They wanted facts. Facts! They demanded facts from him, as if facts could explain anything!
In Joseph Conrad's "Lord Jim," the protagonist faces intense scrutiny and is pressured to provide concrete evidence to justify his actions. The demand for 'facts' reflects a deep-seated belief that empirical data can elucidate human behavior and moral dilemmas. This insistence on factual evidence underscores the broader struggle between objective truth and subjective experience in understanding one's character and decisions.
Furthermore, the quote highlights a critical tension in the narrative, where...