# Almayer — An Outcast of the Islands character guide > Almayer in An Outcast of the Islands by Joseph Conrad. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Sambir, The unconscious Almayer, Nina Almayer **First appearance:** 0003-an-outcast-of-the-islands ## Snapshot A Dutch trader in Sambir whose dreams of wealth and a future for his daughter collapse under the weight of betrayal and his own helpless fury. ## Who they are Almayer clings to his rotting trading post and his hopes for his daughter Nina, but his fortune depends entirely on Captain Lingard's protection and the loyalty of men like Willems. He watches his world dismantled from his own verandah, raging at slights he cannot avenge. His impotent fury and gnawing fear of poverty make him both pitiable and dangerous as the settlement's balance of power shifts. ## Relationships ### [Willems](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/characters/willems) _rivalry_ Almayer resents Willems as a rival for Lingard's favor and business, and their relationship is marked by jealousy and mutual contempt. ### [Captain Lingard](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/characters/captain_lingard) _professional_ Almayer is Lingard's subordinate and business agent, dependent on Lingard's patronage but increasingly frustrated by his authority. ### [Ali](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/characters/ali) _professional_ Ali is Almayer's loyal Malay servant, who carries out his master's orders with quiet efficiency. ### [Joanna](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/characters/joanna) _social_ Almayer is a reluctant host to Joanna after she flees Willems, treating her with cold courtesy and barely concealed irritation. ### [Willems](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/characters/willems) _rivalry_ Almayer resents Willems as a rival for Lingard's favor and business, and their relationship is marked by jealousy and mutual contempt. ### [Captain Lingard](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/characters/captain_lingard) _professional_ Almayer is Lingard's subordinate and business agent, dependent on Lingard's patronage but increasingly frustrated by his authority. ### [Captain Lingard](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/characters/captain_lingard) _professional_ Almayer is Lingard's subordinate and business agent, dependent on Lingard's patronage but increasingly frustrated by his authority. ### [Willems](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/characters/willems) _rivalry_ Almayer resents Willems as a rival for Lingard's favor and business, and their relationship is marked by jealousy and mutual contempt. ### [Ali](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/characters/ali) _professional_ Ali is Almayer's loyal Malay servant, who carries out his master's orders with quiet efficiency. ### [Joanna](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/characters/joanna) _social_ Almayer is a reluctant host to Joanna after she flees Willems, treating her with cold courtesy and barely concealed irritation. ### [Ali](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/characters/ali) _professional_ Ali is Almayer's loyal Malay servant, who carries out his master's orders with quiet efficiency. ## In the story ### [Author's Note](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/chapters/author-s-note) Hosts Willems at Sambir, shows venomous dislike, and blames him for bringing Arabs into the river. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/chapters/part-i-v) Lingard's representative in Sambir, whose trade dominance is an obstacle to Lakamba's ambitions. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/chapters/part-i-vi) Willems' hostile host; their relationship deteriorates into open enmity. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/chapters/part-i-vii) Hosts Willems but remains oblivious to his turmoil; his mundane presence contrasts with Willems' inner chaos. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/chapters/part-ii-i) Hostile and mocking toward Willems; protective of his daughter and his position as the sole trader in Sambir, he refuses Willems' request and threatens him. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/chapters/part-ii-iii) The white trader in Sambir, resented by the locals for his oppressive practices and mockery, and the target of the conspiracy. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/chapters/part-iii-i) Narrates the events of Willems's betrayal and Abdulla's arrival, expressing bitterness and a sense of lost authority. ### [Chapter II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/chapters/part-iii-ii) Narrates the coup to Lingard, expressing bitterness and helplessness. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/chapters/part-iii-iii) Narrates his humiliation by Willems, including being sewn into a hammock and having his powder destroyed. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/chapters/part-iii-iv) Urges Lingard to act against Willems; expresses frustration with his wife's behavior and his own loss of appetite; reports Abdulla's offer. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/chapters/part-iv-iv) Mentioned by Willems as a fool who suspected and hated him from the start, though not present in the scene. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/chapters/part-v-i) Almayer is the focal point of the chapter, consumed by fear and hatred of Willems, and driven to a desperate resolution to remove him. ### [Chapter II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/chapters/part-v-ii) Almayer orchestrates Joanna's escape, tests Mahmat's loyalty, and dreams of a bright future for his daughter Nina. ### [Chapter II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/chapters/part-v-ii) Nina is seen sleeping in her cot, the object of Almayer's tender and ambitious dreams for her future. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/chapters/part-v-iv) Mentioned indirectly as having kept silent about Aissa, contributing to Willems' fear of exposure. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/characters/almayer - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/an_outcast_of_the_islands_se/characters