Come One, Come All

"The men said 'My dere fellow,' and did nothing. Then- would you believe it?- I tried the women. I, Charlie Marlow, set the women to work- to get a job. Heavens!" (Conrad 11)

"It's queer how out of touch with truth women are. They live in a world of their own, and there has never been anything like it, and never can be" (Conrad 17)

Marlow mentions women a few times in his story about the "snake river". First women help him. His aunt has connections that bring Marlow to the attention of the right people who thence appoint Marlow to skipper on a steamboat. Marlow is astonished with himself for working with women. It seems like a last resort for him that he did not expect to succeed.

Again Marlow mentions women before he departs on the steamboat. After his aunt gives an opinion Marlow questions a woman's view. He dismisses women for living in a world of their own.

Marlow takes aid from women but does not directly acknowledge their importance. Women are simply present in the world of trade and men. From these illustrations of women and the encounter at the trade company office (Conrad 13) what is Conrad trying to say about women in the time? Were they helpful, under-recognized, and bright? Or were they illusioned and caught up in trading companies?

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Comments

[Emma J.]

I feel like a woman's stereotype at the time of being elegant parallels with the roles of the Europeans, who cover their brutality towards the natives with elegance. The European sailers act oblivious to their harm towards the native and focus only on wealth. This also goes back to the oil painting of the blind-folded woman who is "blinded" from the cruelty in the natives' land.