Joseph Conrad was a Polish writer who is best known for his work in English literature and his use of the modernist style in his novels He was born in Ukraine in 1857 and had a turbulent upbringing due to his family’s loss of social standing and their migration from the Ukraine to Krakow during his youth. His writing often explores the inner conflicts of characters and the effects of imperialism and colonialism.
Conrad’s works provide interesting topics for essays as they feature multiple themes from psychology to philosophy. Here are five of the best topics for essays on Joseph Conrad:
1. An essay exploring the themes of guilt, shame and regret in ‘Heart of Darkness’.
The novel Heart of Darkness follows a trader, Marlow, who is assigned to work in the Congo and travels there to find his employer, Kurtz. Marlow's journey includes a harrowing journey upriver in which he confronts the effects of colonialism and is forced to confront his own feelings of guilt, shame, and regret. An essay exploring this could analyze how different characters in the novel cope with their guilt and how Conrad uses the themes to make a statement on the effects of colonialism.
2. A discussion of the theme of isolation in ‘The Secret Agent’.
The Secret Agent tells the story of a terrorist plot in London in the late 19th century and its effects on those involved. The novel explores the effects of isolation, both at a personal and political level, with characters such as Verloc, Winnie, and Chief Inspector Heat finding themselves isolated from their families and society. An essay discussing this theme could focus on how Conrad critiques the society of his time and how the characters in the novel struggle to cope with their isolation.
3. An examination of Conrad’s use of symbolism in ‘Nostromo’.
Nostromo is a political novel set in the fictional Latin American state of Costaguana. It follows the lives of several characters as they struggle with wealth, power, and ambition. Conrad's use of symbolism in this novel can be seen in the various characters and the various objects they possess, such as the silver mine at Sulaco. An essay discussing this could focus on the various symbols used by Conrad, the significance of these symbols, and the metaphors that can be drawn from them.
4. An analysis of the theme of loyalty in ‘Lord Jim’.
Lord Jim tells the story of a British mariner who is disgraced after abandoning his ship in distress. The novel explores the idea of loyalty in both personal and professional relationships, as Jim struggles to regain the trust of his former shipmates and establishes a new life. An essay looking at this theme could focus on the various forms of loyalty displayed by the characters, the costs of loyalty, and how loyalty affects the individual’s moral character.
5. A comparison of ‘Heart of Darkness’ and ‘The Secret Agent’.
The two novels Heart of Darkness and The Secret Agent both feature political subtexts and explore themes such as guilt, loyalty, and isolation. An essay comparing the two novels could focus on how the characters in each novel cope with their conflicts, how the themes are explored in each novel, and how Conrad’s style of writing impacts the reader’s interpretation of the texts.