Chance: A Tale in Two Parts

"Chance: A Tale in Two Parts" by Joseph Conrad is narrated by Conrad's regular narrator, Charles Marlow, along with other narrators, who take up the complex narrative at different points. The novel is also unusual among its author's works for such strong emphasis on a female character: the heroine, Flora de Barral. The narrators attempt to interpret various episodes in the life of Miss de Barral, the daughter of a convicted swindler named Smith de Barral. Miss de Barral leads a sheltered life for as long as her father is prosperous, but at other times must rely on the generosity of others, who resent her or have agendas for her, before she escapes by marrying Captain Anthony.