Effectiveness Of Chapter One Of 'The Secret Agent'
Explore the effectiveness of chapter one of ‘The Secret Agent’.
‘The Secret Agent’ by Joseph Conrad is set in 1886 in London, it tells the story of an anarchist, Adolf Verloc, who owns a shop selling pornographic material and other miscellaneous merchandise. However he is in fact a secret agent working with a group of men who believe the same as him. Within chapter one the reader learns about the Verloc family; Adolf Verloc, the main character of the novel; Winnie Verloc, his wife; Stevie, Winnie’s mentally disabled brother who is cared for by Winnie; and Winnie’s mother who lives with the couple. This first chapter is effective in describing the characters who play a pivotal role in the novel. The shop owned by Adolf Verloc is a front for his true anarchist agenda; it is the first thing described in the opening chapter of the novel. It is described as ‘a square box of a place, with the front glazed in small panes’, this description does not make the shop appear very appealing however it …show more content…
Her hair was very tidy.’ This description shows a woman who would be attractive to many men and is thought to be out of the league of her husband and she could interest men of higher social status then him. In the shop some customers become embarrassed at the idea of buying the shady merchandise so instead purchase over priced stationary. With Mrs Verloc at the till they can make a larger profit when these nervous gentlemen panic at the moment of purchase. This chapter shows that Winnie Verloc may know something about her husband that is not seen by anyone else to remain with him and this is effective in keeping the reader interested. Also her brother Stevie, who has a mental illness, is cared for primarily by Winnie and she cares solely for him as her own son. This love and devotion to Stevie may suggest what her priorities truly are and what she is capable of to protect
‘The Secret Agent’ by Joseph Conrad is set in 1886 in London, it tells the story of an anarchist, Adolf Verloc, who owns a shop selling pornographic material and other miscellaneous merchandise. However he is in fact a secret agent working with a group of men who believe the same as him. Within chapter one the reader learns about the Verloc family; Adolf Verloc, the main character of the novel; Winnie Verloc, his wife; Stevie, Winnie’s mentally disabled brother who is cared for by Winnie; and Winnie’s mother who lives with the couple. This first chapter is effective in describing the characters who play a pivotal role in the novel. The shop owned by Adolf Verloc is a front for his true anarchist agenda; it is the first thing described in the opening chapter of the novel. It is described as ‘a square box of a place, with the front glazed in small panes’, this description does not make the shop appear very appealing however it …show more content…
Her hair was very tidy.’ This description shows a woman who would be attractive to many men and is thought to be out of the league of her husband and she could interest men of higher social status then him. In the shop some customers become embarrassed at the idea of buying the shady merchandise so instead purchase over priced stationary. With Mrs Verloc at the till they can make a larger profit when these nervous gentlemen panic at the moment of purchase. This chapter shows that Winnie Verloc may know something about her husband that is not seen by anyone else to remain with him and this is effective in keeping the reader interested. Also her brother Stevie, who has a mental illness, is cared for primarily by Winnie and she cares solely for him as her own son. This love and devotion to Stevie may suggest what her priorities truly are and what she is capable of to protect