Nostromo - Joseph Conrad

Summary

"Nostromo" is set in the fictional South American country of Costaguana, specifically in its wealthiest province, Sulaco, during a period of intense political instability and revolutionary upheaval. The novel centers on the San Tomé mine, owned by Anglo-American Charles Gould, whose immense silver wealth becomes both the engine of Sulaco's modernization and the catalyst for a series of destructive civil wars. As various factions vie for power and control over the silver, the story explores themes of materialism, idealism, political corruption, and the tragic isolation of individuals caught in the crosscurrents of history. The titular character, Nostromo, a charismatic Italian "Capataz de Cargadores" (foreman of the stevedores), is renowned for his bravery and incorruptibility. He is entrusted with a crucial task: to smuggle a vast treasure of the mine's silver out of Sulaco to prevent it from falling into the hands of approaching rebel forces. However, a series of events leads to the silver's loss and Nostromo's subsequent descent into a secret life of theft and moral decay, ultimately highlighting how even the most reputable individuals can be corrupted by the allure of wealth and power. The novel paints a vivid, often cynical, picture of political progress, showing how noble intentions can be undermined by human greed and the inherent flaws of society.

Book Sections

Section 1

The novel opens by introducing the fictional South American country of Costaguana and its prosperous province, Sulaco, a developing port city influenced by European capital and industry. The most significant enterprise is the San Tomé mine, owned and managed by Charles Gould, an English-born aristocrat whose family has a long, troubled history with the mine and the country. His father had tried to develop it but was thwarted by corrupt governments, eventually dying brokenhearted. Charles, educated in Europe, returns to Sulaco with his idealistic wife, Emilia, determined to make the mine a success and, in doing so, bring stability and progress to Costaguana.

Sulaco is portrayed as a microcosm of South American political turmoil. It's a place where short-lived governments rise and fall, and revolutions are a constant threat. The mine's immense silver wealth, while bringing prosperity and infrastructure (like the railway managed by Captain Mitchell), also becomes a magnet for greed and conflict. The Goulds are central figures, but they are increasingly isolated by the very success they create. Charles becomes consumed by the mine, viewing it as a force for good, almost an ideal in itself, to the detriment of his personal life and his wife's happiness. Emilia, more sensitive and observant, recognizes the destructive power the silver holds over everyone, including her husband.

We are also introduced to several other key characters who populate Sulaco: Dr. Monygham, a cynical and embittered English doctor with a dark past; Captain Mitchell, the loyal, somewhat pompous English general manager of the railway; Don José Avellanos, a revered historian and idealist, devoted to the progress of Costaguana; and his fiercely patriotic niece, Antonia Avellanos. The political situation is volatile, with the current "Ribierist" government, supported by foreign interests and the Goulds, facing imminent collapse from a new, more radical revolution led by the populist Montero brothers.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
Charles Gould	English-born, aristocratic, intelligent, determined, idealistic, detached, obsessed.	To make the San Tomé mine a success, bring stability and progress to Costaguana, atone for his father's failure.
Emilia Gould	Compassionate, insightful, sensitive, lonely, elegant, perceptive.	To support her husband, alleviate suffering, find genuine connection, act as a moral compass.
Dr. Monygham	Cynical, embittered, loyal (to Emilia), shrewd, observant, disgraced past.	To serve Emilia Gould, redeem himself through selfless action, act as a realist counterpoint.
Captain Mitchell	English, loyal, pompous, proud of his contributions, somewhat naive.	To uphold British influence, maintain order, serve the "respectable" government, ensure railway success.
Don José Avellanos	Elderly, scholarly, idealistic, nationalistic, eloquent.	To guide Costaguana towards progress and enlightenment, preserve his nation's history, support the Ribierist government.
Antonia Avellanos	Fiercely patriotic, intelligent, strong-willed, idealistic, passionate.	To serve her country, champion liberal ideals, support Don José, inspire revolutionary fervor.

Section 2

As the Montero revolution rapidly approaches Sulaco, the city descends into chaos. The Ribierist government is disintegrating, and General Barrios, the only loyal military leader capable of defending Sulaco, is delayed. Charles Gould, realizing that the immense silver treasure of the San Tomé mine will be seized by the rebels and used to finance their regime, decides it must be removed. He plans a desperate, clandestine operation: to load the silver onto a lancha (a large lighter boat) and smuggle it out of the harbor to a waiting steamer, the Golfo Plácido, under the cover of darkness.

