In modern parlance, the word "romantic" is often and understandably used with a positive connotation. A romantic individual is often remembered with affection, if not also with pity. The flaws of such a person could be limited to simple naivety: "He was a hopeless romantic; he was simply not destined for this cruel world." However, it should be remembered that the romantic mind, unlike the idealistic mind, is almost always clouded to varying degrees by egocentrism. However, like the idealist, the romantic is a dreamer, one who often strays from pragmatism; the romantic is also characterized by devoted self-interest. This distinction, between idealism and romanticism, must be remembered when reading Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim. Jim, the main character, is unquestionably romantic. He is a dreamer; he is out of touch with reality; and it's completely selfish. But an idealist, Jim is not. If this distinction is kept in mind, it should be apparent to the reader that Jim is, yes, a tragic figure but he is not a tragic hero. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Jim's character is most clearly developed in the first four chapters where an omniscient narrator describes his nature through his thoughts and actions. It is crucial to understand that after the fourth chapter, all the information the reader receives about Jim is filtered through at least two sources: Jim tells the story to Marlow who tells it, indirectly, to the reader. Marlow seems trustworthy, but he himself admits that he does not fully understand Jim. "My eyes were too dazzled by the glitter of the sea beneath him to see him clearly; I am destined never to see him clearly." (p. 146) While he may not understand Jim, Marlow certainly admires him. His tale, therefore, is more in tune with the title character than the detached tale of the omniscient narrator. It is for this reason that the truest description of Jim's true character is found at the beginning of the novel. Although the word romantic is not immediately used to describe him, it is quite evident that he is a dreamer. But above all he is self-centered and the narrator describes his gaze from above, "...with the contempt of a man destined to shine in the midst of danger." (p. 9) Jim's childhood daydreams have more to do with his glorification than with good deeds. He wants to be a hero more than to be heroic. In his dreams, he "saw himself saving people from sinking ships, cutting down trees during a hurricane." He faced savages on tropical coasts, put down mutinies on the high seas like an intrepid hero in a book. (p. 9) However, when Jim is faced with the opportunity to make his dreams come true, he hesitates. Hesitating for fear of a storm, Jim misses his first chance to be lauded as a hero, instead having to listen as another boy boasted of his efforts in "a pitiful display of vanity." (p. 10) Dreams of self-indulgence and brief periods of cowardice can certainly be forgiven to a boy who is preparing to be, but not yet, a sailor. Unfortunately, this is not a hateful trait of the teenager Jim eventually grows out of. Initially he finds time to dream about Patna. At such moments his thoughts were filled with valiant deeds: he loved these dreams and the success of his imaginary conquests. (p. 17) Aboard his first ship as an officer, Jim is temporarily knocked out of commission by a fallen beam. The narrator reveals that Jim's feelings are secretly glad that he doesn't have to work on the bridge with the other men. It is evident, then, that Jim just wants to be ahero, is not interested in the mundane tasks of the sailor and would rather lie lethargically in his cabin than perform his duties as a sailor. This injury also indirectly leads to Jim's decision to sail the Patna. During his recovery, Jim discovers the advantages of working on native, rather than English, ships. On these ships you benefit from short passages, good deck chairs, large indigenous crews and the distinction of being white. (p. 13) The promotion of this type of work is expressed by a crowd of men who shuddered at the thought of hard work and led precariously easy lives. (p. 13) That Jim chose to associate with this type of man rather than with those of buccaneer nature and dreamer's eyes [whose] death was the only event in their fantastic existence of which he seemed to have a reasonable certainty of success , (p. 12) says something about his character. Men of the latter race are romantics in the sense of the word described in the first lines of this article. As such, Jim cannot identify with them, as he is a romantic in the selfish sense, still a dreamer but also lazy and in love with the idea of ​​heroism, not the sea. It is on Patna, of course, that Jim's life changed forever. It is true that he did not consciously decide to abandon the ship in danger, leaving 800 passengers to drown. However, if he had been an idealist, that leap would have been impossible. Jim initially acts responsibly, but his true state is revealed first when he hits a pilgrim who asks him for water and, of course, when he, in an almost unconscious state, abandons ship. Jim's skipping from Patna may be his greatest sin, but more problematic is his reaction to what he has done. Jim's feelings of horror that the ship had not yet sunk, coupled with the relief he felt when its light was no longer visible, show that he had little concern for the 800 lives he thought were lost. At first he is horrified that instead of being glorified he will be vilified for abandoning ship. These feelings are soon eclipsed by a sense of relief at the death of the 800 potential accusers. Also consider swimming back to the wreck to ensure the operation was successful. If Jim had remained aboard the Patna, it is likely that he would have been welcomed as a hero after the ship was saved. However, at the time, he had no idea that the ship could stay afloat. He later points out to Marlow, who has taken over the narration of the story, that he was sure the bulkhead would burst upon examining it. Then he utters the moan: Ah! what a missed opportunity! My God! what a missed opportunity! (p. 53) It is perhaps one of the most important lines in the book for evaluating Jim's character. He laments that he abandoned ship because the ship didn't sink. The guilt Jim feels, therefore, is not so much towards the pilgrims he left for dead, but towards himself, for having once again failed to be a hero. One wonders whether Jim would have considered the Patna a missed opportunity if it had sunk as expected. That's the difference between that incident and the missed opportunity during his training days. In his dreams, Jim imagined saving lives and fighting savages, but he never imagined dying. If he had remained on the sinking ship and drowned, he would have been posthumously considered a brave and noble man, but he would not have lived to see himself glorified. It is evident, then, that Jim's "ideal" was not heroism but "heroism." If the Patna incident is Jim's downfall, then his time on Patusan Island is his rebirth. It is there that Jim finally begins to atone for his sin. Following the.