Biography of Joseph Conrad

Joseph Conrad grew up in the Polish Ukraine, a large, fertile plain between Poland and Russia. It was a divided nation, with four languages, four religions, and a number of different classes. A fraction of the Polish-speaking inhabitants, including Conrad's family, belonged to the szlachta, a hereditary class below the aristocracy, which combined qualities of gentry and nobility. They had the political power, despite their impoverished state. Conrad's father, Apollo Korzeniowski, belonged to this class. He studied for six years at St. Petersburg University, which he left before even earning a degree. Apparently, he was physically unattractive and unpleasant. Conrad's mother, Eva Bobrowska, was thirteen years younger than Apollo and the only surviving daughter in a family of six sons. The couple met in 1847. She was drawn to his poetic temperament and passionate patriotism; he admired her lively imagination and warm heart. Although Eva's family disapproved of the courtship, they eventually realized that their daughter would remain unmarried if she could not have the man she loved. The union took place in 1856. Instead of devoting himself to the management of his wife's agricultural estates, Apollo pursued literary and political activities that brought in little money. He wrote a variety of plays and social satires. Although his works were little known, they would have tremendous influence on his sonŠ

A year into the marriage, Eva became pregnant with Joseph, who was born in 1857. "Conrad" was actually a middle part of his name. The Crimean War had just ended, and hopes were high for Polish independence. The author moved around quite a bit as child, and never formed close friendships in Poland. Music was one of his earliest memories, and the image of his mother at the piano was a lasting one. Family happiness was then shattered as Apollo was arrested on suspicions of involvement with revolutionary activities. From then on, the family was thrown into exile and unsettled. Eva gradually developed tuberculosis, and died in 1865. The seven-year-old Conrad, who witnessed her decline, was absolutely devastated. He also developed health problems (migraines, lung inflammation) that persisted throughout his life. Unfortunately, Apollo fell into a decline, frustrated with his lack of success in stirring up revolution. He was also taken by tuberculosis in 1869. At age eleven, Joseph was an orphan.

The young boy became the ward of his uncle, who loved him dearly and essentially replaced Apollo. Thus began the Cracow years, which ended when Conrad left Poland in 1874. It was a complex decision, resulting from what he saw as the intolerably oppressive atmosphere of the Russian garrison. He spent the next few years in France, mastering his second language and the fundamentals of seamanship. The author made acquaintances in many circles, but it was his so-called "bohemian" friends who introduced him to drama, opera and theatre. In the meantime, he was strengthening his maritime contacts, and soon enough he became an observer on pilot boats. The workers he met on the ship, and all the experiences they thrust upon him, laid the groundwork for much of the vivid detail in his novels. By 1878, Joseph had made his way to England with the intention of becoming an officer of the British ships. Twenty years at sea followed this decision. Conrad would take voyages for a long period, and would then receive a rest time on shore. This was a cyclic pair of events. When he was not at sea, writing letters or in journals, Joseph was exploring other means of making money. Unlike his father, who practically abhorred money, Conrad was obsessed by it, and always on the lookout for business opportunities.

Once the author had worked his way up to a ship Master, he made a series of eastern voyages for the next three years. He suffered a severe back injury from which he never completely recovered. Conrad remained in the English port of Mauritius for two months. While there he unsuccessfully courted two women. Frustrated, he left and journeyed to England for a good long while. It was here, in the summer of 1889, that Conrad began the crucial transition from sailor to writer by starting his first novel, Almayer's Folly. Interestingly enough, he chose to write in English, his third language. This deliberate decision showed a commitment to England. A journey to the Congo in 1890 was Joseph's real inspiration to write Heart of Darkness. His outrage and condemnation of colonialism were well-documented in the journal he kept during his visit. He returned to England, and soon after had to deal with the death of his beloved guardian-uncle. The money left to the author gave him the financial security to settle into writing as an occupation. All the time Conrad became closer and closer to Marguerite, an older family friend who was his closest confidant. For six years he constantly tried to establish intimacy, but was eventually discouraged by the age difference and the disparity in wealth and social position.

1894 was a landmark year for Conrad‹ his first novel was published, he met Edward Garnett, who would become a lifelong friend, and he met Jessie George, his future wife. The two-year courtship between the 37-year-old Conrad and the 21-year-old Jessie was somewhat discontinuous. Conrad pursued other women in the first year of their relationship, but since they all rejected his advances, his attention was strongly focused on Jessie by the autumn of 1895. Garnett disapproved of the match, as Jessie was miles below Joseph in education and intellectual culture. However, the wedding took place in March of 1896. The children who followed the union were not warmly welcomed by their father; an absent-minded sort, he expressed surprise each time Jessie delivered a baby. His days were consumed with writing, trying to find the right word in every sentence. His struggle was no doubt accentuated by the gaps in his knowledge of the English language. Conrad had a true genius for companionship, and his circle of friends included talented authors such as Stephen Crane and Henry James. Always writing, the future years brought him back to Poland, and finally, to America, where he remained until a heart attack took him in 1924, at the age of sixty-seven.