Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 1991. British and American Philologycal Studies (Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 20)

Katalin Grezsu: Psychological Implications in Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim

30 The first picture we have of Jim is of a very simple but honest young man. As Conrad characterized him: 'He was spotlessly neat, apparelled in immaculate white from shoes to hat,*. The choice of words is not accidental here. Conrad uses the words 'spotlessly' and 'immaculate' very consciously. The fact that Jim always wore white clothes is emphasized several times throughout the whole novel. This might symbolize his honesty, naivity and moral cleanness, but at the same time it is in contradiction with Jim's actions. Jim originally came from a parsonage, which is very important, as he, a son of a parson had high moral principles to which he was always true. Then the question rises: why and how could a man with a stable personality, constructive will and high moral principles leave Iiis ship and men to their destruction? What made him come to a decision that was so unlike him? One possible answer can be found in the power of the crowd. Man, as an individual can think and decide consciously. But however educated or intelligent someone is, one's mind deteriorates and dissolves in the crowd, because the crowd is unconscious and in it uncontrollable instincts take over the power in man. As Béla Hamvas writes, The group is feeling and acting as one soul.'^ While the individual's actions are conscious, clear and sensible, the unconscious actions of the crowd are confused, blind and dim. If human existence becomes dominated by the crowd it blurs and declines. And whenever the crowd takes the upper hand the result is always negative. The individual becomes part of the crowd, and if he fails to overcome becoming an annihilated part of the crowd, he becomes primitive, dominated by instincts. This is what happened to Jim, too. At the crucial point of the novel Jim is unable to decide. His individuality and consciousness disappear in the crowd. He relates it to Marlow in the following way: 'I could hear them knocking about, down there, and a voice as if crying up a shaft called out 'George'. Then three voices together raised a yell. They came to me separately: one belated, another screamed, one howled. Ough!'^ And Jim cannot get rid of the influence of the crowd. 'I heard as if I had been on the top of a tower another wild screech, 'Geo-o-o-orge! Oh, jump!'^ Although Jim loses control only for a couple of seconds, this will influence the rest of his life. Jim is Conrad's Hamlet, but while Shakespeare's figure is indecisive till he is convinced by his father's ghost, and then becomes active, Jim is indecisive only for one moment, and then becomes passive, waiting for his destiny. The only thing he actively takes part in is Iiis own death, which can be understood as a queer way of committing