The concluding passage of Joseph Conrad’s The Lagoon is an acute example of defining the depths of illusion in the human world. It focuses on the unbearable tragedy in the life of Arsat, the hero of Conrad’s short story. In truth, as a minute observer of human life, Conrad symbolically reflects the inescapable darkness of a world of illusion through the concluding lines.
Conrad’s popular short story, The Lagoon, narrates the tragic life of the author’s friend, Arsat. It reveals how a human being wanted to cherish the ideal of his love life. It shows a man’s desperate attempt to apply all his effort so that he could have a life far from the fear of death. However, his endeavor did not materialize.
Arsat’s struggle for survival was not the heroic journey of a so-called hero who ultimately reached the zenith of coveted success. The Polish-British novelist and story writer’s description discloses how the depths of illusion amplified the bitter, inescapable reality in his life. It pinpoints in the story how death emerged as too powerful and inevitable to hammer every part of the tragic hero’s dream. It also reveals how the brutal power took away his love, Diamelen.
The vivid storyline and inner meaning of Joseph Conrad’s story depict Arsat’s profound realization. After Diamelen’s demise, the hero realized how he had, so far, embraced a world of illusions. He understood that desiring a peaceful love life never became a reality. Bitter realities in life compelled the hero to accept the fact that hoping for and attaining an optimistic, delightful life was nearly impossible. Only a fool could think about it. Even after his out-and-out desperate effort, despair and pain emerged as the two inescapable parts of his destiny.
Death appeared to him as inescapable, even unavoidable. With the demise of his love, Arsat’s world became infested with darkness. His life had no hope and no light. The depths of illusion were smiling at his fate. And, the lagoon remained the sole witness to every chapter of this entire incident. It appeared as if gloom and dullness infested his surroundings. The only thing left behind him was a fathomless sea of profound sorrow.
The concluding lines of the story’s ending passage depict that the sun rose and engulfed the entire atmosphere with its shining rays. However, Arsat stood alone with empty hands in the lagoon’s dazzling sunlight. He had lost his only treasure, i.e., his only love, Diamelen. Although the sun shone brightly, the light in Arsat’s life had set forever. He became a painfully numb human being. His senses became utterly deaf and dumb with his bitter realization. The tragic hero of Conrad’s short story could only feel a never-ending darkness around him.
The wonderful sun-lit day no longer remained cherishing for the hero of Conrad’s story. Moreover, its appeal could no longer console his heart. His realization made him aware of a dark reality. He had understood that the living world was full of aspirations and hopes that were illusory and unsubstantial. His senses became aware of the fact that joy and delight remained friends, but only for a short time. On the contrary, struggle, pain, and despair remained partners for ever.
Arsat lost, or more specifically, sacrificed, his brother to save his beloved. He was so desperate to save her that he didn’t come to rescue his brother when enemies overpowered him and killed him. He didn’t even respond to his brother’s final call. Instead, he had tried his best to protect his love, Diamelen, and reached for a safe place where they could live happily ever after.
After losing his brother, Arsat had Diamelen as the only hope of his life. But illness could not allow Diamelen to stay alive for long. Furthermore, her death made his life meaningless. The expression, “He stood lonely…….world of illusions,” in the ending paragraph of The Lagoon echoes the profound sorrow of a frustrated soul.
A broken heart harbored so many questions. Was there anything left for Arsat that could convince him to live any longer? In truth, was there anything left for him? Could his long-desired visions ever become real? Could he ever overcome the black patches of despair? And the most essential question was: if human life remained so precious, then why did it compel a human into the depths of illusion that could never see the day light?
There is no denying that when realities destroyed illusions, Arsat became a victim of a world that only confirmed the point of no return. Yes, there was no return to normalcy. It is true that Joseph Conrad’s story attains a tragic intensity of human significance. Every human being on earth wants to live a desirable life. Obstacles must be there to interrupt the journey of survival. But everyone attempts to overcome those disruptions. However, when they fail, life becomes unbearable. From this point, several important questions begin to emerge. They start questioning the significance of survival, as clearly shown in Joseph Conrad’s short story.
The Lagoon is a popular Malayan tale. But Joseph Conrad’s way of depicting the storyline has made it special. It reveals how humans embrace the depths of illusion. It describes how an individual becomes a victim of a world of tragedy after losing the game of meaningful survival. In short, a simple Malayan story reaches the zenith of a universal tragedy. It depicts how the darkness of despair emerges from the depths of illusion.
Also read:
Unconventional Storyline Is the Lifeblood of Conrad’s Shortest Malayan Creation ‘The Lagoon’