Words, Gestures, and Situations: The Ironic Resonances in Conrad’s Under Western Eyes

This article examines the ironic resonances of the words, gestures, and situations in Joseph Conrad’s Under Western Eyes (1911), an aspect of the novel, which while recognized by critics, has not been examined to their fullest extent. It also counters readings that argue Razumov’s betrayal of Haldin is either not central to the novel or not a crime. Ironies course through the novel, with Razumov being primarily both the victim and victimizer of irony. He apparently delights in using irony to deflate the pretensions of a revolutionist like Peter Ivanovitch. But Razumov is both aware and unaware of the irony that recoils upon him. When he is exposed to the sting of irony, it often brings him pain, for he is forced to ponder helplessly the ironic ramifications. Misperceived gestures and actions, which are almost comic in their incongruity, reinforce the irony just as situational repetitions and reversals do. It is as a victim of irony that Razumov ultimately earns the reader’s sympathy and pity.