Amy Foster Summary

Amy Foster is a short story by Joseph Conrad, first published in 1901. It was part of his collection Typhoon and Other Stories (1903). The story delves into themes of isolation, cultural clash, and fear of the unknown, exploring the tragic effects of misunderstanding between different cultures. Conrad uses the characters of Amy and Yanko to examine how fear and prejudice can drive people apart, despite their best intentions. The story also sheds light on the harshness of immigrant experiences and the emotional consequences of being misunderstood in an unfamiliar society.

Summary

In the story "Amy Foster," Dr. Kennedy, a smart local doctor, tells the narrator about a man and woman who fell in love in the English countryside.

Dr. Kennedy is the narrator's host, and they travel around the countryside together. They visit a woman named Amy Foster, who the narrator describes as dull. Dr. Kennedy agrees that Amy is dull but says she is also kind. He also tells the narrator that Amy once had enough imagination to fall in love.

Amy was born to a shepherd and his wife. She was the oldest of her siblings and had to work on the Smiths' farm when she turned fifteen. She sent all her money home to her family and even walked long distances to help with chores at her family's cottage. One day, a strange man came to the Smith farm, looking tired and confused, which scared Mrs. Smith. Amy stopped Mr. Smith from hurting the man.

The man’s name was Yanko Goorall. He was an immigrant from Central Europe who had been traveling to America with a company that turned out to be a scam. This company took people’s money and property. Yanko didn't speak English and seemed strange to the local villagers. He was given a job on another nearby farm and slowly started to fall in love with Amy because she was kind to him. He bought her a ribbon and began courting her. But the other villagers mocked him for being different.

Yanko later moved to work on another farm, where he saved the grandchild of the family, the Smiths, from drowning. As a reward, the Smiths gave him a piece of land. He and Amy eventually got married, even though Amy’s father, Isaac, didn’t approve. Isaac didn't like Yanko because he was foreign and strange. He also didn’t want to lose Amy's help and money. After their wedding, Amy and Yanko moved into a cottage on the land that Yanko had been given.

Amy and Yanko had one son named Johnny. When Johnny was born, Yanko wanted him to pray with him and also teach him his language. But Amy, who had never left her small English village, didn’t want Johnny learning things that seemed strange to her. She grabbed the boy away from Yanko and didn’t want him to teach Johnny anything. Yanko then told Dr. Kennedy that he just wanted someone to talk to in his native language.

One day, Yanko became very sick and begged Amy for water. As he was feverish, he spoke in his language, but Amy couldn’t understand him. She became scared of him and ran away with Johnny, thinking his behavior was strange. Yanko died, and Amy never mentioned him again. Dr. Kennedy said that Amy's father was happy that Yanko was gone. Amy took care of her and Yanko's child, Johnny, with a lot of love. Dr. Kennedy remarked that Johnny looked very much like his father, Yanko.

Character Analysis

The Narrator
The narrator is staying with his friend, Dr. Kennedy. One day, while they’re driving around visiting Dr. Kennedy’s patients, they meet Amy, who is the widow of Yanko Goorall. Dr. Kennedy then shares the story of Amy and her late husband with the narrator.

Dr. Kennedy
Dr. Kennedy is the narrator’s good friend. He has a tan face, a big laugh, and gray eyes. He’s a smart man who listens carefully and encourages people to talk freely. He used to be a Navy surgeon and has traveled all over the world.

Isaac Foster
Isaac Foster is Amy’s father. He used to work as a farmer but now tends to sheep. Dr. Kennedy thinks his life changed for the worse after he married. Isaac didn’t like Amy’s choice of husband, Yanko. He didn’t want to lose the money Amy earned from her job, and he didn’t approve of Yanko. Isaac’s wife works as a cook for his father.

Amy Foster
Amy Foster is the widow of Yanko Goorall. The narrator describes her as a dull woman, but Dr. Kennedy says she at least had the imagination to fall in love. Amy was the oldest of a big family and started working at New Barns Farm when she was just fifteen. Dr. Kennedy met her there and remembers her as kind and gentle. She fell in love with Yanko after he learned a little English and started courting her. They moved into his cottage together. Though she loved Yanko, his strange habits and language frightened her. One night, when Yanko got sick, she ran away with their son, scared by what he was saying. Yanko died, and since then, Amy has never spoken about him again.

Yanko Goorall
Yanko Goorall was a shipwrecked immigrant from Central Europe, on his way to America. He came from the Carpathian Mountains but knew little about the world. Dr. Kennedy thought he was kind and good-hearted, though a bit ignorant. Yanko didn’t even know the name of the ship he had been traveling on. When he arrived at Mrs. Smith’s farm, he was unable to speak English and frightened her. Amy, who worked for the Smiths, asked her husband to be kind to Yanko. Yanko eventually fell in love with Amy, and they married, having a son named Johnny. Yanko fell ill with a lung disease and died. Amy was too scared to help him when he needed water because she didn’t understand the language he was speaking.

The Swaffers
The Swaffers are the family who hired Yanko. When he saved one of their grandchildren, they rewarded him by giving him a cottage to live in.

The Smiths
The Smiths were the family who employed Amy. She worked for them for four years before marrying Yanko.

Themes Analysis

In Amy Foster, Amy's fear of the unknown is a key part of her character. Although she falls in love with Yanko and tries to be kind, she can't handle his strange customs and language. After they have a child, her fear grows, and she starts to worry about the influence he might have on their son. She doesn't let Yanko speak his language to Johnny or teach him how to pray in his way. Eventually, her fear leads her to leave when Yanko, sick and desperate, asks for help but can't speak English. Her inability to understand him and her fear of what’s unfamiliar directly cause his death.

Yanko’s story is one of deep isolation. Though he’s kind and wants to connect with others, no one seems to accept him. He had traveled with a man from Central Europe, but they were separated on the journey. He tries to make friends and falls in love with Amy for her kindness, but cultural differences keep him at a distance. In the end, he shares with Kennedy his hope of teaching his son Johnny his native language, a small act of connection that he never got to experience with others.

Amy's father, Isaac, also plays a role in the theme of disapproval. He had gone against his own father’s wishes when he married Amy’s mother, and the consequences were tough. He became a shepherd, and Amy had to start working early to help support the family. When Amy marries Yanko, Isaac disapproves again. He insults Yanko, calling him a fool, and when Yanko dies, Isaac coldly remarks that maybe it’s for the best. It’s clear Isaac’s unhappiness stems partly from how Amy’s marriage means the money she earns will no longer come to him but will go to her own household instead.