In the story, The Secret Sharer, one of Joseph Conrad's main themes is identity and how it can change over time. Readers are under the impression in this book that the captain can have a lack of security and is afraid that he won't succeed. The captain seems to be lost inside his soul and also with his shipmates. Every man or woman will always feel this way. Sometimes we wonder what our purpose is or what are reason on this earth is. The captain was at this point of life.
             The captain felt as if he were a stranger towards his mates. On a ship, a crew is supposed to be a family. They are supposed to work together. It is like marriage, crewmembers go through the thick and the thin together and love each other in the end. The captain contradicts that whole idea when he says, " . . .my position was that of the only stranger on board." (19) A year and a half means nothing to the captain. All the work and time spent with his crew means nothing and the captain feels rather empty, as if something is missing. Looking for something to fill his emptiness, the captain often acts very generous to his crew taking positions that a normal seaman would have. By doing this, he is possibly looking for friendship through his work because of the insecurity of his personality.
             While on guard during a time when a fellow crew member was supposed to beon watch, the captain saw a body floating across the top of the water. This person that was floating played an intricate role in the book. His name was Leggatt. Throughout the book Conrad mentioned Leggatt as the captain's double. They had the same color hair, eyes, and even the same sea hat. They both shared the same clothes and even stayed in the same room with one another. Having this double makes the captain almost selfish. Leggatt was the captain's secret and he had something that no one else had. This filled the captain's emptiness and he became obsessed with who he was and how he ...