ABSTRACT
Lord Jim is arguably Joseph Conrad's most oblique narrative about British imperialism; a novel that enacts his ambivalence through the intricate rhetorical manoeuvres of his narrator Marlow. In Heart of Darkness, Marlow had criticized the divergence of colonial ideals and imperialist practice through the hybrid figure of Kurtz with his half-French, half-English origins, a German-sounding name and barely obscured allusions to the Belgian regime in the Congo. Bishop Creighton's lecture on The English National Character implied that it was in contradistinction to other European powers that England discovered its identity and superiority. More than geopolitical vicissitude, insularity was thus elevated to a national character epitomized by independence and individuality. Charles Pearson's sensational National Life and Character prophesied a gloomy future for the Anglo-Saxon race, stated its lack of suitability for tropical climes and dared contemplate the rise of the black races.
