Language

Style of language

In the short story “An Outpost of Progress”, Joseph Conrad uses language that is typical for the Victorian Era and easy to understand. The author often uses long and complex sentences, like in the following example: “Few men realise that their life, the very essence of their character, their capabilities and their audacities, are only the expression of their belief in the safety of their surroundings”. In general, longer sentences are used when the narrator reflects on the conditions of the main characters and on how their isolation affects them.

When it comes to the choice of words, the story contains racial slurs which show Kayerts’ and Carlier’s racism. Moreover, the two men use words like “animals” and “brute” to describe African natives, which suggests that they see themselves as superior because they are white.

Irony is an importan...