Review: The Secret Sharer

In AP Lit, we had to read The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad, author of the famous book, Heart of Darkness. The story focuses around a ship's captain who doubts himself as a leader of his crew, seeing himself as a stranger to them. He then meets a man named Leggatt who heavily influences the captain's personality and outlook on life.

The story itself is very short -- only two chapters -- but it still presents many debatable topics, which in itself is quite a feat. A major cause of disagreement is whether or not Leggatt was a real man; some say that he was only a projection of the captain's mind, Fight Club-style. I personally believe that he was, indeed, a real man, but in the attempt to avoid spoilers, I will not elaborate. Instead, I will simply say that the fact that an in-depth discussion can be created about just that one question -- Was he real or not? -- and only from two chapters is incredible, and a testament to Conrad's use of psychological angles in his writing. Conrad sheds light on the flaws of mankind by including a tale of (accidental) murder in addition to the captain's shifting personality that makes the reader contemplate their own life and agency.

What I enjoyed most about this story was the relationship between the captain and Leggatt. Whether Leggatt was the captain's doppelganger, a projection of the captain's mind, or a real man does not water down their interesting interactions. The two had a deep connection right from the beginning, a true understanding of each other that one would expect only from the closest and oldest of friends. Seeing how the captain changed himself to accommodate Leggatt was both intriguing and amusing.

Still, though they had a tumultuous relationship that was unique, it did not get the conclusion it deserved. Truly, in comparison to the detail and care Conrad gave to the captain and his look-alike up until the end, how it concluded seemed very lazy. It was likely an attempt to slap in another "deep" and introspective metaphor that was rather sloppy. There are so many more satisfying routes Conrad could have taken (albeit perhaps much more sad), so it was a major disappointment to an otherwise solid short story discussing the inner turmoil of human beings.

Ultimately, I would give this story a B+, its only real saving grace being the relationship between the main characters that Conrad masterfully constructed.

You can read Joseph Conrad's The Secret Sharer online here.