Chapters 36 and 37

Summary

Up until the last chapter, Marlow has been telling the story of Jim to his friends, who had assembled after dinner on the verandah of the hotel. All of the men leave when Marlow completes his narrative with his departure from Patusan; only one of the listeners is ever to know the final story of Jim -- to learn what happened to the man who had accepted great responsibility on a foreign and mysterious island. Two years later the man received a packet from Marlow with four enclosures. One was a sheet of grayish "foolscap" in Jim's handwriting; it was apparently his attempt to write back to England. The second was a letter that Jim had received from his father. The third and fourth are documents written by Marlow. The first was a letter to the recipient and the other was Marlow's account of Jim's last days and his death.

Marlow's letter to the recipient reminds him of the doubts he had about Jim. He then tells of Jim's building a system of defense for the natives in Patusan shortly after Marlow's departure. He dug a trench around an area of land and then fenced it. He next placed cannons at the corners. Jim called the enclosed area "The Fort, Patusan," and it was known as a place where the natives could come for safety in times of danger.

In the letter from Jim's father, which he received just before he boarded the Patna, there is a description about what each person in the family is doing. Since Jim's father was a pastor, the letter also gives advice about faith and goodness and cautions Jim not to be tempted. He warns his son not "to do anything which you believe to be wrong."

There is also an unfinished letter from Jim which said "The Fort, Patusan" and "I must now at once." The letter is so abrupt that Marlow cannot make out what it means.

Over a year after parting from Jim in Patusan and before visiting Brown, Marlow visited Batavia and called on Stein, who was still depressed over the news of Jim's death under very tragic circumstances. At the time Jim's wife, Jewel and servant Tamb'Itam were living in Stein's house, so Marlow learned more about Jim from them. Tamb'Itam keeps emphasizing the fact that Jim refused to fight, but supplies no details.

Marlow first sees Jewel in the reception room. As always, she is dressed in white, but the clothing cannot cover her obvious despair over the loss of her husband. She feels betrayed by him, for he did "leave" her even though he had promised not to go from Patusan. She also feels angry with Jim for not saving himself. Stein wants Marlow to convince her to forgive Jim.

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