The central figure in this dangerous mission is Nostromo, the "Capataz de Cargadores," or foreman of the stevedores. Nostromo is an Italian immigrant, a man of immense physical strength, charisma, and a legendary reputation for bravery, honesty, and infallibility. He is widely admired and trusted by all, seen as a man who can accomplish anything. His greatest currency is his public image and his reputation, which he guards fiercely. Dr. Monygham, always suspicious of human motives, doubts Nostromo's ultimate loyalty, believing his vanity to be his true master.

Assisting Nostromo in this perilous venture is Martin Decoud, a brilliant, cynical Parisian-educated journalist and intellectual who has returned to Costaguana to support the Ribierist cause and Don José Avellanos. Decoud is deeply in love with Antonia Avellanos and is driven by a desire to impress her and carve out a meaningful role for himself in the nascent Sulacan republic. He is a man of theory and words, not action, and this mission forces him into a role he is ill-suited for.

The silver is loaded onto the lighter boat amidst growing panic in Sulaco. Nostromo, Decoud, and a small crew set out under the cloak of night. However, their journey is fraught with danger. They are accidentally spotted by the rebel transport ship, the Plata, commanded by Colonel Sotillo, a greedy and ambitious Montero officer. Sotillo gives chase, firing upon the lighter. In the ensuing chaos, Decoud, overwhelmed by fear and the responsibility, panics and fires his pistol, accidentally detonating a small powder keg on the lighter. The explosion, while minor, creates enough smoke and confusion for Nostromo to decide on a desperate measure: to run the lighter aground on the desolate Great Isabel island in the Golfo Plácido, abandoning Decoud and the silver in the hope of returning later. He then swims back to the mainland, believing he is the sole survivor and carrying the secret of the silver's location.

Character	Characteristics	Motivations
Nostromo (Giovanni Battista Fidanza)	Italian, Capataz de Cargadores, legendary, brave, vain, charismatic, physically powerful.	To maintain his reputation for incorruptibility and infallibility, fulfill his duties, gain admiration.
Martin Decoud	Parisian-educated, journalist, intellectual, cynical, somewhat detached, idealistic, in love.	To impress Antonia, serve the Ribierist cause, establish a new independent republic in Sulaco.
Colonel Sotillo	Rebel officer, ambitious, greedy, opportunistic, cruel.	To seize the silver for himself, gain power and wealth within the Montero regime.
Giorgio Viola	Old Garibaldino, Italian, innkeeper, anarchist, principled, loyal, stern.	To uphold his anarchist ideals, live honorably, protect his daughters, respect Nostromo.
Linda Viola	Giorgio's elder daughter, strong, dedicated, fiercely loyal, in love with Nostromo.	To win Nostromo's affection, support her family, assist her father.
Giselle Viola	Giorgio's younger daughter, beautiful, vivacious, impulsive, also loves Nostromo.	To attract Nostromo, experience life and love.

Section 3

Nostromo, after a harrowing swim to the mainland, believes the silver is lost forever on the sunken lighter. Exhausted and disoriented, he is sent on a new, seemingly impossible mission by Dr. Monygham: to ride through enemy territory to warn General Barrios, who is approaching from the interior, that Sulaco has fallen and to urge him to return immediately to save the province. This ride, a display of almost superhuman endurance, further cements Nostromo's legendary status among the people, but internally, his spirit is beginning to crack.

Meanwhile, back on the Great Isabel, Martin Decoud is left alone with the sunken silver. He spends days in absolute solitude, guarding the hidden treasure, slowly succumbing to despair and the crushing weight of his isolation. He realizes the futility of his efforts and the emptiness of his political ideals. Eventually, he commits suicide by loading the ingots into his pockets and drowning himself in the gulf, ensuring the silver remains hidden. This act further solidifies the silver's secret.

General Barrios eventually arrives, saves Sulaco, and establishes a new, independent republic, the Occidental Republic, separate from the rest of Costaguana. This "separatist" movement is largely engineered by Charles Gould and his foreign allies to protect the San Tomé mine from the chronic instability of Costaguana. The Occidental Republic thrives, building new infrastructure and attracting foreign investment, all fueled by the silver. However, this prosperity is built on a foundation of hidden corruption and the exploitation of the land and people.

