The Arrow of Gold · Chapters

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Chapter companions for The Arrow of Gold by Joseph Conrad.

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Chapter 1
Epigraph
The chapter opens with a French epigraph from 'Caractères', suggesting that those who have only known polite and reasonable men either do not know man at all, or know him only halfway.
Chapter 2
Dedication
The book is dedicated to Richard Curle.
Chapter 3
Author's Note
In this Author's Note, Joseph Conrad explains the origins and intentions behind The Arrow of Gold. He addresses critics' suspicions about concealed facts and inadequate motives, asserting that the narrative is based on his own imperfect knowledge and understanding. He clarifies that the story is framed between two notes, which establish the historical circumstances of the twelve months covered. Conrad reveals that the book was written during the darkest hours of World War I, from autumn 1917 to summer 1918, and that the subject had long been a part of his memory. He acknowledges the connection to his earlier work The Mirror of the Sea, noting that the same Dominic and balancelle Tremolino appear, but that the new book explores a different kind of love—an initiation into a life of passion. He insists that the story is given complete, with all its imperfections, and that he chose sincerity over invention.
Chapter 4
The Arrow of Gold
The opening of 'The Arrow of Gold' presents the book's title and subtitle, 'A Story Between Two Notes,' establishing the narrative frame of a tale told between two distinct points or communications.
Chapter 5
First Note
The narrator introduces the manuscript as a story written for a childhood friend, recounting his first great adventure in Marseilles during the Carlist wars in Spain. The chapter sets up the background: Mills and Captain Blunt, on behalf of legitimist sympathizers, seek a young man to organize a supply of arms to Carlist detachments. They find the narrator, who becomes 'Monsieur George,' and plan to involve him in the enterprise, with Doña Rita as the persuader.

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Epigraph

Dedication

Author's Note

The Arrow of Gold

First Note