Nigger of the Narcissus

A detailed Summary of Nigger of the Narcissus

An Analysis of James Wait in Conrad’s Nigger of the “Narcissus”

Joseph Conrad’s Nigger of the “Narcissus” depicts the homeward voyage of seamen navigating the ship “Narcissus”. James Wait, an African American who is last to board the ship in Bombay Harbour, immediately incites controversy among the other seamen. His character is one that arouses controversy among the crew because nobody knows whether or not Wait is physically ill. Unlike the storm, which unites the men through their struggles to make it to shore safely, James Wait triggers disorder and hostility aboard ship. Throughout the novel, Wait serves as a catalyst that evokes powerful emotions among the seamen and causes them to react in various ways to his mysterious presence onboard.

In the very beginning of the novel, Wait makes his presence aboard ship well known as he articulates his name with an unreserved air of confidence. He asks the men to help him carry his luggage in somewhat of a condescending manner, such that the crew is unable to refuse. However, not all of the crew remains tolerant of the new seaman on board. Wait’s first fit of thunderous coughing wakes up the sleeping men,

who proceed to heatedly inform him that perhaps his illness is more than a mere cough. In another instance, the men are stamping their feet and shouting on deck while Wait tries to sleep. When Wait peers out from his cabin, the laughter dies down and men turn their backs on him.

Because Wait flaunts his illness to the crew, yet refuses all medicines, the crew wavers between pitying Jimmy and suspecting him of cheating his way out of work. The narrator reveals that “[they] all lovingly called him Jimmy, to conceal [their] hate of his accomplice” (p 22). When crewmembers talk to Jimmy, they speak in gentle voices, but trade sinister smiles behind his back. Wait’s enigmatic character confuses the crew. During the storm Wait is secluded within his cabin, which inspires various reactions among the crew. The fact that Jimmy is protected inside his cabin is reassuring to some of the men, while others are exasperated at Wait’s lack of effort on deck. Many of the men discover that while they cannot stand to be around Jimmy, they are concerned about his health and survival.

Mr. Baker, chief mate of the ship, becomes livid with Jimmy’s lack of effort when washing the decks. Wait’s excuse is that he is a dying man, and that his body is not

Jimmy evokes powerful emotions in the crewmembers, such as anarchy, fear, and solitude. While the crew watches him die, some respond with anger while others react with sympathy that overrides their previous feelings for him. Their inability to decipher whether Wait is actually sick frustrates them, and the story revolves around the crew’s responses

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Approximate Word count = 1107
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

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