ABSTRACT
Though Lord Jim is not usually discussed as a realistic novel, its mimetic portrayal of Marlow and of Jim makes it similar to the works the authors have been examining. A full appreciation of these characters requires a psychological analysis. The opening chapters of the novel establish the implied author's moral perspective and his conception of Jim's character. Excepting the first four chapters, what the novel as a whole seems to be saying is that there is no absolute perspective available to man in this life. Every claim of certitude turns out to be an illusion. The first four chapters help, as does the dramatic quality of Marlow's narration, which seems clearly divisible at times into representation and interpretation. Marlow is a good observer; and he has, as a story teller, his own mimetic impulse which enables him to convey more than he can fully understand. Despite these protective devices, the implied author's conflicts result in certain confusions of effect.
