The Oppression of His Dream

"Ah! the river! His old friend and his enemy, speaking always with the same voice
as he runs from year to year bringing fortune or disappointment . . ." (104).
Joseph Conrad's Almayer's Folly (1895)

Points for Reflection

Joseph Conrad's Almayer's Folly (1895), chps. 5-8

1. does the general demeanor of either Dain or Nina change as a result of their relationship?
2. who wields the gaze of desire more often and more powerfully, Dain or Nina?  Or, do they employ it in equal measure?
3. what changing significations does Conrad apply to the word “savage”?
4. is the love and passion expressed by Dain that of a romantically experienced man?
5. consider Conrad's decision to hold back the details of Almayer's and Dain's dealings until they've been in cahoots for quite some time (52-53). Why the delay?
6. does Dain come across as a man of honor in this week’s reading?  Consider his actions and notions relative to trade, women, etc.
7. the narrator proves quite willing to assess openly characters like Babalatchi and Almayer—to pass judgment and offer commentary on their character.  Does this kind of commentary distract the reader?  Does it explain too much, or is it helpful?
8. does Almayer love his daughter, Nina?  Does she love him?  Upon what operational definition of “love” are you relying in answering this question?
9. the narrator characterizes Taminah as relatively unaware of her own latent desires, as largely ignorant of what lies buried within her own mind (72).  Is this characterization realistic? What triggers that transformation that leads Taminah er to better understand her layered psyche?
10. does the narrative thus far encourage us to sympathize with Taminah?
11. Almayer does not believe that his mind has become unhinged as a result of recent events.  Is he correct, or has he begun to show signs of mental instability?

Black and Violet (1923)
Wassily Kandinsky

Dr. Paul Marchbanks
pmarchba@calpoly.edu