Lord Jim Guilt and Blame Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #7

"He was universally condemned for the brutal violence, so unbecoming a man in his delicate position [...]" (19.3)

Jim gets blamed for all kinds of things throughout the book. What's interesting about this episode is how people expect a "guilty" person to behave in a certain way. Jim's bar brawl is offensive because, as a guilty individual, he ought to behave better to make up for his past deeds. It's as if Jim forfeited all emotions aside from remorse after his bad choice aboard the Patna.

Quote #8

"[B]ut my Jim, for the most part, sulked down below as though he had been a stowaway." (19.4)

This image of Jim sulking reminds us of just how young he is, as if he's too immature to properly handle his own circumstances.

Quote #9

"And suddenly I heard her quiet whisper again, 'Other men had sworn the same thing.' It was like a meditative comment on some thoughts full of sadness, of awe." (33.6)

Jewel has a lot of mixed-up feelings toward men (not surprising given her wicked stepfather). She can't trust Jim, and by the novel's end she blames him for leaving her, perhaps because she doesn't quite understand the guilt Jim was carrying with him about other matters.