Ruth L. Nadelhaft - Joseph Conrad

Ruth L. Nadelhaft - Joseph Conrad - L. Nadelhaft Ruth

From the outset of his writing career, this book argues, Conrad perceived women as vital to the moral and political thrust of this work. Close readings of key novels and tales reveals the complexity of female characters as well as their integration into a searching critique of Western religious, cultural and social values. New research into Conrad's early life contributes to a re-evaluation of his continuing use of his family background, especially in the middle novels, "Nostromo", "The Secret Agent" and "Under Western Eyes". Nadelhaft demonstrates that although Conrad was never a believer in the orthodox feminism of his time, he was, in his work, a strong advocate of fully developed female individuality and integrity. Highlighting this unorthodox support of women's rights, this book takes issue with established critical interpretations of Conrad which will have an important bearing on feminist literary inquiry.