Culture’ and Conrad's intercultural theme in Amy Foster

Abstract EN

Cultural difference is a major preoccupation of Joseph Conrad’s fiction.

This may be related to Conrad’s own experience of foreignness in Britain.

Whatever the possible influences of Conrad's life upon his work, attempts at communication and positive intercultural exchange on the part of conrad’s fictional characters of different cultures, races and ethnic backgrounds, most often fail as the case in the short story, "Amy Foster”.

Misunderstanding, fear of the foreign and the unfamiliar, intolerance, ignorance of other cultures, lead, ironically, to the loss of cultural identity for individual characters (like yanko in "Amy Foster”), even to alienation and the inability to survive.

Conrad reveals through his fiction that the most tolerant person cannot be rid of all cultural prejudice, which is a limitation imposed by the inevitable social construction of individual identity.

In some cases cultural prejudice relates more closely to class distinctions than to background.

Whatever its source, Conrad embraces every opportunity to challenge that prejudice, whether directly or by quietly undermining its underlying assumptions.

He remains aware to the last that the problems it raises greater when disregarded, that they cannot be considered defeated and should never be laid to rest.