'A Pinch of Romance in the Commercial Kitchen'

Tropes of Transformation in Lord Jim

Abstract

This paper argues that the theme of colonial trade has been both suppressed and used as narratologically vital material in Conrad's story. The analysis focuses mainly on the second, for many aesthetically flawed part of the novel, and demonstrates that the "free and wandering" Patusan tale is a logical and inevitable reproduction of the commercial dynamics from where Jim departed with the cancellation of his certificate. This reproductive process is shown to have an impact on both the plot and the language of the novel. Jim's behaviour in Patusan is determined by various exchange mechanisms, during which his objective is to be recognized as a blameless man in return for his political services to the local native community. Languagewise, the tropes of the conversion and transformation (implicit in any process of trade), psychological renewal, or ethical improvement, are identified as symbol and allegory. It is through the interplay between these two rhetorical figures that Conrad exposes colonial dominance, forced trade and the limitations of personal reformation.