Victory Joseph Conrad's "Victory"

Joseph Conrad was born on December 3, 1857 in Berdichev, Ukraine (Joseph 2002). Despite his speaking English as a second language, Conrad would eventually become one of the most admired novelists writing in English. Orphaned at a young age due to the death of both parents from tuberculosis, Conrad lived in Krakow with his grandmother and uncle. Conrad showed little interest in formal schooling and joined the French merchant marines at the age of sixteen (Joseph 2002). It was during his life at sea that Conrad would experience the jungles and ocean voyages that would become settings for his greatest works like Heart of Darkness, Nostromo, and Victory. As one biographer maintains, "Conrad's voyages at sea would later inspire his stories" (Joseph 2002, 11). The theme in Victory and the character of Axel Heyst both demonstrate Conrad's existential belief that a man of moral sensitivity can still find faith in an often corrupt and insensitive environment.

In Victory we have a jungle setting and a hero who is similar to many Conrad heroes. Axel Heyst, like many of Conrad's heroes, is a white, liner who has isolated himself from society and civilization. Living in a primitive fashion, we are told of Heyst early on in the novel that Axel "was out of everybody's way, as if he were perched on the highest peak of the Himalayas, and in a sense as conspicuous" (Conrad 2003, 3-4). Heyst is a skeptical outsider and an idealist who we are told has "the sh

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ory" smile. This victory smile is the victory of the title. It is meant to symbolize that, even though the world is often corrupt and hostile, an individual who can reach out and have faith in others achieves some measure of victory, however small. Heyst's final words are illustrative of this point: "woe to the man whose heart has not learned while young to hope, to love and to put his trust in life!" (Victory 2003, 4). The title of the novel is important in other aspects. It also describes the life of Heyst. His life has been a victory because even though it is late his recognition saves him. This is particularly true as opposed to the evil and insincere other characters in the novel. While Heyst would prefer to be isolated and skeptical, there is some grain of decency and faith in him. This keeps him from shunning individuals and actually makes him into a Good Samaritan at times. Despite his pessimism, he cannot abandon human feeling like Schomberg, Mr. Jones, Pedro, or Ricardo. It was against the bleak backdrop of the outbreak of World War I that Conrad wrote the novel. In his notes to the first edition of Victory, he explains part of the inspiration for his final word of the work: "The last word of this novel was

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