1.) “…darting scared glances, with Winchesters at ‘ready’ in their hands…” (Conrad 52)
A Winchester is a certain type of rifle that was among the first ‘repeating rifles’ and could also be recognizable as ‘the gun that won the west’ due to the fact that it played a major role in western expansion. It seems as though Conrad is trying to state that when faced with a frightening situation one always feels more secure with a weapon or some sort of defense mechanism. Many people in this time period carried guns with them for protection and that were very easily accessible due to the large number of attacks that took place on the river.
nice- - I like that you are exploring why Conrad is careful to indicate the weaponry -- why do you think he is so specific to point out makes and models?
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