The Secret Sharer | Themes

The Secret Sharer Themes

Initiation and Self-Definition

The captain in "The Secret Sharer" undergoes a process of initiation and self-definition. When confronted with the duties and responsibilities of a captain, he is not only overwhelmed but also impressed with all the responsibilities that he has taken on. He is constantly looking for reassurance from his crew that he is doing fine. He learns from Leggatt that in order to be a good leader, he has to be more aggressive, more intuitive, and more direct. Conrad's captain is exploring various ways in which to define himself; he must come to terms with his aggressiveness or else risk falling into insanity.

Mirror Image

The captain and Leggatt act as mirror images of each other, or as each others' doppelgangers, as "the other" is sometimes called in literature. They both have titles that command respect, they both are young, and they both are from the same background. According to Lionel Trilling,...
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