Character of Arsat in Joseph Conrad's THE LAGOON Thank you Shyamasree

The Malayan native, Arsat, in Conrad's
story, The Lagoon is a man who suffers from a moral dilemma, a
soul-eating sense of guilt.Diamelen was his world of love with whom he wanted to escape
to a country where death is unknown. Arsat and his brother were men endowed with great
courage and a spirit of adventure. Arsat'sbrother stood by Arsat's side and sacrificed
his life so that Arsatcould escape with his beloved to safety. At a very critical
juncture when Arsat had Diamelen in the boat and they were just about to steer clear of
the pursuers, Arsat's brother holding the pursuers in check with a gun was being
overpowered and put to death. Arsat'sbrother called Arsat by his name and sought his
brotherly support, but Arsat chose to escape with his love to some destination where
there is no shadow of death.

Ever since living
with Diamelen beside the lagoon in the forests,Arsat suffers from a sense of guilt,
holding himself responsible for his brother's death. When Diamelen too dies of some
strange disease, Arsat is totally disillusioned, doubly weighed with the burden of
guilt. He can see nothing although the nocturnal darkness of the jungle
is considerably removed by the morning
sunshine.

Arsat's tragedy is one of love and betrayal, of
impulse and infatuation. He pays the penalty of a wrong moral choice, his error being
the choice to buy love at the cost of integrity.