Joseph Conrad Youth is the story of an old ship''s young
second mate, named Marlow, on his first trip to the
East, which was also his first as a
second mate. The story of the voyage itself is told by the older Marlow, twenty two years after it had happened. The ship, Judea, was old and in a poor condition. It was to sail from London to Bangkok. The story of the voyage is the story of the numerous disasters which had
struck the ship and crew on their way. There is a strong emphasis throughout the story on young Marlow''s strong character and stamina in the face of difficulties. The old Marlow attributes it to his Youth (He was twenty at that time).
First a storm struck a week after departing London. The storm caused a month''s delay. Second, a steamer crashed into the side of the boat on the eve of their second departure. The result was another three weeks'' delay. The third disaster came in the form of another storm that had struck near the Lizards Islands. The storm was fierce and the damage was accordingly. The fourth disaster was the reputation the ship had gained. Because of it the officers couldn’t find a crew to man the ship even after repairs were made. As a consequence they (the Captain, first mate and Marlow) stayed at the intermediate harbor for six months. Only when a new crew was sent from Liverpool the ship could set sail again. On this part of the journey the final blow was landed. Rather close to the shores of Asia the cargo of coal caught fire and exploded, after a few days the fire spread throughout the vessel and drowned it. The crew finished the journey on three life boats.