Joseph Conrad 1857-1924

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Joseph Conrad1857-1924
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Joseph Conrad1857-1924
Conrad was born Josef Konrad Nalecz Korzeniowski
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Joseph Conrad1857-1924
Conrad was born Josef Konrad Nalecz Korzeniowski Orphaned at 12 years old, educated at Cracow and in Switzerland
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Joseph Conrad1857-1924
Conrad was born Josef Konrad Nalecz Korzeniowski Orphaned at 12 years old, educated at Cracow and in Switzerland Ran away to join the French Merchant Navy at 17 Joined the British Merchant Navy just before his 21st birthday
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Joseph Conrad1857-1924
Conrad was born Josef Konrad Nalecz Korzeniowski Orphaned at 12 years old, educated at Cracow and in Switzerland Ran away to join the French Merchant Navy at 17 Joined the British Merchant Navy just before his 21st birthday Conrad held a number of assignments as a seaman, and eventually a Captain, during an 18-year career in the British Merchant Navy
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Joseph Conrad1857-1924
Conrad was born Josef Konrad Nalecz Korzeniowski Orphaned at 12 years old, educated at Cracow and in Switzerland Ran away to join the French Merchant Navy at 17 Joined the British Merchant Navy just before his 21st birthday Conrad held a number of assignments as a seaman, and eventually a Captain, during an 18-year career in the British Merchant Navy Conrad adopted British citizenship in 1886
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Joseph Conrad1857-1924
Conrad was born Josef Konrad Nalecz Korzeniowski Orphaned at 12 years old, educated at Cracow and in Switzerland Ran away to join the French Merchant Navy at 17 Joined the British Merchant Navy just before his 21st birthday Conrad held a number of assignments as a seaman, and eventually a Captain, during an 18-year career in the British Merchant Navy Conrad adopted British citizenship in 1886 In 1894 he decided to become a writer, and to write in English, rather than French or Polish
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Joseph Conrad1857-1924
Conrad was born Josef Konrad Nalecz Korzeniowski Orphaned at 12 years old, educated at Cracow and in Switzerland Ran away to join the French Merchant Navy at 17 Joined the British Merchant Navy just before his 21st birthday Conrad held a number of assignments as a seaman, and eventually a Captain, during an 18-year career in the British Merchant Navy Conrad adopted British citizenship in 1886 In 1894 he decided to become a writer, and to write in English, rather than French or Polish Conrad is seen as a quintessentially modern writer
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Conrad and Modernity
Conrads themes include critiques of the moral bankruptcy of modernity as revealed in the excesses of capitalist greed and colonial exploitation
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Conrad and Modernity
Conrads themes include critiques of the moral bankruptcy of modernity as revealed in the excesses of capitalist greed and colonial exploitation Conrad is not exactly a champion of the exploited, however his theme is more typically the degrading effect of greed and colonialism upon Europeans
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Conrad and Modernity
Conrads themes include critiques of the moral bankruptcy of modernity as revealed in the excesses of capitalist greed and colonial exploitation Conrad is not exactly a champion of the exploited, however his theme is more typically the degrading effect of greed and colonialism upon Europeans Conrads novels, including Heart of Darkness, are structured around mythical cores, especially the heros quest
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Conrad and Modernity
Conrads themes include critiques of the moral bankruptcy of modernity as revealed in the excesses of capitalist greed and colonial exploitation Conrad is not exactly a champion of the exploited, however his theme is more typically the degrading effect of greed and colonialism upon Europeans Conrads novels, including Heart of Darkness, are structured around mythical cores, especially the heros quest In this, they can be compared to Beowulf, Paradise Lost, and even, perhaps, to Gullivers Travels
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Conrad and Modernity
Conrads themes include critiques of the moral bankruptcy of modernity as revealed in the excesses of capitalist greed and colonial exploitation Conrad is not exactly a champion of the exploited, however his theme is more typically the degrading effect of greed and colonialism upon Europeans Conrads novels, including Heart of Darkness, are structured around mythical cores, especially the heros quest In this, they can be compared to Beowulf, Paradise Lost, and even, perhaps, to Gullivers Travels In Heart of Darkness, Conrads hero, Marlow, is radically alienated from his contemporary European society, but he doesnt act to change it this sense of alienation and helplessness in the face of the moral decline is also a characteristic feature of late modern fiction
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Conrad and Modernity
Although Conrads narratives clearly stem from his personal experiences, they are not exactly realist or autobiographical
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Conrad and Modernity
Although Conrads narratives clearly stem from his personal experiences, they are not exactly realist or autobiographical Conrads style is richly and complexly symbolic
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Conrad and Modernity
Although Conrads narratives clearly stem from his personal experiences, they are not exactly realist or autobiographical Conrads style is richly and complexly symbolic He makes his realistic narrative illuminate the moral and ethical contradictions of modernity that are just coming into historical focus during his lifetime
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• Biographical Facts
• b. 1857 in Poland
• Only child of Apollo and Ewa Korzeniowski,
  members of Polish aristocracy

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• 1861 father, intellectual, writer, and Polish
  patriot at a time when Poland was part of the
  Russian Empire Apollo arrested for revolutionary
  activities family is exiled to Russia harsh
  climate causes hardships and illness (TB)
• 1865 Conrads mother dies in Chernigov, Russia
  father, because of his own poor health, allowed
  to relocate with seven-year-old son in Austrian
  Poland

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• 1869 father and son move to Krakow, where Apollo
  dies eleven-year-old orphaned child becomes ward
  of mothers brother Tadeusz Bobrowski, apparently
  a kindly man

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Because doctors recommended a seaside environment
for Josephs health, he moved to France. As a
young man Conrad lived on his uncles funds and
made several sea voyages as a sailor.
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1874-77 Teenage Conrad goes to Marseilles, where
he enters French merchant marine during these
years he completes a number of voyages to the
Caribbean and in 1877 he may have engaged in some
gunrunning on behalf of Spanish rebels.
Marseilles, France
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1878 In February Conrad is presumed to have shot
himself in the chest, an incident that for years
was disguised as a duel. Was this a drastic
reaction to an unhappy love affair?
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• More adventuresat the age of 17 Conrad had
  signed on his first English shipserved on 18
  different vesselsworked up the ranks second
  mate, first mate, finally to captain
• In addition to smuggling guns, Conrad at one
  point had to run his ship aground to avoid
  capture for smuggling.

• Lost all his money gambling in Monte Carlo.

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• Lost all his money gambling in Monte Carlo

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1890 Conrad was in Belgium Congo as part of a
European trading company but left before the
year ended. He apparently was weakened by
malaria and his psychological and moral senses
were shaken by his witnessing the exploitation of
the natives in Africa
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Despondent about working opportunities and
earning small wages, Conrad began writing his
first novel Almayers Folly.
The book, which received favorable critical
notice, describes the turmoil and adventures of
his early years at sea.
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It is interesting to note that at this point in
his life Conrad was conversing daily in Polish,
writing letters in French, and thinking in
English as he worked on the manuscript of
Almayers Folly!
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Conrads middle years were peaceful and
relatively uneventful. In 1896 he married Jessie
George and the family rented a farm in Kent
(England). The Conrads had two sons Borys and
John.
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Apparently Conrad was not especially close to his
sons because of his aloof personality. Personal
troubles included bouts of severe illness as well
the anguish of writing. His writing was, however,
critically well received. Conrad supplemented the
family income by writing short adventure fiction
for popular magazines.