Joseph Conrad 1857-1924

Joseph Conrad1857-1924

Conrad and Modernity

Biographical Facts… • b. 1857 in Poland • Only child of Apollo and Ewa Korzeniowski, members of Polish aristocracy

1861 father, intellectual, writer, and Polish patriot at a time when Poland was part of the Russian Empire; Apollo arrested for revolutionary activities; family is exiled to Russia; harsh climate causes hardships and illness (TB) • 1865 Conrad’s mother dies in Chernigov, Russia; father, because of his own poor health, allowed to relocate with seven-year-old son in Austrian Poland

1869 father and son move to Krakow, where Apollo dies; eleven-year-old orphaned child becomes ward of mother’s brother Tadeusz Bobrowski, apparently a kindly man

4 Because doctors recommended a seaside environment for Joseph’s health, he moved to France. As a young man Conrad lived on his uncle’s funds and made several sea voyages as a sailor.

3 1874-77 Teenage Conrad goes to Marseilles, where he enters French merchant marine; during these years he completes a number of voyages to the Caribbean and in 1877 he may have engaged in some gunrunning on behalf of Spanish rebels. Marseilles, France

1878 In February Conrad is presumed to have shot himself in the chest, an incident that for years was disguised as a duel. Was this a drastic reaction to an unhappy love affair?…

More adventures…at the age of 17 Conrad had signed on his first English ship—served on 18 different vessels—worked up the ranks: second mate, first mate, finally to captain… • In addition to smuggling guns, Conrad at one point had to run his ship aground to avoid capture for smuggling. • Lost all his money gambling in Monte Carlo.

Lost all his money gambling in MonteCarlo

*1890 Conrad was in Belgium Congo as part of a European trading company but left before the year ended. He apparently was weakened by malaria and his psychological and moral senses were shaken by his witnessing the exploitation of the natives in Africa

Despondent about working opportunities and earning small wages, Conrad began writing his first novel Almayer’s Folly. The book, which received favorable critical notice, describes the turmoil and adventures of his early years at sea.

It is interesting to note that at this point in his life Conrad was conversing daily in Polish, writing letters in French, and thinking in English as he worked on the manuscript of Almayer’s Folly!

Conrad’s middle years were peaceful and relatively uneventful. In 1896 he married Jessie George and the family rented a farm in Kent (England). The Conrads had two sons: Borys and John.

Apparently Conrad was not especially close to his sons because of his aloof personality. Personal troubles included bouts of severe illness as well the anguish of writing. His writing was, however, critically well received. Conrad supplemented the family income by writing short adventure fiction for popular magazines.

Joseph Conrad 1857-1924