Essay on "Joseph Conrad's Karain and Katherine Mansfield's the Daughters of the Late Colonel"

Essay 3 pages (1002 words) Sources: 2 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Karain and the Daughters of the Late Colonel

Some pieces of literature are simply timeless. Among these might be counted the works of Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare. Although their settings are in a different time, populated with characters of different dispositions and status in life than contemporary people, they nonetheless include universal themes that appeal to readers even today. Poverty and love are but two of the general themes that might be found often in the works of these two authors. These themes provide the basis for connection and identification. Some authors do not achieve this sense of universal and timeless appeal. The question is, do "Karain" by Joseph Conrad and "The Daughters of the Late Colonel" by Katherine Mansfield fall into the category of timelessness? Perhaps the fact that these stories are still widely read answers the question. Specifically, I believe that there is a good balance between the specific, time-centered paradigm and the universal in order to provide readers with a fulfilling experience.

Karain by Joseph Conrad

Karain focuses on the time of colonialism, with Spanish conquistadores invading foreign islands and countries in order to expand the Spanish territory in the world. May dichotomies can be identified within this context: light and darkness, barbarianism and civilization, and reality and superstition. The Spanish from the "civilized" world represent reality and light, while the worlds they invade are dark and superstitious. Karain's story shows how the "barbarian" world begins to invade "civilization," rather than the other way around. The effect of the foreign environment upon the colonizers are depicted by Conrad's words:

There could be nothing outside. It was as if the earth had gone on spinning, and had left that crumb of its surface alone in space."

Perhaps the greatest point of non-identification in the story is the fact that the conquistadores assume the unseen natives as "enemies." This is not viewed as acceptable in the context of the human rights paradigm. Modern society has developed to the point where little is mysterious anymore. Colonizers have finally run out of land to conquer, and conquests have become obsolete. The colonizing paradigm and the assumption of natives as "enemies" could find a contemporary context in events such as the Iraq war. Countless civilians have died in the name of a "way of life" that is seen as superior in value and morality to others.

Superstition is another prominent theme in Conrad's story. Karain's wild tale is told with such fervor that it infects its listeners and by association the reader. Strictly speaking, the story does not hold much relevance in this context. The development of scientific and technological development precludes an unquestioning faith in the unexplained. Instead, the first reaction is not fear, but a wish to explore. This in turn relates to the conquistador paradigm of exploration. While the latter is physical, the former is mental - nonetheless, the sense of wonder and exploration in the human heart has not died, even with time and development.

Both superstition and… READ MORE

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