Joseph Conrad's Karain and Katherine Mansfield's The Daughters of the Late Colonel

Karain and the Daughters of the Late Colonel

Some pieces of literature are simply timeless. Among these might be counted the works of Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare. Although their settings are in a different time, populated with characters of different dispositions and status in life than contemporary people, they nonetheless include universal themes that appeal to readers even today. Poverty and love are but two of the general themes that might be found often in the works of these two authors. These themes provide the basis for connection and identification. Some authors do not achieve this sense of universal and timeless appeal. The question is, do "Karain" by Joseph Conrad and "The Daughters of the Late Colonel" by Katherine Mansfield fall into the category of timelessness? Perhaps the fact that these stories are still widely read answers the question. Specifically, I believe that there is a good balance between the specific, time-centered paradigm and the universal in order to provide readers with a fulfilling experience.

Karain by Joseph Conrad

Karain focuses on the time of colonialism, with Spanish conquistadores invading foreign islands and countries in order to expand the Spanish territory in the world. May dichotomies can be identified within this context: light and darkness, barbarianism and civilization, and reality and superstition. The Spanish from the "civilized" world represent reality and light, while the worlds they invade are dark and superstitious. Karain's story shows how the "barbarian" world begins to invade "civilization," rather than the other way around. The effect of the foreign environment upon the colonizers are depicted by Conrad's words:

There could be nothing outside. It was as if the earth had gone on spinning, and had left that crumb of its surface alone in space."

Perhaps the greatest point of non-identification in the story is the fact that the conquistadores assume the unseen natives as "enemies." This is not viewed as acceptable in the context of the human rights paradigm. Modern society has developed to the point where little is mysterious anymore. Colonizers have finally run out of land to conquer, and conquests have become obsolete. The colonizing paradigm and the assumption of natives as "enemies" could find a contemporary context in events such as the Iraq war. Countless civilians have died in the name of a "way of life" that is seen as superior in value and morality to others.

Superstition is another prominent theme in Conrad's story. Karain's wild tale is told with such fervor that it infects its listeners and by association the reader. Strictly speaking, the story does not hold much relevance in this context. The development of scientific and technological development precludes an unquestioning faith in the unexplained. Instead, the first reaction is not fear, but a wish to explore. This in turn relates to the conquistador paradigm of exploration. While the latter is physical, the former is mental - nonetheless, the sense of wonder and exploration in the human heart has not died, even with time and development.

Both superstition and colonization form both points of departure and points of connection with today's reader. Superstition relates to the sense of exploration and the hunger for knowledge in the contemporary human heart. The themes of light and darkness in the modern context has developed to signify knowledge and ignorance - the former being banished by knowledge like shadow by light. In this way, the main themes of the story take on a symbolic significance for the contemporary world, and remains relative to the paradigm of the universal reader.

The Daughters of the Late Colonel by Katherine Mansfield.

Like Conrad, Mansfield includes a strong sense of the supernatural in her story. At one point, the daughters visit their departed father's room. They become very frightened when they sense their father's presence, with Josephine even feeling that the father is in a specific drawer, watching them. This provides little ground for connection, as it is likely to make the reader laugh rather than feel jitters.

In Mansfield's story, there is also a strong focus on propriety. The sisters decide for example to dye their dressing gowns black. They are also very concerned with the specific rituals of the funeral, and how to conduct their lives properly afterwards. Today, rituals such as those for weddings, funerals, dinners and the like take a less prominent position in society as a whole. Indeed, people tend to be less formal in the world of long work hours and fast food.

The elements of superstition and etiquette therefore take a less important position in society today, and form elements of non-identification with the story. The story is however relevant in terms of the parent and his effect on his daughters. The modern reader may for example be shocked and saddened by the ignorance of the daughters. The father as it were forces his daughters to live a life of isolation in providing for his care. The effect of this is that they do not know how to socialize or meet men. Constantia speculates that they might have married had their mother lived.