"An Outpost of Progress" by Joseph Conrad tells the story of two Belgian colonists, Kayerts and Carlier, who are sent to run a trading station in Congo. It appears that they are incapable of the situation there, which leads them to the bitter end: In a fight Kayerts kills Carlier and eventually he himself desperately commits suicide by hanging himself on a cross that is built "some distance away" (p. 10, l. 17) from the buildings of the station. The cross marks the first agent's grave who had died of fever.
Analysing the symbolic meaning of the cross, you would certainly begin with the Christian meaning. But since nobody of the main characters, neither the colonists nor the director Makola, admit themselves to the Christian belief, this interpretation is neglectable. The only analogy would be the agents aim to civilize the trading-station which reminds of missionaries, who tried to convert people in foreign countries to their faith.
The cross as a symbol of death seems to lead to more insights: In the beginning of the short story the reader gets to know that the first agent of the trading station is burried next to the buildings. This seems to be a forecast of Kayerts and Carliers destiny. The next appearance of the cross is when Carlier replants it because it was "much out of the perpendicular" (p.10, l. 17). Again, it is a forecast of the collision between him and Kayerts - Carlier is going to be the next to die.
When the armed strangers arrive at the station and linger around the grave and point "understandingly at the cross" (p.20, l. 26), Kayerts and Carlier become aware of the fact that they are living in dangerous conditions. In this case the cross symbolizes danger and again has a very negative meaning for the Belgians.
In the end Makola faces "Kayerts, who was hanging by a leather strap from the cross" (p. 37, l. 38).
So in my opinion, symbolizing death and the forecast of Kayerts and Carliers doom is the most suitable interpretation of the cross.
2) Analyse the symbolic meaning(s) of the cross in Conrad's short story.
postet by schwaermerin Labels: Meaning of the Cross, Outpost of Progress
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1 comments:
there is no admit oneself (no, that's not true, you can say: he admitted himself to the psychiatric ward of the hospital"). I think you mean: to adhere to?
forecast = weather, in literature, it is foreshadowing
Good points, and very well organized. Still, don't forget that a symbolic meaning is always geared towards the reader: For us, a cross is the symbol of Christianity, whether we believe in a Christian god or not. And colonialism is very closely tied to missionaries: Jesuit priests were very often the first to establish permanent Western settlements in all parts of the world. So I see it as a symbol both of death and of the colonial enterprise in all its hypocrisy.
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