It seems that if you sneeze in Costaguana, you end up in a war with someone. Okay, okay, we exaggerate… but not by much. A lot of conflicts went down before Nostromo: A Tale of The Seaport even starts, and their legacy continues to have an impact on the characters. Then, of course, there's the war at the heart of the novel's plot, which happens when General Montero's people decide to take out the regime of Don Vincente Ribiera. Even when all that is cleared up at the end, we have a sense that peace won't last for too long.
Questions About War/Peace
- What do you think of Martin's idea of secession? Do you think it's likely to "break the mold" of Costaguana politics enough to prevent wars in the future?
- Do you agree with Doctor Monygham's assertion that more conflict is on the way once people turn against the Goulds?
- Does the novel present enduring peace as a possibility? Why won't the people of Costaguana give peace a chance… for more than five minutes?
Chew on This
Martin's secessionist ideas are more of the same old, same old. He's trying to preserve a Costaguana ruled by rich people with "the purest blood" (II.5.66), which is basically what they had before—and what got the Monterists so riled up.
Conrad implies that peace is currently impossible in Costaguana—at least, for the foreseeable future.