Leggatt As An Independent Character In Joseph Conrad's "The Secret Sharer"
This essay examines Leggatt as an independent person, rather than as a
symbol connected to the captain-narrator, a view shared by many critics.
Leggatt is not a negative influence on the captain per se. From an objective
point of view, it can be seen that Leggatt's portrayal depends entirely on how
the captain (as narrator) perceives him, and that he deserves to be treated as
the individual being that he is.
Many of Conrad's critics, most notably Albert J. Guerard , Robert W.
Stallmann , have taken the view that Leggatt, of the novella "The Secret
Sharer," is either some sort of symbol of the captain's dark side, a kind of
role model for the captain, or that he is part of the ...
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one's punishment—all of which
Leggatt do—only worsen the issue. The captain claims that in swimming to the
island Koh-ring, his double had "lowered himself into the water to take his
punishment" (Conrad 193). However, as Cedric Watts argues, this is only true
because Leggatt, by escaping justice, will face an uncertain future marooned on
an island (134). In reality, Leggatt is doing the opposite; he is lowering
himself into the water to escape from the law, for it is unlikely that he would
get off scot-free in court. The captain describes Koh-ring as "a towering black
mass like the very gateway of Erebus," (Conrad 193) Erebus being the cavern
through which the souls of the dead entered Hades' world (Watts 134).
Leggatt and the captain discover soon after they first meet that they
are both "Conway boys," that is, as cadets, they served as crew on the training-
ship the Conway, which is moored in the Mersey at Liverpool (Conrad 146). In
this novel, the Conway serves as "a ...
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life. However, Leggatt is not responsible for the captain's behavior.
During the course of the novella, the captain always retains the power to choose
his actions and to make his own decisions. The dark characterization of Leggatt
comes from the captain's perspective and portrayal of Leggatt.
The captain is an alienated man. At the very beginning of the novel, he
comments a few times that he is the only stranger on board his ship: "...my
position was that of the only stranger on board....But what I felt most was my
being a stranger to the ship, and if all the truth must be told, I was somewhat
of a stranger to myself" (Conrad 137-138). At this point in the story, the
reader first ...
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Leggatt As An Independent Character In Joseph Conrad's "The Secret Sharer". (2008, July 2). Retrieved April 25, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Leggatt-Independent-Character-Joseph-Conrads-Secret/86136
"Leggatt As An Independent Character In Joseph Conrad's "The Secret Sharer"." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 2 Jul. 2008. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Leggatt-Independent-Character-Joseph-Conrads-Secret/86136>
"Leggatt As An Independent Character In Joseph Conrad's "The Secret Sharer"." Essayworld.com. July 2, 2008. Accessed April 25, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Leggatt-Independent-Character-Joseph-Conrads-Secret/86136.
"Leggatt As An Independent Character In Joseph Conrad's "The Secret Sharer"." Essayworld.com. July 2, 2008. Accessed April 25, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Leggatt-Independent-Character-Joseph-Conrads-Secret/86136.
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