Nostromo
A Tale of the Seaboard
Summary
Published in 1904, Joseph Conrad’s Nostromo is widely regarded as one of the greatest political novels ever written. Set in the fictional South American republic of Costaguana, it explores themes of greed, corruption, and the impact of capitalist exploitation on society. With its complex narrative structure and vivid cast of characters, the novel was recognized by Modern Library as one of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.
Plot
Set in the fictional South American country of Costaguana, Nostromo follows the political upheaval surrounding a valuable silver mine. Charles Gould, the mine's owner, supports the dictator Ribiera's government in hopes of bringing stability to the region. His actions, however, wind up sparking a new revolution led by General Montero. As Montero's forces approach, Gould entrusts Nostromo, a respected Italian expatriate, with smuggling a large silver shipment out of the country.
Nostromo, along with journalist Martin Decoud, sets off to transport the silver by boat. Their vessel is struck by revolutionaries, forcing them to hide the treasure on a remote island. Nostromo returns to Sulaco, where he becomes instrumental in saving the city from the rebels. Meanwhile, Decoud, left alone on the island, loses his sanity and takes his own life. Though Nostromo's heroics during the revolution are celebrated, he feels underappreciated and becomes consumed by resentment.
Corrupted by the knowledge of the hidden silver, Nostromo begins secretly recovering the treasure, piece by piece. His actions are complicated when a lighthouse is built on the island, threatening to expose his secret. Nostromo manages to have Giorgio Viola, whose daughter he is engaged to, appointed as the lighthouse keeper. One night, while attempting to retrieve more silver, Nostromo is mistaken for an intruder and fatally shot by Giorgio, bringing his tale of greed and betrayal to a tragic end.
Themes
• Political corruption and instability
• Imperialism and exploitation of resources
• Conflict between idealism and materialism
• Power and its corrupting influence
• Identity and alienation in a foreign land
• Class divisions and social inequality
• The destructive nature of greed and ambition
Setting
Set in the late 19th or early 20th century, Nostromo unfolds in the fictional South American country of Costaguana. This imaginary nation, likely inspired by Colombia, serves as a microcosm for the political and economic turmoil characteristic of many Latin American countries during that era. The story primarily focuses on the Occidental Province and its bustling port city of Sulaco, nestled between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
Sulaco, the heart of the narrative, is a town caught in the throes of rapid modernization. It is home to the San Tomé silver mine, a symbol of foreign investment and capitalist exploitation that drives much of the plot. The town's geography, with its natural harbor and mountainous surroundings, plays a crucial role in shaping the events of the novel, particularly during the political upheavals that form the core of the story.
Beyond Sulaco, Conrad paints a vivid picture of Costaguana's diverse landscape. From the coastal regions to the inland capital, the author creates a rich tapestry of environments that reflect the country's complex social and political dynamics. The fictional Great Isabel island, located in Sulaco's bay, becomes a pivotal location in the novel, serving as both a hiding place for the silver and a symbol of isolation and madness.
Characters
• Nostromo: Italian expatriate and charismatic leader of the dockworkers in Sulaco. His reputation for bravery and incorruptibility is tested when he is entrusted with a dangerous mission.
• Charles Gould: The English-descended owner of the San Tomé silver mine. His obsession with the mine's success drives much of the plot.
• Emilia Gould: Charles' wife, an altruistic and refined Englishwoman who becomes disillusioned with her husband's single-minded focus on the mine.
• Dr. Monygham: A misanthropic English doctor with a mysterious past, a long-time resident of Costaguana.
• Martin Decoud: A Europeanized Costaguanero journalist who becomes the intellectual force behind the province's independence movement.
• Giorgio Viola: An exiled Italian revolutionary who now runs an inn in Sulaco.
• Captain Mitchell: The English superintendent of the steamship company and Nostromo's supervisor.
• Don José Avellanos: The patriarch of a prominent Sulaco family and confidant of Charles Gould.
• Antonia Avellanos: Don José's educated and admired daughter, who is in love with Martin Decoud.
• General Montero: A military leader who overthrows the government, sparking the novel's central conflict.
• Colonel Sotillo: An opportunistic military commander obsessed with obtaining the silver from the San Tomé mine.
Quick facts
• Joseph Conrad wrote Nostromo in 1904, during a particularly productive period when he also published The Secret Agent and Under Western Eyes.
• The fictional country of Costaguana in the novel is believed to be based on Colombia.
• Conrad was inspired to write the story after hearing about a man who stole a boat full of silver in the Gulf of Mexico.
• The novel's title character, Nostromo, is an Italian expatriate whose real name is Giovanni Battista Fidanza.
• Nostromo was originally published in serial form in T.P.'s Weekly.
• F. Scott Fitzgerald once said he would rather have written Nostromo than any other novel.
• Nostromo was ranked 47th on Modern Library's list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.
• Director David Lean was planning to adapt Nostromo into a film before his death in 1991.
• In 1996, the novel was adapted into a BBC miniseries, starring Claudio Amendola and Colin Firth.
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• The spacecraft in Ridley Scott's film Alien is named Nostromo as a reference to Conrad's novel.
About the author
Joseph Conrad
Joseph Conrad is widely regarded as one of the greatest writers of fiction in the English language. Along with his narrative experimentation, he is known for his insightful explorations of the complexities of moral choice, the psychological toll of isolation, and man’s capacity for evil. His works include the novels Lord Jim (1900), Nostromo (1904), and The Secret Agent (1907) as well as the novella Heart of Darkness (1899), which inspired Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 film Apocalypse Now and continues to be analyzed and debated more than a century after its publication.
Born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski in 1857 in Russian-controlled Ukraine, Conrad left his native Poland as a young man and spent years as a sailor in the French and British merchant marines before settling in England and embarking on a literary career. He garnered critical acclaim for the richness of his prose, despite English being his third language after Polish and French. Along with drawing on his experiences at sea, his novels and short stories reflect his fascination with the hidden sides of human nature and often feature themes of imperialism, alienation, and corruption, both individual and societal.
For most of his life as an author, Conrad was plagued by poor health and financial struggles. He died in 1924 at his home in the southeast corner of England.