Conrad's style in An Outpost of Progress

[Ragnar Freund]

I don’t think I’ve ever read a literary work in which the author hates his protagonists so explicitly and venomously as Conrad does in An Outpost of Progress. Dickens hates his Heeps and Quilps, but he is fairly subtle about it. Conrad just tells you how stupid and mean Carlier and Kayerts are, and his hatred is direct and unmasked.

I’m ambivalent about that style. On the one hand, it adds force and zest to the story, and it makes its political and ideological statements more pronounced. On the other hand, it seems a bit lazy and a violation of the Show it, don’t tell it principle.

What do you think?

[OrphanPip]

I think part of the point is that Conrad sets out with treating them as typical caricatures of incompetent bureaucrats, he sets up certain expectations, because they are character tropes we are familiar with. We should be careful not to confuse them with sort of fully psychologically developed individuals, because they really aren't. They are representatives of civilization, of colonial authority, and are not really fleshed out.