everything by himself. And Arsat also say “Many times, together, we had won races in that canoe. But we never had put out our strength as we did then—then, when for the last time we paddled together! There was no braver or stronger man in our country than my brother”. That is similar thing in Kayerts with Charlier. For example, “Kayerts and Carlier walked arm in arm, drawing close to one another as children do in the dark” in the end they killed one another. Arsat and Kayerts, their vision aren’t apparent. It seems that their vision are closed by their guilty sense.

But, there are different action  between two short stories. In “The Lagoon” the narrator ending the story by Arsat stood lonely in the searching sunshine; and he looked beyond the great light of a cloudless day into the darkness of a world of illusions. He wants see what there was behind which hid of his vision. But, he can’t see anything. He was missing both his brother and his lover. His mind is empty. He has lost his life’s passion. In “An Outpost of Progress” the narrator ending this story by Kayerts lost his way of unintentional killed Carlier. He saw a dark smudge, a cross-shaped stain, upon the shifting purity of the mist. He was hanging himself by a leather strap from the cross. It’s inversely with Arsat who can continue his life, Kayerts doesn’t know what he must to do after killed his friend. He thinks there is no room for him in this world. He feels himself useless. He can’t escape in custom law or criminal, insult by around people, and something bad happen to him because of deeds towards his friend.

 All of their action will draw them into the darkness. There isn't direction. As if they are blind people. There are the trust in Arsat’s self, but Kayerts doesn’t have it. Arsat is a optimist person. Hence, Arsat continue his life. Although, he doesn’t have anyone. But, he can tell his feeling to whiteman. Thus, this story show the conflict which can’t finish between Arsat and his brother; Kayerts and Carlier.