3 Lord Jim and the structures of suicide
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Paul Wake
Abstract
This chapter revisits the idea of death as it has been set out in Derrida's reading of Heidegger, beginning by examining the numerous suicides that are found in Conrad's work before offering a close reading of what might be called ‘structures of suicide’ in Lord Jim. Following an explication of Blanchot's work on suicide that focuses on his formulation of the ‘double death’ and his contention that literary language is similarly ‘doubly negative’, this chapter considers the structural implications of suicide for narrative. This proceeds through an investigation into Conrad's biographers' attempts to narrate his supposed suicide attempt in 1898, an investigation that leads to the identification of similar narrative structures in Lord Jim.
Abstract
This chapter revisits the idea of death as it has been set out in Derrida's reading of Heidegger, beginning by examining the numerous suicides that are found in Conrad's work before offering a close reading of what might be called ‘structures of suicide’ in Lord Jim. Following an explication of Blanchot's work on suicide that focuses on his formulation of the ‘double death’ and his contention that literary language is similarly ‘doubly negative’, this chapter considers the structural implications of suicide for narrative. This proceeds through an investigation into Conrad's biographers' attempts to narrate his supposed suicide attempt in 1898, an investigation that leads to the identification of similar narrative structures in Lord Jim.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- Acknowledgements vi
- A note on the texts vii
- Preface viii
- Introduction 1
- 1 Marlow 16
- 2 Heart of Darkness and death 36
- 3 Lord Jim and the structures of suicide 66
- 4 Chance and the truth of literature 101
- Epilogue 128
- Bibliography 136
- Index 143
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- Acknowledgements vi
- A note on the texts vii
- Preface viii
- Introduction 1
- 1 Marlow 16
- 2 Heart of Darkness and death 36
- 3 Lord Jim and the structures of suicide 66
- 4 Chance and the truth of literature 101
- Epilogue 128
- Bibliography 136
- Index 143
