Conrad 5: Lord Jim

Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad explores the themes of honour, guilt and cowardice.

Narrated in parts by Charles Marlow, a seasoned seaman, the story revolves around Jim, a young British sailor. Jim's life is defined by an act of cowardice when he, along with three others, abandons the Patna packed with people and escapes.

After standing trial and being punished for his role in the incident quite publicly, the rest of the story follows his journey from job to job as he tries to escape even a hint of the event and eventually ends up at an isolated trading post.

While there he makes a name for himself. But when things come to a head,  the inevitable happens and because of his inability to take action, things end tragically.