An Outcast of the Islands

An Outcast of the Islands by Joseph Conrad is a novel that tells the story of Willems a Dutch trader who is banished from his trading post in the East Indies for his unethical behaviour. Willems finds himself on a remote island where he meets Aissa a beautiful native woman who becomes his lover. However their relationship is threatened by the arrival of Lingard another trader who has a history with Aissa’s tribe. As Willems becomes more entangled in Lingard’s schemes he realises that he may never be able to escape his past and the consequences of his actions. The novel explores themes of colonialism betrayal and redemption as Willems struggles to find his place in a world that has rejected him.