Publication dateSeptember 1907Media typePrint (hardcover)Pages442TextatThe Secret Agent: A Simple Tale is a novel by, published in 1907. The story is set in London in 1886 and deals with Mr Adolf Verloc and his work as a spy for an unnamed country (presumably Russia). The Secret Agent is one of Conrad's later political novels in which he moved away from his former tales of. The novel is dedicated to and deals broadly with,. It also deals with exploitation of the vulnerable in Verloc's relationship with his brother-in-law Stevie, who has a. Conrad’s gloomy portrait of London depicted in the novel was influenced by Charles Dickens’.The novel was modified as a stage play by Conrad himself and has since been adapted for film, TV, radio and opera.Because of its terrorism theme, it was one of the three works of literature most cited in the American media two weeks after the.
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1902 as depicted on a postcardConrad's character Stevie is based on the French anarchist who died gruesomely in when the explosives he carried detonated prematurely. Bourdin's motives remain a mystery as does his intended target, which may have been the.
In the 1920 Author's Note to the novel, Conrad recalls a discussion with about the bombing:. we recalled the already old story of the attempt to blow up the Greenwich Observatory; a blood-stained inanity of so fatuous a kind that it was impossible to fathom its origin by any reasonable or even unreasonable process of thought. For perverse unreason has its own logical processes.
But that outrage could not be laid hold of mentally in any sort of way, so that one remained faced by the fact of a man blown to bits for nothing even most remotely resembling an idea, anarchistic or other. As to the outer wall of the Observatory it did not show as much as the faintest crack. I pointed all this out to my friend, who remained silent for a while and then remarked in his characteristically casual and omniscient manner: 'Oh, that fellow was half an idiot.
His sister committed suicide afterwards.' These were absolutely the only words that passed between us. Major themes Terrorism and anarchism Terrorism and anarchism are intrinsic aspects of the novel, and are central to the plot. Verloc is employed by an agency which requires him to orchestrate terrorist activities, and several of the characters deal with terrorism in some way: Verloc's friends are all interested in an anarchistic political revolution, and the police are investigating anarchist motives behind the bombing of Greenwich.The novel was written at a time when terrorist activity was increasing.
There had been numerous dynamite attacks in both Europe and the US, as well as several assassinations of heads of state. Conrad also drew upon two persons specifically: and Prince. Conrad used these two men in his 'portrayal of the novel's anarchists'.
However, according to Conrad's Author's Note, only one character was a true anarchist: Winnie Verloc. In The Secret Agent, she is 'the only character who performs a serious act of violence against another', despite the F.P.' S intentions of radical change, and The Professor's inclination to keep a bomb on his person.Critics have analysed the role of terrorism in the novel. Calls the novel 'a terrorist text as well as a text about terrorism' due to Conrad's manipulation of chronology to allow the reader to comprehend the outcome of the bombing before the characters, thereby corrupting the traditional conception of time. The morality which is implicit in these acts of terrorism has also been explored: is Verloc evil because his negligence leads to the death of his brother-in-law?
Although Winnie evidently thinks so, the issue is not clear, as Verloc attempted to carry out the act with no fatalities, and as simply as possible to retain his job, and care for his family. Politics The role of politics is paramount in the novel, as the main character, Verloc, works for a quasi-political organisation. The role of politics is seen in several places in the novel: in the revolutionary ideas of the F.P.; in the characters' personal beliefs; and in Verloc's own private life. Conrad's depiction of has an 'enduring political relevance', although the focus is now largely concerned with the terrorist aspects that this entails. The discussions of the F.P.
Are expositions on the role of anarchism and its relation to contemporary life. The threat of these thoughts is evident, as Chief Inspector Heat knows F.P. Members because of their anarchist views. Moreover, Michaelis' actions are monitored by the police to such an extent that he must notify the police station that he is moving to the country.The plot to destroy Greenwich is in itself anarchistic. Vladimir asserts that the bombing 'must be purely destructive' and that the anarchists who will be implicated as the architects of the explosion 'should make it clear that they are perfectly determined to make a clean sweep of the whole social creation.' However, the political form of anarchism is ultimately controlled in the novel: the only supposed politically motivated act is orchestrated by a secret government agency.Some critics, such as Fredrick R Karl, think that the main political phenomenon in this novel is the modern age, as symbolised by the teeming, pullulating foggy streets of London (most notably in the cab ride taken by Winnie Verloc and Stevie).
This modern age distorts everything, including politics (Verloc is motivated by the need to keep his remunerative position, the Professor to some extent by pride); the family (symbolised by the Verloc household, in which all roles are distorted, with the husband being like a father to the wife, who is like a mother to her brother); even the human body (Michaelis and Verloc are hugely obese, while the Professor and Yundt are unusually thin). This extended metaphor, using London as a centre of darkness much like Kurtz's headquarters in, presents 'a dark vision of moral and spiritual inertia' and a condemnation of those who, like Mrs Verloc, think it a mistake to think too deeply.
Literary significance and reception Initially, the novel fared poorly in the United Kingdom and the United States, selling only 3,076 copies between 1907 and 1914. The book fared slightly better in Britain, yet no more than 6,500 copies were printed before 1914.
Although sales increased after 1914, it never sold more than modestly during Conrad's life. It was published to favourable reviews, most agreeing with the view of The Times Literary Supplement that it 'increased Conrad's reputation, already of the highest'. However, there were detractors who criticised the novel's 'unpleasant characters and subject'. Country Life magazine called the story 'indecent' and criticised Conrad's 'often dense and elliptical style'.The Secret Agent has come to be considered one of Conrad's finest novels. The Independent calls it 'one of Conrad's great city novels' whilst The New York Times insists that it is 'the most brilliant novelistic study of terrorism'. Influence on Ted Kaczynski The Secret Agent influenced the Unabomber—; he was a great fan and as an adolescent kept a copy at his bedside. He identified strongly with the character of 'The Professor' and advised his family to read The Secret Agent to understand the character with whom he felt such an affinity.
David Foster, the literary attributionist who assisted the, said that Kaczynski 'seemed to have felt that his family could not understand him without reading Conrad'.Kaczynski's idolisation of the character was due to the traits that they shared: disaffection, hostility toward the world, and being an aspiring anarchist. However, it did not stop at mere idolisation.
Kaczynski used 'The Professor' as a source of inspiration, and 'fabricated sixteen exploding packages that detonated in various locations'. After his capture, Kaczynski revealed to FBI agents that he had read the novel a dozen times, and had sometimes used 'Conrad' as an alias. It was discovered that Kaczynski had used various formulations of Conrad's name – Conrad, Konrad, and Korzeniowski, Conrad's original surname – to sign himself into several hotels in Sacramento. As in his youth, Kaczynski retained a copy of The Secret Agent, and kept it with him while living as a recluse in a hut in.
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