A Structuralist Analysis of Conradian Narrative in The Nigger of the ‘Narcissus’

Abstract

Conrad, as a novelist, not only endeavored to delve into human being’s mental world and innate nature, but also laid enormous stress on the form of fiction and the innovation of writing techniques. The Nigger of the ‘Narcissus’, an important landmark at the beginning of Conrad’s major phase, is Conrad’s first experiment in methods of descriptive rendering. Besides, the whole story is told by the crewman-narrator but there is evidently a combination of authorial and personal narrative. Moreover, the intricate interaction of changes in perspective and distance, which often attracted attention and interest from critics and readers alike, serve to enhance the thematics of solidarity and work ethic and the aesthetic value of this novel.
Key words: Conradian narrative; Perspective and distance; The use of FID; Prolepsis