U kresu sił. (Ze studiów nad techniką artystyczną Conrada)

Abstract

THE END OF THE TETHER

The author discusses Conrad’s story, The End of the Tether, from the point of view of literary technique. The main point of the discussion is that according to all structural considerations the work is a compromise between a ¡novel and a short-story genre.

Both the beginning and the closing chapters are typical for a short story, but chapters II—XI are mainly based on a technique typical for a novel. This tension between the two different approaches is quite characteristic for Conrad’s writing on the whole. It is not an accident, nor lack of artistic ability, but a conscious device which makes Conrad’s works quite unique.

Other points discussed are: 1. the problem of the ,,no-plan” formula, which the author regards as a myth, and 2. Conrad’s concept of tragedy.