The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad

A detailed Summary of The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad

In the short story "The Secret Sharer" by Joseph Conrad, the captain of the ship, the Colorado, changes from an insecure and inexperienced ship captain to a more confident and secure individual, due to his experiences with the Secret Sharer. At first, the captain is not sure of his place on the ship and does not feel right about being in charge. Through his relationship with the Secret Sharer, the captain finds identity and becomes a confident person.

In the beginning of the story, the captain is very uneasy when he is thrown into the position of captain of a ship travelling on a long and arduous journey. The captain begins to feel insecure about running his ship and questions his ability to lead his ship. During one of the first nights on board the ship, the captain demonstrates his thoughts of insecurity and self-consciousness when he does something that a captain would not normally do: he plans to take part in the night watch. "I felt painfully that I - a stranger - was doing something unusual when I direc

Through a close and secret relationship with the Secret Sharer, the captain begins to find his identity and transforms into a very confident and able captain. The Secret Sharer is even referred to as the captain's "double". The captain starts to identify with the Secret Sharer, which helps him feel comforted and understood on a ship of strangers: "I had become so connected in thoughts and impressions with the secret sharer of my cabin..." (951). The captain and the Secret Sharer connect and develop a close, empathetic relationship that helps the captain to find identity and understanding. Near the end of the story, the captain gets in tune with himself and feels confident and secure about his abilities and role as captain. After choosing to risk the life of himself and his crew in order to save the Secret Sharer, the captain skillfully averts destruction and remarks on his newfound trust in his crew and his ability as the ship's commander: "Nothing! no one on the world should stand between us, throwing a shadow on the way of silent knowledge a

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Approximate Word count = 713
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad

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