Conan Stories · Question
How does Conan Stories develop the theme of Civilization vs. Barbarism?
Answer
Conan Stories by Robert E. Howard develops Civilization vs. Barbarism across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
The book contrasts the corrupt, decadent, and hypocritical nature of civilized societies with the raw, honest, and vital strength of barbarian cultures, embodied by Conan's Cimmerian heritage.
Conan's disdain for civilized laws and his raw, violent nature contrast with the ordered society he flees, while the pirate encounter blurs the line between civilized and barbaric.
The contrast between the ancient civilization of Dagon and the barbaric Yuetshi, and Conan's own barbarian perspective against the decadent sorcery.
The chapter starkly contrasts the ordered but fragile fort of the Aquilonians with the wild, untamed Pictish wilderness, questioning the permanence of civilization.
Evidence in the book
- I: Conan Joins the Pirates
Conan's disdain for civilized laws and his raw, violent nature contrast with the ordered society he flees, while the pirate encounter blurs the line between civilized and barbaric.
- V
The contrast between the ancient civilization of Dagon and the barbaric Yuetshi, and Conan's own barbarian perspective against the decadent sorcery.
- Beyond the Black River
The chapter starkly contrasts the ordered but fragile fort of the Aquilonians with the wild, untamed Pictish wilderness, questioning the permanence of civilization.
- II: The Wizard of Gwawela
Fort Tuscelan represents the fragile edge of civilization against the dark, untamed Pictish wilderness and its sorcery.
- Red Axes of the Border
The contrast between the disciplined but doomed fort defenders and the savage Picts highlights the tension between civilized order and barbaric ferocity.
- VIII: Conajohara No More
The chapter explicitly contrasts the 'unnatural' state of civilization with the 'natural' state of barbarism, as the borderer declares that barbarism must ultimately triumph.
- Red Nails
The lost city represents a fallen civilization, where the remnants of its people have devolved into savage, internecine warfare, contrasting with Conan's more primal but honorable barbarism.
- III: The People of the Feud
The Tecuhltli live in a decadent, isolated city with elaborate customs and a blood feud, contrasting with Conan's pragmatic barbarism.
