"Lifting one arm from the elbow, the palm of the hand outwards, so that, with his legs folded before him, he had the pose of a Buddha preaching in European clothes and without a lotus-flower" (Conrad 69).
Marlow is described to have "the pose of a Buddha" while he begins to recount his story to the other crew members of the ship. Though he has not yet told his story, there is a sense that he is full of knowledge and that he is trying to pass it on to those around him.
Marlow is in the same pose as Buddha, with the "palm of his hand outwards" and "his legs folded before him". The palm of his hand facing outwards represents how he is trying to open up about his experiences, however he is also crossing his legs, which can be viewed as him not wanting to open up or being anxious about doing so. Buddha is a religious figure of Buddhism. The word Buddha means "enlightened" or "awakened", and Marlow seems to have become enlightened and awakened after seeing and becoming a part of the horrors of imperialism.
It is also pointed out that Marlow is "Buddha preaching in European clothes". The European feel of Marlow is a contrast to the idea of him looking like and being like the Buddha in this moment. The idea of preaching brings to mind a church, a European concept, while the clothes are stated outright to be European. There seems to be a sharp juxtaposition of Eastern and Western culture that throws off the idea of Marlow being like the Buddha., due to the drastic differences between the East and West at the time this book was written
Marlow is said to be the "Buddha... without a lotus-flower". The lotus flower is a beautiful flower that grows in muddy water, but rises above it to bloom. When a lotus has bloomed, it is said to have reached enlightenment, for it has risen above the darkness and murkiness. A large part of Buddhism is the idea of becoming enlightened and pure, even when there is surrounding trouble. The "lotus-flower" has two symbolic meanings in Buddhism: fortune and purification. First, Marlow never started his journey for the sake of money, but for the intrigue of adventure. Therefore, he would not have the flower because he lacked the motivation of fortune. Second, Marlow is not pure of heart, mind, and spirit because of the destruction and harm that he caused in the past. He committed actions that he can never undo, and therefore can never be pure again.
As you correctly note, early on in the story, Marlow is described by the narrator as having "the pose of the Buddha preaching in European clothes and without a lotus-flower."
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, at the end of the novel, the narrator states that "Marlow ceased and sat apart, indistinct and silent, in the pose of a meditating Buddha."
But now, there is no mention of a lotus flower. In other words, there is no longer the perception of lack, for Marlow indeed has achieved wisdom worth listening to--at a terrible price.