compare en contrast An Outpost of Progress by Conrad and The Daughters of the Late Colonel by Katherine Mansfield

Essay by verslagenmakerUniversity, Ph.D.B, January 2003

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Composition two

third version

Composition 2

In the beginning of "An Outpost Of Progress" and "The Daughters Of The Late Colonel" the protagonists of both stories are dependent on each other. The protagonists in "An Outpost Of Progress", Kayerts and Carlier, depend on each other, because they are the only white men in the place. Surrounded by the black community they realize that if one would die, the other would remain alone and that makes them afraid and dependent. "The idea that he would, perhaps, have to bury Carlier and remain alone, gave him an inward shiver (?.) he felt suddenly that this Carlier was more precious to him here, in the center of Africa, than a brother could be anywhere else" (Conrad, 59). The protagonists of "The Daughters Of The Late Colonel", Josephine and Constantia, are dependent on each other, because they do not have any self-confidence and they can not make decisions on their own.

For example they do not know whether to fire Kate or not. They both do not dare to make the decision and they keep on postponing it; "Well we can't postpone it again, said Josephine. If we postpone it this time-" (Mansfield, 2421)

The development of the relationship is for both stories different: in "The Outpost Of progress" the relationship between Kayerts and Carlier changes radical, while the relationship between Josephine and Constantia in "The Daughters Of The Late Colonel" stays the same. "In the Outpost of progress", Kayerts and Carlier their friendship turns into a sense of hostility against each other. The friendship changes when the two men find out that the people of the village have been trade for ivory and after that there is hardly any food.