This book sets out to elucidate Conrad's unique insight into the workings of human emotions for a readership of scholars and graduate students engaged in Conrad studies. It argues that the originality of Conrad's conception of human emotions lies in his comprehensive grasp of emotions in the broad framework of a contingent world; he regards emotions as fundamentally a manifestation of human defiance towards reality. The book takes up seven of Conrad's works which are of significance from the perspective of emotions and contingencies, including 'Heart of Darkness' and Nostromo.