Abnormal Psychology in Lord Jim: Jim and Narcissism

Abstract

One impression a reader may get after reading Conrad’s Lord Jimis that Jim is an abnormal kind in psychology. The most likely disorder seems to be narcissism; therefore, enumerating the attributes of people with this disorder is helpful in verifying this probability. The most widely validated features among the patients with narcissism are as follow: sense of self-importance, sense of uniqueness not only about problems but also about friends, overestimation of one’s own achievements, need for constant attention and admiration, fantasies of great success, having no enjoyment other than the received tributes and fancied attainments, lack of empathy, and fear of failure. The evidence drawn to attention from the text as well as those interpretations and examples used by other critics justify Jim’s conformity to these distinct characteristics. The outcome of these separate features would be an integrated picture of Jim as a narcissist regarding abnormal psychology.

Keywords

• abnormal psychology
• conrad
• jim
• lord jim
• narcissism