The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1921-06-09
JOSEPH CONRAD

JOSEPH CONRAD
| At the last meeting of the Faculty
Club it fell to Miss Emma Stevning
to give the members glimpse into
the life and work of Joseph Conrad.
, This she did in the following language.
Only portion is given.
1t is but very recently that Joseph
Conrad has gained the distinction of
being one Of England's best novelists.
But why do we say England for his
real name is Teodor Joseph Conrad
Korzenionski, and that alone would
seem to indicate that England was not
his native land. Well it was not. He
was born in South Poland. His moth
err was exiled to Siberia, and died
while Conrad was still lad; his faith
err was revolutionist, and died i'm
prisoned for the cause of justice. Left
thus alone he had to shift more or less
for himself, and as result gave way
to his intense desire for the sea and
became sailor. After twenty years
of sailing, he settled in London where
he began his literary career in earnest.
During his life as sailor he had
studied languages, and became mas
ter of many. He chose however to
write in English and this together
with his final decision to reside in Lon
don, gives England the right to claim
him as her own.
youth" is somewhat autobiography
ical of the authors own career; 1T IS
not distinctive because of the trend OF
events in the story, but because OF
the way in which it is told, and be-
cause Of the profound philosophy
! which he unconsciously reveals re-
garding the spirit of youth. His pow
err of expression is marvellous, he en-
chants his readers and carries them
along with him as utterly oblivlous to
all that is external as ship floating
upon undisturbed waters. The story
tells of the trials on the sea IN the
days before we had steam and the
eagerness of a youth to withstand all
that the most hardened sailors might
withstand in order that some day ne
should himself be able to assume the
responsibility of boat. While at sea
the boat catches fire because OF spon-
taneous combustion and the sufferings
of the crew during the time seem i'm
measurable. Finally, the entire crew
escapes on small boats and RATS. A
large boat from afar, seeing the dis
tressed ship, approaches with the
thought of rescuing the crew, but the
skipper refuses, because he says they
must see the last Of their boat. The
large boat because it carries mail can
not tarry and the crew is left. just
this small incident gives the reader
the sensation of utter Encouragement,
but as the story moves, he becomes de-
LIGHTED with the fact that the. crew
was not picked up. "Youth" is in one
of the small boats his first command.
and with his two men pulls the boat
into the harbor of the East before any
of the rest of the crew. In telling OF
this he says, II remember the drawn
faces. the detected figures of my two
; men, and l remember my youth ana
the feeling that will never come back
TO me any more-the feeling that l
could last forever, outlast the sea, and
ali men; the decetful feeling that
hires us on to joys, to perils, to love
to vain effort-to death; the trlpmpn.
ant conviction of strength. the heart
of life in the handful OF dust, the glo"
in the heart that with every year
grows dim, grows cold, grows smah'
and expires-and expires too soon
before life itself"
Miss Stevning next gave synoptlc
outline of the novel "Nostromo" Weave
ing into her review the high points Oh
In concluding Miss Stevning; said
that "there is in Conrad's works no
description of any emotion, but he
writes in such a way that, ne MAKES
the reader feel it. Another thing
which greatly enhances the power OF
his writing is the repetition Of certain
phrases. :. +. His English is always
perfect even in the conversation OF
the most uneducated.
"Conrad is at his best in relating IN
cidents as the story of Youth and the
history of the treasure in 'Nostromo.'
His stories have no real plots, but are
so rich in marvellous description and
interesting incidents that once per-
son becomes interested in his style
he Graves for more"