“…this papier-mâché Mephistopheles…” (pg. 31)
Mephistopheles is a common alias for the Devil. Satan, under this name, appeared in Christopher Marlowe’s play, The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, and in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's play, Faust. Marlow uses this pseudonym to describe the brick maker because he is essentially a modern day Satan. The brick maker had been scheming to gain the power of assistant manager similarly to how Satan attempted to overthrow God. Conrad uses papier-mâché to metaphorically describe how “hollow” the brick maker is (probably as the result of his failure) as Marlow could “poke a forefinger through him, and find nothing inside but a little loose dirt…” This metaphor could also have served to describe the entire company, an organization that is intriguing from the outside, but is truly a sham.
"Mephistopheles: Encyclopedia - Mephistopheles." Global Oneness. Web. 12 Aug. 2009. http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Mephistopheles/id/524767
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