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Winnie Verloc and Heroism in The Secret Agent

Winnie Verloc's role in "The Secret Agent" has received little initial critical attention. However, this character emerges as Conrad's hero in this novel because she is an exception to what afflicts the other characters: institutionalism. In the first chapter, I discuss the effect of institutions on the characters in the novel as well as on London, and how both the characters and the city lack hope and humanity. Chapter II is an analysis of Winnie's character, concentrating on her philosophy that "life doesn't stand much looking into," and how this view, coupled with her disturbing experience of having looked into the "abyss," makes Winnie heroic in her affirmative existentialism. Chapters III and IV broaden the focus, comparing Winnie to Conrad's other protagonists and to his other female characters.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc500940
Date05 1900
CreatorsHenderson, Cynthia Joy
ContributorsMitchell, Giles R., May, Brian, Simpkins, Scott, 1958-
PublisherUniversity of North Texas
Source SetsUniversity of North Texas
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis or Dissertation
Formatiii, 84 leaves, Text
RightsPublic, Henderson, Cynthia Joy, Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

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