Light and Shadow in "The Lagoon" by Conrad

Abstract

The works of British writer Joseph Conrad are usually full of sharp contrast in vision, and he is also famous for his symbolic scenery depiction, which often changes and directly reflects the characters’ inner thoughts. His writing skills are intensely employed in his short story titled “The Lagoonâ€. In this novel, large passages deal with the scenery in Malaysia where the intersection of light and shadow are described at great length. However, few studies focused on this work before. In this paper, through the analysis of all the contradictory parts about light and dark, the different psychological states of the two protagonists, the white man and Arsat, are deeply revealed, showing Conrad’s profound reflection into human’s inner world and his superb narrative skill.