The Secret Sharer Analysis
Daniel Migowski
Professor Zephyrhawke
ENC 1102
3/22/13
Research Paper “The Secret Sharer” The story “The Secret Sharer” by Joseph Conrad is a novella that many consider a work of critical and cultural significance. Throughout this story, Conrad depicts the adventure and struggle that a young ship captain faces when confronted with the complexities of leadership, his duty as a captain to follow the law, and his identification and compassion for Leggatt who has confessed to killing a man. As a result the theme revolves around the idea of initiation and self-definition, from the start the captain is confronted with the duties and responsibilities of a captain, he is not only overwhelmed but also impressed with all the responsibilities that he has taken on. Through these experiences, the captain emerges more confident in his abilities to lead his crew. Prior to writing the “The Secret Sharer” Conrad wrote a number of elaborate narratives, which dealt with the moral and psychological problems of leadership. Among these include, “Heart of Darkness” and “The Secret Agent” in these narratives a steady theme written by Conrad focuses on the struggles of leadership through difficult decision-making. In the “The Secret Sharer” Conrad shifts his focus to the narrator’s successful integration of professional function and personal needs.
In “The Secret Sharer” the narrator is a young sea captain who has just been given his first command, the young captain feels unsure of his role and authority on the ship, so he decides to take the first watch of the night. On the watch, he comes across what he thinks is a dead naked man entangled in the side rope ladder. He soon discovers that the man is not dead, his name is Leggatt who shares with the captain that he wanted for killing a man on the Sephora. Leggatt shares with the captain that he saved his vessel by killing the man; therefore, his actions are justified. He does not see himself answerable to the law of his
Professor Zephyrhawke
ENC 1102
3/22/13
Research Paper “The Secret Sharer” The story “The Secret Sharer” by Joseph Conrad is a novella that many consider a work of critical and cultural significance. Throughout this story, Conrad depicts the adventure and struggle that a young ship captain faces when confronted with the complexities of leadership, his duty as a captain to follow the law, and his identification and compassion for Leggatt who has confessed to killing a man. As a result the theme revolves around the idea of initiation and self-definition, from the start the captain is confronted with the duties and responsibilities of a captain, he is not only overwhelmed but also impressed with all the responsibilities that he has taken on. Through these experiences, the captain emerges more confident in his abilities to lead his crew. Prior to writing the “The Secret Sharer” Conrad wrote a number of elaborate narratives, which dealt with the moral and psychological problems of leadership. Among these include, “Heart of Darkness” and “The Secret Agent” in these narratives a steady theme written by Conrad focuses on the struggles of leadership through difficult decision-making. In the “The Secret Sharer” Conrad shifts his focus to the narrator’s successful integration of professional function and personal needs.
In “The Secret Sharer” the narrator is a young sea captain who has just been given his first command, the young captain feels unsure of his role and authority on the ship, so he decides to take the first watch of the night. On the watch, he comes across what he thinks is a dead naked man entangled in the side rope ladder. He soon discovers that the man is not dead, his name is Leggatt who shares with the captain that he wanted for killing a man on the Sephora. Leggatt shares with the captain that he saved his vessel by killing the man; therefore, his actions are justified. He does not see himself answerable to the law of his
Cited: Conrad, Joseph. “The Secret Sharer.” New York: Penguin Group, 1997. Vargish, Thomas. "Conrad’s “The Secret Sharer”: A Private Ethics of Leadership." War, Literature & the Arts: An International Journal of the Human;2010, Vol. 22 Issue 1, P107. N.p., Nov. 2010. Web. 2 Dec. 2012. <http://www.wlajournal.com/22_1-2/images/vargish.pdf>. Dilworth, Thomas. "Conrad 's The Secret Sharer." LINCCWeb SFX Services. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2012. <http://resolver.linccweb.org/FLCC1100?frbrVersion=2>. Richardson, Brian. "LINCCWeb SFX Services." CONSTRUING CONRAD 'S 'THE SECRET SHARER ': SUPPRESSED NARRATIVES, SUBALTERN RECEPTION, AND THE ACT OF INTERPRETATION. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2012. <http://resolver.linccweb.org/FLCC1100?frbrVersion=2>. Perel, Zivah. "Transforming the Hero: Joseph Conrad 's Reconfiguring of Masculine Identity in "The Secret Sharer"." LINCCWeb SFX Services. Conradiana; Spring/Summer2004, Vol. 36 Issue 1/2, P111-129, 19p, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2012. <http://resolver.linccweb.org/FLCC1100?frbrVersion=3>. "Glencoe Literature: Literature Library - Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer."Glencoe Literature: Literature Library - Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2012. <http://www.glencoe.com/sec/literature/litlibrary/heartofdark.html>.