Joseph Conrad’s Lord Jim - Perfection is not Possible Essay

As Huck’s parental figure, Jim has the obligation to serve as Huck’s moral compass, guiding him with his decisions. Jim is the closest thing to a father to Huck and it is his duty to protect him and guide him in the right direction. When Jim realizes that Huck had pranked him into thinking they got separated from each other in the fog, Jim tells Huck, “What do dey stan' for? I'se gwyne to tell you. When I got all wore out wid work, en wid de callin' for you, en went to sleep, my heart wuz mos' broke bekase you wuz los', en I didn' k'yer no' mo' what become er me en de raf'.

In addition to Jim's superstitious nature, throughout the novel he also demonstrates gullibility. A good example of this

    Literature is never interpreted in exactly the same way by two different readers. A prime example of a work of literature that is very ambiguous is Joseph Conrad's, "Heart of Darkness". The Ambiguities that exist in this book are Marlow's relationship to colonialism, Marlow's changing feelings toward Kurtz, and Marlow's lie to the Intended at the end of the story.

Now, Jim sees this in his father and swears to himself that he will never be the ¡°chicken¡± his father is. This leads to the decisions he makes in the movie, for example, going to the ¡°chicken¡± run to uphold his honor. He begins to take charge of his own life, being that strong man himself, going to the mansion with Judy to live on their own in order to not become like his father.

A main theme of this book, is the importance of living in the present, instead of dwelling on the past. Many of the characters in this novel carried a nostalgic perspective on life, and it influenced their attitude towards the present. It was very common for the characters to tell stories from their past. Jim often relates incidents in the present, to things that happened to him in the past. Jim is not the only one focusing on the past, however. For example, Peter, one of the Russian immigrants, has a very romanticized idea of the past, which causes him to have a depressed attitude towards the present. Jim observed this on one particular meeting, “Once, while [Peter] was looking at Ántonia, he sighed and told us that if he had stayed at home in Russia perhaps by this time he would have had a pretty daughter of his own to cook and keep house for him.” Peter allowed the idea of ‘what if I had...’ to interfere with his future. Because of the adults "what if" attitude, the teens of this novel have a sense of urgency in their lives. They witness how nostalgic the adults, and they themselves, are becoming, and come to a realization. The good days are the first to pass, and the most fleeting. Jim takes this as an excuse to be nostalgic on the past, a past he was not even there to witness. He looked at the wilderness of his new home, and fantasized about how wonderful it’s past was, “Beyond the pond, on the slope that climbed to the cornfield, there was, faintly marked in the grass, a great circle where the Indians used to ride. Jake and Otto were sure that when they galloped round that ring the Indians tortured prisoners, bound to a stake in the centre; but grandfather thought they merely ran races or trained horses there. […] The old figure stirred me as it had never done before.” Jim looks at the past with wonderment - it is a place that was much more ideal than his present. Unlike him,

Jim was also faced with loosing some people he was very close to cause of the Great Depression. His family friend died living in a terrible environment in the hoovervilles. Jim had to watch as loved ones around him died similar to many families that lived through the Great Depression. Unfortunately, Jim faced many hard times during this time in his life but in the end dealing with all the problems he faced made him stronger.

I can tell he is very defensive in his speech because he says “Lord Sugar with the greatest respect that’s an exaggeration”. Jim is trying to persuade Lord Sugar he is incorrect in his thinking. However, Lord Sugar is not taking what Jim has said into account. Even though Jim is trying to tell Lord Sugar he is wrong in his thinking, he still addresses Lord Sugar in a formal way, this is most likely because he feels threatened by Lord Sugar and knows he has the power to ‘fire’ Jim, this is due to the control Lord Sugar has over the contestants. So Jim knows he must consistently respect Lord Sugar, even though he can say what he wishes to. Jim uses a very anxious tone to say this quote; this suggests he is trying to cover up he has done something wrong. Jim accuses the other contestants, trying to get himself out of trouble, he knows that if he -takes the blame Vincent is more likely to take him back in to the boardroom. The word “exaggeration” means Lord Sugar is making a bigger deal out of a situation than it actually is. This could also suggest Jim is trying to show up Lord Sugar as someone who over-exaggerates.

Despite the grimness of their situation they have assured themselves that they will be rescued. Each character seems to have a particular mindset about their situation. The captain is slightly in shock from the loss of the ship, the cook is hopeful and positive to the point of arrogance, the correspondent is pessimistic, and the oiler is entirely concentrated on survival. The oilers attitude later becomes ironic as he is the only one to die at sea. Despite being in a rather hopeless situation, the characters have some expectation of rescue. Even so, the positive outlook of the cook seems to irk the correspondent somewhat during their

     Jim was brought up as a Methodist. He became quickly fascinated with the pulpit oratory. Vera Price, a childhood playmate remembers, ”He’d always be the preacher, standing up making sermons”(Axthelm 54). Even at the young age of seven Vera, recalls Jim’s speeches encouraging strict discipline. She remembers occasions when Jim was playing with other children and “he’d hit them with a stick and make them cry. He had a power that most boys don’t have”(Axthelm 54). As Jim matured into a young adult this internal power he possessed was not fully matured. In high school Jim was in the popular crowd, but never the leader of the pack. “Only in retrospect does anyone claim to have spotted seeds of the horror to come.’ I had a hunch something bad was going to happen to him,’ says a middle-aged man in Lynn. He was smart as a whip. But he had some strange ideas. He never fit in with the town. He was different”(Axthelm 54).

Marlow’s evolution renders ‘Heart of Darkness’ a remarkable work of literature, but it is not simply the budding of the narrator’s mind that makes the novel sensational. Marlow’s perception of the voyage is what truly renders the work exceptional. European expansion, as written by European writers, was generally cast in a positive light. When Conrad depicts the desolation of the journey and reveals the sanities and lives robbed through the conquest, he clearly does not conform to the writers of his time. This exposure of European expansion in such a sinister a fashion was innovative for writers of the late 17th century. This revolutionary perception is what truly allows ‘Heart of Darkness’ to be considered a novel rich in moral and detail.

When put oneself in Jim’s shoes in ‘Jim and the Indians’, the ethical choice demanded, is not an easy one. The different fundamentals that come into play perplex even the most morally upright.

Smith summarizes Jim’s morality by showing his willingness to help others and his want to achieve his desires. Thus, Jim enhances the topic of moral code by depicting how his hardships do not discourage him, but rather give him motivation to continue upholding his strong ethical principles. Conclusively, Jim plays the role of a guide for Huck during their journey, while also bringing questions of morality to Huck, affecting him in unfamiliar ways.

     From the start of the novel to the very end, descriptions of the Jim’s environment

Dangerous adventures can often turn a fearful young boy into a fearless young man which is shown in Treasure Island as Jim becomes a brave sailor of the seas. “It was on seeing that boy that I understood, for the first time, my situation. I had thought up to that moment of the adventures before me, not at all of the home that I was leaving; and now, at sight of this clumsy stranger, who was to stay here in my place beside my mother, I had my first attack of tears. I am afraid I led that boy a dog 's life, for as he was new

The two major themes of Heart of Darkness are the conflict between “reality” and “darkness,” and the idea of restraint and whether or not it is necessary. Conrad’s passage describing the restraint of the hungry cannibals exemplifies both themes:  It describes how reality shapes human behavior, and contrasts the characters of Kurtz and Marlow.  “Reality,” as it is used here, is defined as “that which is civilized.”