Trauma

 

    "I found myself back in the sepulchral city resenting the sight of people hurrying through the streets to filch a little money from each other, to devour their infamous cookery, to gulp their unwholesome beer, to dream their insignificant and silly dreams. They trespassed upon my thoughts. They were intruders whose knowledge of life was to me an irritating presence, because I felt so sure they could not possibly know the things I knew." (Conrad 1052) 

    This excerpt takes place upon Milow's return to London from the Congo. During his time in Africa, he experienced many traumatizing events, such as the oppression of the Africans and an attack upon his steamboat in which his helmsman died at his feet. This journey left a deep impression upon him that lasted long after he had returned.     

    This passage reflects upon the interesting concept of trauma and its lasting effects. Things that once seemed normal are now completely foreign and even despised by Marlow. People performing ordinary actions such as eating and drinking, that should even bring comfort to him, are now described as "infamous" and "unwholesome." Comparing London to a sepulcher is also a sign of this. A sepulcher is a type of tomb in which a body is laid after death. By using this metaphor, Marlow is communicating that, like a sepulcher, London is pretty on the outside but contains something disturbing on the inside. London, once his home, is now viewed as a dark place with a shiny exterior. All of this paints a picture of a man so horrified by what he saw in the Congo that he will forever view life from a different lens and shows us that trauma can have permanent consequences.

Have you ever had an experience that has permanently changed your perspective?

Why do you think Marlow is so bothered by simple acts of other people?