Chapter 8 Summary

Jim, telling his story to Marlow, explains how he moved across the ship, intent on cutting the boats free from their moorings, in order to at least give some people a chance at survival. The passengers, unaware of the situation, continued to sleep. A beggar however, clung to Jim, asking him for water for his sick child. Jim, eventually understanding his intention, thrust his water bottle into the man's hands.

Jim catches the skipper and two others trying to free a boat, and is struck on the shoulder with a boat-stretcher by the chief engineer, who had mistaken him for one of the passengers. In their haste, however, they had gotten the sliding bolt of the foremost boat-chock jammed. Jim moves to the starboard side of the boat, as far away from the others as he can. He and the first engineer have...