Why does Bierly jump? Why does Jim? For all the latter’s expulcation, we hardly know. We can posit that Bierly jumped because of Jim. Jim seems to stir in all sailors conflicting feelings of guilt and duty. Everyone recognizes the wrong, yet there’s an understanding too, a recognition of the imperfection of man. In short: some mix of duty, indecision, and fear.

Bierly would have Jim vanish, to save the collective soul of mariners all. The Frenchman would excuse the fear, yet not the dishonour. And Marlow? His aims are conflicted (as are Jim’s deeds). He seems to want to salvage some sense of himself, some sense which only unfolds in his telling.

Marlow interogates Jim. But who interogates Marlow? We are invited to his table, and we seek the truth–Marlow’s truth–about Jim. Marlow may be scoundrel or savior; we don’t know. But we are subject to his report, his judgement. A judgement which even Marlow is unsure of.