The Lagoon Notes from 10-25-10

Type of Work

• ."The Lagoon" is a short story
• Has elements of realism, adventure, and romanticism.
• Joseph Conrad completed the story in 1896 and published it in Cornhill Magazine

Setting
• .The story is set in Southeast Asia (on the Malay Peninsula or in the Malay Archipelago)
• on a river flowing eastward to the ocean, on a creek flowing inland through dense forest
• and at a small house on a lagoon
• The action takes place in the last half of the nineteenth century after Europeans colonized southern Asia and after the Malay kingdoms of Wajo, Soping

Vocabulary

•nibong, nipa: Palm trees of Asia with leaves that can be used to make a roof.
•prau: Malayan boat with a triangular sail and an outrigger.
•rajah: an Indian, Malay, or Javanese ruler.
•sampan: small boat with a stern-mounted oar used for steering.
•sarong: Malay garment of men and women. It consists of a single length of cloth that is wrapped at the waist and may extend to the knees or ankles.
•tuan: Malay term for sir or mister.

Characters

• The White Man: Traveler who captains a sampan propelled by Malay oarsmen. He is unidentified by a given name or surname. A Malay friend, Arsat, addresses him as Tuan, a title of respect meaning sir or mister.
• Arsat: The protagonist, a Malay who has been living in a small house on a lagoon with his beloved, a woman named Diamelen, who was once the servant of a rajah's wife. After Arsat fell in love with Diamelen, he and she eloped and were chased by the rajah's men.
• Diamelen: Arsat's mate, who is dying.
• Arsat's Brother: Young man who appears in a flashback story told by Arsat. Arsat says he died while helping Arsat and Diamelen escape from the rajah's men.
• The Juragan: Steersman of the white man's boat.
• Oarsmen of the White Man's Boat
Rajah: A ruler in the land of the Malays. He is mentioned in the flashback story.
• Inchi Midah: Rajah's wife. Diamelen was her servant until the latter eloped with Arsat. She is mentioned in the flashback story.
• Rajah Warriors: They are mentioned in the flashback story. They chased Arsat, his brother, and Diamelen
•
Themes

Remorse

.......Remorse and regret for abandoning his brother to the rajah's men haunt Arsat like the ghosts that the Malay boatmen imagine inhabit the lagoon and the forests around it. He believes his failure to save his brother caused Diamelen's illness and death.

Stagnation

In describing the lagoon as stagnant (motionless, dead, inert; or putrid, foul, rotting), the narrator is also describing the life of Arsat and Diamelen since their arrival at their isolated forest dwelling. Their life together has been lonely, uneventful, and motionless; the fester of Arsat's guilt has poisoned their opportunity for a contented life just as the mosquitoes from the lagoon have poisoned Diamelin's veins with deadly disease.

Selfishness

.......Arsat claims Diamelen. With the help of his devoted brother, he selfishly runs off with her without stopping even to come to the aid of his brother.
The Ever-Present Past
.......Arsat has been unable to erase the memory of the day when he left his brother behind. So painful is the memory of that day and so keen is his desire to redeem himself that he deliberately offered up his own life when fighting with the white man.