The Nigger of the “Narcissus”

On a long voyage home from Bombay, the crew of the sailing ship Narcissus is thrown into moral crisis by a dying black sailor whose lingering illness and the men’s superstitions test their solidarity against the indifferent power of the sea. Conrad’s early sea novel is both a vivid account of life before the mast and a meditation on duty, sympathy, and the fragile bonds that hold a community together. Its famous preface set out his artistic creed—’to make you see.’ Intense and beautifully written, this tale of a ship and its crew is a landmark of Conrad’s sea fiction and a profound study of men under strain.