Conrad's Narratives of Difference

Lissa Schneider-Rebozo is Associate Professor of English and Director of Undergraduate Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity at University of Wisconsin, River Falls, USA.

• Introduction: Not Exactly Tales for Boys 1. Iconography and the Feminine Ideal: Torches, Blindfolds, and the "true light of femininity" in Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim, The Rescue, and "The Return" 2. Plots and Performance: Conrad's "tricks with girls" in "Freya of the Seven Isles," Under Western Eyes, An Outcast of the Islands, and The Rescue 3. Colonial Occupations: Race and Gender in "An Outpost of Progress" and The Nigger of the "Narcissus" 4. Politics in the House: Genre, Narrative, and the Domestic Drama in The Secret Agent, Heart of Darkness, and Lord Jim Coda: Narrative, Femininity, Death

Honorable Mention, 2005, for the Adam Gillon Book Prize.'Schneider offers original readings of a number of Conrad’s works. Her thesis—that Conrad challenges hierarchical power in ‘fugitive ways’ through his depictions of difference, particularly gender--is a bold one since it contradicts the critical commonplaces that Conrad was a social conservative and a misogynist. Schneider makes a compelling case, one likely to prompt even the most traditional Conradians to reconsider their assumptions about Conrad and his work.' -Tom Henthorne, Studies in the Novel'The frequently quoted letters between Conrad and Garnett concerning Conrad’s intentions and methods are fascinating, and the book’s best feature, along with a clear direct approach.' -Lorrie Clark, English Literature in Transition, 1880-1920, Vol. 48, Num. 4