W.E.A.

Southland Times, Issue 19292, 10 July 1924, Page 10

W.E.A.

LITERATURE CLASS. JOSEPH CONRAD’S “CHANCE.” The usualy weekly meeting of ihe W.E.A. Literature Class was held at the Y.M.C.A. rooms on Tuesday, when Mr Denham occupied the chair. The subject was Joseph Conrad’s novel, “Chance,” and the lecturer QMr S. G. August) said that the book had a quality other than that of being an interesting story. Its most important claim to-day was that it represented an attitude to fife which obtained largely in the decade ending in 1914, in which year the book: first appeared. Its immediate popularity can be judged by the fact that it ran through four editions in January of that year. The book is pre-war in the truest sense, a complete contrast to “If Winter Comes,” by Hutchinson, which is post-war. Taking “Chance” as a chronicle of the pre-war days, it seems that life had attained a dead level in the years preceding 1914, and this is well exemplified in almost every fine in the book. Other books which appeared about the same time, Masefield’s “The Everlasting Mercy,” and the pre-war poems of Rupert Brooke, show a similar viewpoint. It seemed that life had ceased to interest, death became a most engrossing subject, suicide a question of supreme moment. In short life and literature became suffused with a strange decadence, a moral dry-rot, and a. sense of failure. Yet this occurred during a period of the greatest commercial prosperity. The steady production of years had made great numbers wealthy, and even the poorest could share indirectly in this general success. But no one was exactly satisfied. Introduction and pessimism became the order of the hour, and the pressure became so acute with certain individuals that suicide appeared to be, a main issue in life. This, continued the lecturer, was the esse of Miss de Barral, daughter of Mr de Barral, the great financier, whose spectacular bankruptcy had startled London. She was about to commit the final act, and so rid herself of a world of boredom and detestable people, but when about to throw herself over a cliff a little incident prevented the deed, she being saved by a mere chance. From that time on she be conies the central figure in a complicated story, not a real person perhaps, but a good enough lay figure to suit Conrad’s purpose. Indeed, not a character in the book, and, of necessity, Marlow and Powell, the narrators, can be considered to be true to life. But in spite of this, Conrad creates a genuine atmosphere, and one becomes interested in the forward and backward movement ol human pawns on the imaginative chessboard. Although, said the lecturer, Conrad tells his story in the most round about fashion, and it Is passed on from Marlow to Powell and Powell to Marlow before the novelist gets hold of it, there is still much life and energy in the narrative. There is some thing deeper, however, and that is a picture of men, women and the sea, visaged through a somewhat outlandish temperament. No one is convinced by the marriage of Miss de Barral to Captain Anthony, nor by the final suicide of de Barral, and the dramatic death of Captain Anthony, but who would miss the story of their misad ventures when told with such beautiful effect as Conrad brings his task. He ha." written a history of the decade just before the great war, unconsciously perhaps, with great effect. On that account “Chance” must be studied as one of the peak-attain-ments of modern novel-writing, for it holds in’ its pages the epigrammatic comment on an age by a literary artist of the hour. One sees iu his book the whole machinery of the pre-war world. Ships and the sea, said the lecturer, form a basis on which to build up the story, but it is in no sense a novel of the sea, rather a psychological one. Thf best part of the book is its philosophical asides, and it Is decidedly quotable. Fo. example, “But Marlow was not put off. He was patient and reflective. He had beer, at sea many years and I verily believe he liked sea-life because upon the whole it I favourable to reflection. I am speaking of the nearly vanished sea-life under sail. Tc those who may be surprised at the state ment, I will point out that this life secured for the mind of him who embraced it the inestimable advantages of solitude anc silence. Marlow had the habit of pursuing general ideas in a peculiar manner, between jest and earnest.”

Conrad uses Miss de Barral as a mediun for the discussion of women in general, and h( has many wise sayings which may, or maj not, be correct. “Being a woman Is a ter ribly difficult trade since it consists prin -cipally of dealings with men. ...” ant "“In this terrible business of being a womai so full of fine shades, of delicate perplexitie; (and very small rewards) you may neve, know what rough work you have to do a) any moment.” Conrad’s world, as presentee hi “Chance” by such characters as thFynes (man and wife;, Mr and Miss de Bar nd, Captain Anthony and others, is the par ticular place which Rupert Brooke referrec te in his “Peace” sonnet. It was a . . . . . . World grown old and cold and weary Leave the sick hearts that honour coulc not move, And half men and their dirty songs ant dreary, And all the little emptiness of love! ‘“Chance” was the interpretation of a re maa kable decade, and it must be read with due appreciation of Conrad’s gift of language Tliere was a lively discussion at the conclusion of the lecture, and various opinions were expressed in regard to Conrad and his work. Those who spoke were: Miesdamet? Sutton, Watt and Crofts; Misses Erskime and Waugh; Messrs Fisher, McKenzie, I’etrie and Denham.