An Outcast of the Islands

Born in Poland,Conrad(1857-1924) joined the French navy at the age of 17 and finally settled in England in 1894.Written in the author's third language,AN OUTCAST OF THE ISLANDS was Conrad's second novel and it confirms the early importance of the themes of alienation,power and betrayal which resurface in later works such as NOSTROMO and THE HEART OF DARKNESS.In AN OUTCAST OF THE ISLANDS,Willems,a company clerk,betrays the confidence of his employes and finds himself publicly shamed.Seeking to start afresh,he moves to a distant trading post but ironically finds himself at the others' dishonesty.