Plot Structures in “Amy Foster” and Almayer’s Folly

【Abstract】This paper examines the plot structures of Conrad’s “Amy Foster” and Almayer’s Folly. They don’t follow the rule of conventional plot structure； rather， they are Conrad’s elaborate experiments of modernist construction， which features layers of flashbacks. The benefit of such arrangement is the vigorous interaction between the text and the readers.

【Key words】modernist plot construction； flashback， frame story； double plot； role of readers

【作者簡介】林曉曼，惠州學(xué)院外國語學(xué)院。

As a forerunner of modernism， Joseph Conrad doesn’t confine his writings to a fixed plot structure. Both “Amy Foster” and Almayer’s Folly are good representations of Conrad’s special plot arrangements. Unlike conventional plot structure that normally contains exposition， rising action， climax， failing action and resolution in a chronological order， the above two writings are more like Conrad’s elaborate experiments of modernist construction， which successfully encourages the interaction between readers and the texts.

Although “Amy Foster” was published six years later than Almayer’s Folly， it manages to maintain one of Conrad’s favorite writing techniques – flashback， and it’s not only a simple flashback， but flashback within flashback. Its first several paragraphs are in present tense when the first narrator talks about his friend Kennedy and the village where he lives. But with an introducing phrase “[a] good many years ago now”， the time suddenly changes into the past when the first narrator is told the story of Amy Foster and the castaway. In this way， it seems that he isn’t planning to tell Amy’s story at first， and it’s only when he thinks of Kennedy’s intelligence – “of a scientific order， of an investigating habit， and of that unappeasable curiosity” – that it reminds him of the old story. Therefore， the rest of the short story is a flashback to illustrate the first narrator’s opinion about his friend’s intelligence – how Kennedy is investigating and curious enough to gather the information. However， it’s not enough to simply say that the rest of the short story is a flashback， because the way Kennedy recounts Yanko’s story isn’t in a chronological order： there are flashbacks there， too. For instance， Kennedy talks about how Yanko has been feeling on the emigrant-ship before he gives a flashback of the three men who go to Yanko’s town to recruit workers. Another example is that after Kennedy explains his knowledge about the “bogus ‘Emigration Agencies’”， he goes back to describe his witness to the ship “on a dark， threatening afternoon”. In fact， flashback is often seen in the telling of Yanko’s identity， which will make readers get lost if they are not careful enough. This is also true in Almayer’s Folly. There is a flashback in chapter one， and from chapter two to the end of chapter five， flashbacks are given to state the background of the characters. More significantly， chronological order isn’t applied in these flashbacks all the time. Specifically speaking， at the end of the second paragraph in chapter four， readers learn in advance that as a result of Dain’s reconciliation， Lakamba changes his attitude towards Almayer. Afterwards the rest of the chapter narrates back to Dain and his business and how he conciliates Lakamba and Almayer. A similar example of “past of the past” can also be found in chapter five as the next-to-last meeting of Dain and Nina before Dain leaves for the gunpowder trade is narrated as a flashback within a flashback： “[o]n the eve of the day when Babalatchi’s suspicious were confirmed by ocular demonstration， Dain and Nina had remained longer than usual in their shady retreat.” It’s true that this kind of plot arrangement is confusing and challenging； however， it shows perfectly how our human mind works. When we see something meaningful to us， we tend to think about the past， and when we think about the past， what has happened before the past tends to jump into our mind too.

Nevertheless， since Conrad doesn’t have a set term of plot structure for his writings， the short story and the novel have their own unique features as well. “Amy Foster” is a distinct frame story while Almayer’s Folly is not. There are two narrators in “Amy Foster”； the first one is “I” while the second narrator is Kennedy. Nearly the whole story is narrated by Kennedy and the first narrator only appears when there are very short conversations between them. Therefore it is no doubt that Kennedy has a more important role in the short story； what he tells and comments decides readers’ understanding of Amy and Yanko. But such is not the case in Almayer’s Folly. The novel is written from a third person point of view； there is no shift from one narrator to another. However， the thread of the novel does shift from one character to another character. For instance， the secret of Dain’s fake death is revealed with the help of the thread shifting from Abdulla into Taminah’s thoughts. Still， Almayer’s Folly is as complicated as a frame story in that it has a double plot. Cedric Watts is the first critic to find out the “covert plot” – “Abdulla’s plot” – of this novel. On one hand， the plot about Almayer， Dain and Nina is very clear and obvious； on the other hand， the betrayal and revenge of Abdulla serves as a subtle and implicit plot in the novel. According to Cedric Watts， the minute the covert plot is discovered， the literary value of Almayer’s Folly becomes more significant： it is “more intelligent， highly organized and above all highly ironic”. The secret plot answers the very end of the novel when Abdulla prays hypocritically “The Merciful！ The Compassionate！”： it’s highly ironic because Abdulla is actually the one who indirectly makes for Almayer’s death.

What then should be paid much attention is the impact of these kinds of structure arrangement. In “Amy Foster”， readers’ knowledge about the whole story is given by the first narrator whose knowledge comes from Kennedy who actually collects most of the information from others. He says honestly “I have been telling you more or less in my own words what I learned fragmentarily in the course of two or three years”. This suggests that his knowledge about Amy and Yanko is fragmentary and not always reliable， which leads to the disorder of its plot structure. Consequently， readers are invited to be more active when reading the story： to rearrange the plot in a chronological order so as to get a complete picture， to find out whether the doctor’s comments are impartial or not， and most importantly， to give out their own judgements and opinions about Amy and Yanko. The interaction between the text and the readers is also encouraged in Almayer’s Folly. The novel won’t always tell readers the truth at first， and they will be like Almayer who often doesn’t know what is really going on if they are not careful and skeptical enough. It is only on the fifth time of rereading that Cedric Watts notices the covert plot. However， if readers are skeptical enough， they will see that there are actually many clues apart from what he points out. That is， in addition to what the Dutch officers say to Almayer， Babalatchi seems to know something when he speaks to Dain before stopped by his master： “and so was Abdulla， for what would wicked men not say if perchance –”， and later Reshid even reports to Abdulla that “[t]he Orang Blanda are come， and now we shall have our reward.” In this way， Almayer’s Folly is like a detective story， and what readers should do is to constantly ask questions. For example， at the scene of Mrs. Almayer wailing loudly over “Dain’s body”， readers need to ponder whether she is acting， because her reaction deeply contrasts with Nina’s – “‘[a]nd so Dain is dead，’ she said coldly”. Therefore， the impact of the plot structure on readers is that they become active instead of passive as reading the novel. In order to find out the truth， they have to guess， doubt and think.

On the whole， compared with conventional plot structure， the plot constructions in “Amy Foster” and Almayer’s Folly make them difficult and challenging to follow. They are both full of flashbacks， one being a frame story and the other containing a double plot. Nonetheless， these special arrangements foster the active role of readers as they interpret the texts. Rather than being given all the information straight away， readers are required to be attentive and skeptical， otherwise they may remain in the dark to the end.

Referernces：

[1]Conrad，Joseph.Almayer’s Folly[J].New York：Dover Publications， 2003.

[2]Conrad，Joseph.Amy Foster[J].The Project Gutenberg Ebook， November 17，2012.

[3]Watts，Cedric.The Covert Plot of Almayer’s Folly：A Structural Discovery[J].Joseph Conrad： Critical Assessments.Vol 2.Ed.Keith Carabine.East Sussex：Helm Information，1992：2-5.