Joseph Conrad’s novel, The Secret Sharer, delves into the depths of mystery, isolation, duality, darkness, and silence through the perspective of a sea captain. The title and opening paragraphs foreshadow the thematic and image patterns that permeate the story. Additionally, the introduction of the novel introduces dialectics, particularly the struggle between the individual and society. This clash serves as the primary dialectic within the narrative. Furthermore, the theme of a journey or rite of passage is explored as we witness the growth and self-discovery of a young and inexperienced captain, eventually integrating into society. Despite its brevity at just fifty pages, this novella carries significant meaning and impact.
The title of a novel is the first clue about its direction. The three words in the title can be interpreted in many ways. One possible image evoked by the title is that of a gossip. A gossip is someone who shares people’s secrets, so they can be considered a secret sharer if “secret” is understood as a noun. Another image is that of a person who shares secretly, becoming a secret sharer if “secret” is taken as an adjective. This could be seen as a depiction of a miser, who hoards their wealth but shares it only in secret. A secret sharer may also be an invisible friend, someone who is secretive and with whom you share your thoughts. Another interpretation of the title could be the biblical story of the snake in the Garden of Eden. The snake shared the ultimate secret of knowledge with Adam and Eve, making it a secret sharer. The two main words in the title have contradictory connotations. “Secret” implies mystery and potentially evil, while “sharer” connotes benevolence and goodness. This sets up the possibility of a dialectic between good and evil. While a secret is something kept private, sharing is an act that happens publicly. This contrast highlights the dialectic between the public and private worlds.
The opening paragraphs introduce the maritime setting of the novel, a sail ship. The characters operate within a system of laws similar to those of a typical ship, including a chain of command and rules for the shipmates’ liberties. This is evident in the respectful greetings exchanged between the lower officers and the captain, as well as the obedience to the captain’s commands, such as dismissing the night watchmen. Violations of the ship’s laws are not permitted, as maintaining order is essential for the ship’s functioning. This is further emphasized when Laggett faces punishment for breaking a law and the captain may also face consequences for harboring a criminal. The influence of God is minimal throughout the novel, making it difficult to determine if belief in God is permitted by the ship’s laws. Cause and effect relationships are evident in the story, as captains are obeyed but their actions can lead to mistrust from the crew. The world depicted in the novel is a combination of reality and fiction, with no supernatural elements but originating from the author’s imagination. The structured nature of the world is derived from its setting on a ship, where a clear hierarchy and laws govern.Moreover, while the world is limited to a certain location, it is not bound by time. The ship is connected to specific conditions, but time does not factor into it.
The author uses archetypal elements throughout the opening paragraphs and throughout the book to convey hidden meanings and intentions. The “two small clumps of trees” represent generative and degenerative processes, growth, proliferation, consistence, and immortality. They symbolize the rebirth and flowing of time into eternity, as well as the transitional phases of the life cycle. The mouth of the river Meinam, where the trees are located, is a miniature representation of these themes. Additionally, it represents the meeting point of consciousness and unconsciousness, where salt water meets fresh water.
The duality of the two trees is a recurring theme in the novel and foreshadows the partnership between Leggatt and the captain. The green color of the trees symbolizes growth and connects to the theme of the rite of passage. The captain entering the sea, which is an archetypal symbol of spiritual mystery, infinity, death, rebirth, timelessness, eternity, and the unconscious, marks the beginning of his journey into the unknown.
The sun shining overhead represents the law of nature, creative energy, and consciousness. The ship itself balances between unconsciousness and consciousness. The blue color of the sea symbolizes positivity, truth, and spiritual purity. The land left behind by the captain represents the mother figure and further contributes to his growth.
The theme of mystery is evident from the opening paragraphs of the novel, as seen in the description of a “mysterious system of half-submerged bamboo fence.” The title also implies secrecy and mystery. The crew does not know their captain, and vice versa, which adds to the sense of mystery. Additionally, the captain gives a strange order not to have a night watch, further contributing to the mysterious atmosphere. The names of the ship and captain are withheld, heightening the sense of mystery. The meeting with Leggatt introduces another mystery, as he emerges mysteriously from the sea. The captain’s decision to hide Leggatt deepens the mystery for the crew. Captain Archbold sees a mysterious resemblance between Leggatt and the narrator, whom he has distrusted and disliked. Leggatt’s character is itself shrouded in mystery, as his true nature and actions remain unclear to the reader. The past lives of all characters are never mentioned or considered, emphasizing the theme of isolation. This isolation creates a need for sharing and connection.The initial sentence, “abandoned forever by some nomad tribe of fisherman now gone to the other end of the ocean; for there was no sign of human habitation as far as the eye could reach,” predicts the presence of seclusion and solitude. Additionally, the narrator remains unfamiliar to everyone aboard the ship. As the captain stated, “my strangeness, which had made me sleepless, had promoted that unconventional arrangement, as if I had expected in those solitary hours of the night to get on terms with the ship of which I knew nothing, manned by men of whom I knew very little more.” This sense of isolation is interrupted by the arrival of another stranger, Leggatt. Similar to the captain, he too is a stranger on his own ship. Moreover, he spent numerous days confined in isolation on his previous ship and two subsequent nights swimming in seclusion. Despite this arrival, the captain remains detached from the crew. However, the feelings of isolation diminish. “It’s a great satisfaction to have got somebody to understand.” Consequently, Leggatt was created to alleviate the sense of isolation for both the captain and himself.
