The secret sharer
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The document summarizes Joseph Conrad's short story "The Secret Sharer". It provides background on Conrad and discusses how the story is based on a real incident from the 1880s. It then summarizes the plot of the story, which involves a young captain who rescues a fugitive named Leggatt who is hiding from punishment. The captain feels a strong affinity for Leggatt and works to hide him on board, but eventually helps Leggatt escape to shore, defying his crew's protests.
The secret sharer
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- 3. Joseph Conrad The Secret Sharer 3
- 4. The Secret Sharer is a novelette by Joseph Conrad. It was first published in the August and September 1910 issues of Harper’s Magazine. It contains altogether 16,650 words. It narrates the story of a young captain’s first command of a ship. Both the captain and the ship were anonymous. 4
- 5. Joseph Conrad (3rd December, 1857 -3rd August,1924.) Joseph Conrad was a Pole. He wrote in English. He is considered one of the greatest English novelists, though he could not speak English fluently. He wrote stories/novels mainly on nautical settings i,e he wrote mainly on the sea life and the problems associated with it. His prose is distinct in its stylistic merits. He brought non-English sensibilities in English prose literature. Modern and even postmodern characteristics abound in his stories and novels. For example the Concept of Double OR the theme of ‘Doppelganger’ in ‘The Secret Sharer’ is a postmodern characteristic. 5
- 6. The story of The Secret Sharer is based on a real incident. In the 1880s, a mate aboard the Cutty Sark killed an insubordinate sailor during an altercation in which the insubordinate sailor eventually died. Like Leggatt, the killer who escapes punishment and befriends the story's narrator, the murderer escaped his punishment by swimming to a new destiny. 6
- 7. The Secret Sharer possesses only six characters. They are— i.The nameless Captain (The hero cum narrator of the story). ii.Leggatt (The escaped Convict and the captain’s Double). iii.Archbold,the captain of the ship Saphora. iv.The Second Mate. v.The Chief Mate . vi.The Steward. 7
- 8. Context:- The incidents narrated in the story took place in an unnamed ship which was under the command of a newly appointed inexperienced Young Captain. He took the charge of the ship only a fortnight before the voyage. The ship was passing through the Gulf of Shiam (Thailand). They saw the mast of a neighbouring cargo ship named ‘Saphora’. It was carrying Coal to New South wells. 8
- 9. The anonymous captain Leggatt 9
- 10. Plot The young captain assumes the command of his ship only a fortnight before the action of the story begins. Because of this, he is doubtful, untried, and feels himself alienated and at the mercy of the crew. As a goodwill gesture toward the crew, who have been working hard the last two days, the Captain announces that he will take the anchor watch until 1:00 a.m., something usually not done by a ship's captain. 10
- 11. During the anchor watch, quite by chance he rescues leggatt who had fled from Sephora after killing a an insolent ship-mate for self defense. The Captain takes him into his stateroom and further learns that Leggatt was kept under arrest. The Captain feels an unexplainable affinity to Leggatt. He often refers him as "my double" or "second self.“And resolves to save him at any cost. 11
- 12. The Sephora's captain arrives in his search for the escaped Leggatt. He searches the ship, but Leggatt remains hidden because of the tactful maneuverings of the Captain. However, it became difficult on his part to keep leggatt hidden in his ship for a long time. Leggatt tells the Captain that he must maroon him amongst some islands, because he doesn’t like to face punishment. The captain agrees reluctantly. 12
- 13. The Captain orders the crew to steer the ship close to the shore of the island Koh-ring. Defying the protest of the crew, he steers the ship very close to the shore and thus provides Leggatt a chance to swim to safety. Leggatt jumps off the deck and swims to safety, the Captain successfully maneuvers the ship out of danger, and the story ends with the captain’s wishes of Leggatt’s luck in finding his "new destiny. 13
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- 15. A PPT by Indranil Sarkar Sapatgram College,Sapatgram Assam, India Contact: 9859945270 15