The Secret Sharer
In Joseph Conrad's novel The Secret Sharer a moral can be identified that touches on the premises of finding and identifying one's dual personalities in order to establish one's character. Conrad's novel explores the possibility that everyone has a binary personality and that to really be true to one's self, they must recognize and give in to this possibility. In The Secret Sharer, the Captain, the protagonist, finds a naked man clinging to the side ladder of his ship. The man, Leggatt, is a runaway from his ship the Sephora due to the fact that he accidentally killed a crew member in a bad storm. The reader learns that the Captain has just recently acquired his position and that he is not respected by his crew because of his strangeness to them and the ship. Like the Captain, the man that he fin
" Each man offers something to his double. The two men share many qualities, and the Captain refers to Leggatt throughout the work as his "second self. The Secret Sharer dictates the moral that one's personality is created through the intertwining of two contrasting images of oneself, and the developing of a person's character by these traits. These dual personality traits are what make a man whole, a complete soul. Conrad allows the reader a glimpse into his or her own duality, and brings them in touch with the side that lies dormant, waiting to be released. The appearance of Leggatt changes the Captain's personality entirely. " Conrad stresses the idea that Leggatt is the captains double. The Captain offers Leggatt a place to hide and a chance to escape, and Leggatt, by his escape, forces the Captain to take charge of his crew and prove himself a worthy captain. Leggatt is figuratively a "part" of the Captain that he doesn't know he possesses. This brings about a struggle between the balancing of the rational and the irrational, the weak and the strong, the brave and the cowardly. At the end of the story, Leggatt has effectively opened the Captain's eyes to what a good captain he really is and what kind of person he can be. Leggatt represents the more sinister and brutal side of man, while the Captain symbolizes the rational and civilized one. Then the reader learns that both men are young, both hold (or held in Leggatt's case) posts of importance that they acquired through their connections, both are "Conway boys", a boy sailor that has been trained on the British battleship Conway, both are isolated from their respective crews, both save a ship during a dangerous event (Leggatt saved his during a storm and the Captain saves his while letting Leggatt escape) , and both eventually set out for "new destinies.
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Acceptance Essays