Nostromo, once the "incorruptible," is increasingly disillusioned. His immense sacrifices and acts of bravery, he feels, have gone unrewarded. He yearns for recognition and material wealth that was once beneath him. He remembers the silver hidden on the Great Isabel. Over the next three years, he begins to systematically retrieve the silver ingots, selling them to passing ships and accumulating a secret fortune. This hidden wealth corrupts him entirely, transforming him from a figure of public virtue into a secretive, obsessed thief. His new, furtive life is a stark contrast to his former glory.

His secret life draws him to the lighthouse on the Great Isabel, where the old Garibaldino, Giorgio Viola, lives with his two daughters, Linda and Giselle. Both daughters are in love with Nostromo. Linda, the elder, is fiercely devoted to him, while Giselle, the younger, is more impulsive and passionate. Nostromo strings them both along, using the lighthouse as a cover for his illicit activities.

One night, Nostromo is shot and killed by old Giorgio, who mistakes him for a new lover of Giselle (who is indeed meeting someone else in secret, though not Nostromo). Nostromo dies, his secret fortune still largely hidden, his life a tragic testament to the corrupting power of material wealth and the destructive nature of his own vanity. The novel concludes with the Occidental Republic continuing to prosper, seemingly oblivious to the human cost of its wealth, and Emilia Gould, reflecting on the fate of all those touched by the silver, realizes the profound emptiness and isolation that "material interests" have brought upon Sulaco. The silver has brought prosperity, but at the cost of genuine human connection and moral integrity.

Genre

Literary Realism, Political Fiction, Adventure Novel, Psychological Novel, Modernist Novel (proto-modernist elements).

Author Facts

• Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski (Joseph Conrad) was born in Berdychiv, Ukraine, then part of the Russian Empire, on December 3, 1857.
• He was of Polish noble (szlachta) descent and his parents were Polish patriots. His father, Apollo Korzeniowski, was a writer, translator, and political activist.
• Conrad left Poland at the age of 16 and spent roughly two decades as a merchant sailor, traveling extensively throughout the world. He became a British subject in 1886 and learned English as his third language (after Polish and French).
• Despite English being his third language, he became one of the greatest stylists in English literature, renowned for his rich, complex prose.
• Many of his novels and short stories draw heavily on his maritime experiences and his observations of colonial exploitation and political instability in remote parts of the world.
• He is considered a key figure in early modernism and a master of psychological depth, often exploring themes of human nature, morality, duty, and the corrupting influence of power and isolation.
• His other famous works include Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim, The Secret Agent, and Typhoon.

Morale

The central moral of 'Nostromo' is the profoundly corrupting nature of material wealth ("material interests") and the futility of idealistic political endeavors when confronted by human greed, vanity, and self-interest. The silver of the San Tomé mine, initially seen as a force for progress and stability, ultimately brings chaos, violence, moral decay, and isolation to almost everyone it touches. The novel suggests that even noble intentions can be undermined by the pursuit of wealth and power, leading to personal destruction and a cynical view of societal progress. True incorruptibility is shown to be an illusion, as even the legendary Nostromo succumbs to the allure of the hidden treasure, highlighting the universal susceptibility to the corrupting influence of money and the tragic isolation it fosters.

Curiosities

• Inspiration from Panama: Conrad was likely inspired by the history of Panama and its secession from Colombia, fueled by foreign interests (the United States, interested in the canal). The creation of the independent "Occidental Republic" in Sulaco mirrors this historical event.
• Conrad's Longest Novel: Nostromo is generally considered Joseph Conrad's longest and most ambitious novel. It took him two years to write, during which he suffered greatly from exhaustion and self-doubt.
• Narrative Complexity: The novel is renowned for its complex, non-linear narrative structure, jumping backward and forward in time, and presenting events from multiple perspectives. This narrative technique, revolutionary for its time, contributes to its psychological depth and ambiguity.
• Influence of Schopenhauer: Conrad was known to have read Arthur Schopenhauer, and the philosophical pessimism of the novel, particularly its cynical view of human nature and political progress, reflects some of Schopenhauer's ideas.
• "My Most Anxious Performance": Conrad himself referred to Nostromo as his "most anxious performance," indicating the immense intellectual and emotional toll the writing of the novel took on him. He considered it a failure initially in terms of public reception, but it has since been recognized as one of his masterpieces.
• The Unnamed Capital: The capital of Costaguana, where much of the revolution begins, is never explicitly named, adding to the novel's allegorical quality and its portrayal of a generic yet highly specific South American political landscape.