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Chapter 33
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Lord Jim, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Fantasy vs. Reality
Justice and Duty
Racism and Colonialism
Truth and Perspective
Summary
Analysis
Jewel continues to be skeptical of what Marlow tells her. Jim’s footsteps interrupt Marlow and Jewel’s conversation. Marlow shuffles away. Jim and Jewel greet each other in childish voices and Jim asks where Marlow went. He calls for Marlow. Marlow hears Jim but doesn’t turn back. Marlow begins to feel sentimental as he walks through the solemn nighttime Patusan.
The childish voices that Jim and Jewel use to greet each other represent the innocence of their love, while also suggesting a lack of maturity. Marlow seems to judge that Jim is happy, and his refusal to even acknowledge Jim’s call could be his way of choosing not to interfere in Jim’s life out of fear that any interruption might disturb Jim’s happiness.
Themes
Suddenly, Cornelius appears and interrupts Marlow’s peaceful mood. Cornelius looks like an ugly corpse being swallowed up in his suit. Marlow can tell Cornelius wants to tell him something and doesn’t resist. Marlow finds Cornelius’s ugly personality easier to bear since, to Marlow, Jim is the only one who matters, and since Jim seems to have mastered his fate, people like Cornelius are of no consequence.
Marlow’s assessment that Cornelius is a man of no consequence has some truth to it—certainly Cornelius hasn’t accomplished anything great in his life. Nevertheless, this passage will become significant, given events that happen near the end of the story.
Themes
Cornelius tells Marlow that he feels untouchable—even if he gave Jim a rifle, he can’t imagine Jim killing him. He paints himself as a victim and a very unhappy man. He explains that he’d have saved Jim if Jim had only paid the money, but Marlow replies that Jim has already saved himself and forgiven Cornelius. Cornelius, however, scoffs; he says Jim is a fool who has thrown dust in everyone else’s eyes. Eventually, however, Cornelius backs down and says he didn’t mean what he said about Jim; he hopes Marlow will forget he said anything.
Cornelius’s feeling of invincibility is a twisted image of Jim’s own near-legendary status in Patusan. Both of them are only mortal, and so they’re each deluded in their own way. Nevertheless, Cornelius is able to correctly identify how Jim himself is not as powerful as he seems. Cornelius only takes back his insult of Jim because he knows Marlow is an ally of Jim’s, and he doesn’t want Cornelius to tell Jim how Cornelius feels about him.
Themes
Cornelius asks Marlow to ask Jim for a favor. Marlow realizes that Cornelius feels entitled to some money from Jim as payment for his role in raising Jewel. In order to look less like an extortionist, Cornelius adds that he will happily take Jewel back whenever it becomes time for Jim to go home. Marlow holds back on answering long enough that Cornelius thinks Marlow is seriously considering the offer. At last, Marlow replies that it doesn’t matter, since Jim will never leave anyway. Cornelius expresses disbelief and gets angry again.
Cornelius seems to be serious about his offer—he thinks of humans like Jewel in such material terms that she is little more than a piece of property to be passed back and forth. Cornelius can’t imagine Jewel as anything more than an obligation. Marlow obviously doesn’t approve, having a better grasp on Jewel’s humanity, but Cornelius is deluded enough to believe that everyone thinks like he does.
Themes
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