Plagued with serious personal health problems, being more at home on the sea than on land, enduring years of failure in trying to win a reading audience in England, ironically unable to communicate verbally and coherently in spoken English to his fans; to say nothing of his dark narratives about Imperialism, materialism, corruption, human evil, relationship failures, and abuses of power in landmark works such as Heart of Darkness, Nostromo, The Secret Agent, Lord Jim, Victory, and other great works.
This photo sums up and symbolizes his innermost feelings of isolation, alienation, cynicism, and disillusionment with human nature, choices, and behavior.