In Search of a Perfect Form and Style: Turgenev andConrad’s Emphasis on Visual Impression

The human face as a mask that can both hide and emphasise the main traits of human personality and  thoughts  was  used  by  Turgenev  and  Conrad.  In  the  society  depicted  in  such novels  as Under  Western  Eyes,  Virgin  Soil and  Smoke where  secrecy  and  hypocrisy  are a  universal condition  of  man,  face  reading  becomes  an  essential  factor.  The  references  to eyes as well as words and outside look indicate something about the characters concerned and can be considered as a means attributing a moral significance to physical appearance. As eyes are closely related to communication and knowledge, comments about the characters’ eyes implicate their knowledge and honesty with which they communicate with other people.