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THE INFLUENCE OF NATURALISM ON THE WRITING OF JOSEPH CONRAD: A STUDY OF SELECTED NOVELS AND SHORT STORIES, 1895-1900

As Conrad began his writing career, the literary and intellectual naturalism of the late nineteenth century influenced him both directly through contact with particular works and authors and indirectly through subtle inspiration from general ideas and the Zeitgeist. The writer's fictional development from Almayer's Folly to Lord Jim reflects an integration of naturalistic ideas and characteristics into a growing complexity of content and style. As his thematic concerns evolved, the novelist devised modern fictional schemes for juxtaposing concepts from intellectual naturalism to other philosophical perspectives associated with romanticism, symbolism, and impressionism. / The naturalistic objectivity of Conrad's early narratives in Almayer's Folly (1895), An Outcast of the Islands (1896), and Tales of Unrest (1898) develops into the complex subjectivity of his literary impressionism in Heart of Darkness (1899) and Lord Jim (1900). The writer's employment of naturalistic literary characteristics and intellectual ideas also progresses from a simple application in Almayer's Folly into an intricate integration with other stylistic and philosophical concerns in Lord Jim. Conrad's incorporation of naturalism in Heart of Darkness and Lord Jim strengthens the antithetical tensions between human ideals and instinctual forces, creating the moral ambiguity that establishes the two novels as significant works of modern literature. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-07, Section: A, page: 2344. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_74875
ContributorsKEARIN, MARY ELLEN., Florida State University
Source SetsFlorida State University
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeText
Format181 p.
RightsOn campus use only.
RelationDissertation Abstracts International

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