Using the Mythology of Love to Analyze Amy Foster In Amy Foster, Joseph Conrad wrote a fantastic story that shows the different types of love felt between Amy and Yanko as described by Joseph Campbell in his essay on The Mythology of Love. The relationship between Yanko and Amy is dynamic and changes as the story progresses. At first, Amy feels sympathy for Yanko; she does not see the differences between him and the English as others in Brenzett do. However, later in the story, compassion turns into passion. Amy's son is then born; distinctions appear and she is either no longer able to love Yanko or she loves Yanko so much that she finds that she is incapable of joining Yanko on an earthly plane as Joseph Campbell describes (page 159). Whatever the reasons, Amy refuses to help Yanko in his time of need, resulting in Yanko's death. There is a great change of heart from Amy's initial compassion for Yanko to her nonchalance about his death. However, the results may have just been the product of the different levels of love Amy felt for Yanko. The general population of Brenzett treats Yanko like an escaped madman when he is first spotted in the seaside town. He is whipped, stoned and beaten by many residents. Furthermore, he was captured and caged like a wild animal. He is described as a "drunkard", a "vagrant", and a "creature". It is very different from usual English and is treated as such. He is segregated and is forced to work for Mr. Swaffer. However, a person sees through the differences. Amy, perhaps due to her stupidity or her ability to feel compassion for Yanko, does not see a wild stranger screaming at night and dancing strangely. He only saw the resemblance... middle of paper... an alien and doesn't help him, while she has lost all love for him. It is unclear to the reader whether it is great love that Amy experiences – so great that she cannot bear the pain – or it is the inability to love Yanko anymore that causes her to remain immobile as Yanko asks for her help as she dies in front of him. her.The story of Amy Foster presents an incredible mystery about the love between a boring woman and a foreign man. Even with the help of Joseph Campbell's extremely helpful analysis of love, it's unclear why Amy acts the way she does as Yanko lies on his deathbed. Does Amy have immense love for Yanko or not at all? Whatever the reason, it is clear that throughout the story it expresses many of the different types of love along with their implications discussed in Campbell's essay, The Mythology of Love..