The novel begins by projecting patterns of silence and calmness. The scene of calmness and order is established with the description of the flat shore joined to the stable sea. The stillness is emphasized as the protagonist, who is at the starting point of a long journey, floats in immense silence with no sound around. Later on, the captain is met with profound silence in the fore end of the ship. Even when he takes a stroll, everything is still. The novel reflects this solemn and silent atmosphere from the opening paragraphs to the silent character of the second mate and the stillness in nature. The captain and Leggatt must adhere to these laws of silence, communicating in soft whispers that only they can hear.
The novel incorporates and emphasizes the theme of duality in various ways. This duality plays a crucial role in building tension and promoting a dialectical narrative structure. From the beginning, a sense of duality is apparent. The novel’s title consists of two equally important words, both starting with the same letter and functioning as nouns. Additionally, the novel is divided into two books. Furthermore, the initial paragraphs introduce us to two trees, and on the ship’s deck, two officers wait to greet the captain. One of the officers even mentions seeing a second ship during sunset. The captain and Leggatt, both strangers on the ship, bear an uncanny resemblance to one another. Notably, there are two captains in the novel. The conclusion is marked by a remark from two seamen about the ship’s shape. Throughout the novel, duality is employed to convey the partnership between Leggatt and the captain. This partnership forms amidst contrasting characters. As the captain states, “the dual working of my mind distracted me almost to the point of insanity… it was worse because one was aware of it.” The tension arising from this dialectic must be resolved. To overcome this challenge, the narrator must mature and individuate to effectively confront the opposing forces that threaten to tear him apart.”The captain acknowledges that their secret partnership has served its purpose and must come to an end, as ‘everything was against us in our secret partnership.’ Therefore, both individuals can embark on ‘a new destiny.’ The theme of darkness, intertwined with clusters of shadow imagery, plays a crucial role throughout the novel. At the beginning of the story, the narrator finds himself in the shadow of the ship’s sails. Additionally, ‘the side of the ship made an opaque belt of shadow on the darkling glassy shimmer of the sea.’ When the Captain encounters Leggatt, he appears ‘glimmering white in the darkness.’ The description ‘a shadowy, dark head, like mine,’ is used to portray Leggatt. Darkness and shadows are consistently present when the two characters are together. They frequently engage in conversations during the night, which epitomizes darkness. Furthermore, there is an inner darkness associated with Leggatt’s soul, as he has taken a man’s life, leaving an eternal stain on his conscience. The captain is aware of Leggatt’s actions yet remains strangely detached. Shadows once again come alive at the conclusion of the novel when ‘the shadow of the land, the very blackness of it,’ symbolizes the island’s shadow upon the ship. This particular moment holds significance as the captain is with his crew.”
If one examines the potential considerations from a Jungian perspective, it becomes clear that they relate to the contrast between private and public as well as the themes of rites of passage and the hero initiation archetype. The initial paragraphs contain numerous allusions to the journey back home, such as the mention of the protagonist being at the starting point of a long voyage. Additionally, there are references to rebirth, with the river symbolizing this concept. From this perspective, conception took place two weeks ago when the captain received the post, and birth will occur upon boarding the ship. When the captain boards the ship alone, he finds himself in a shadowy state where he is able to reflect on himself. However, upon interacting with the crew, he assumes a façade and becomes a stranger to them. This establishes a dialectic between the captain’s public and private worlds, which he struggles to reconcile. His lack of experience is evident in his naive decisions. Resolving this dialectic requires him to mature and delve into self-discovery in order to effectively navigate both worlds. This stage also represents the initiation of the hero’s journey, characterized by his separation from the crew. From a Jungian perspective, the captain puts on a mask for the world, embodying a dominant persona. Through individuation, he must explore the shadow aspects of his personality to achieve a balance between the two worlds. The subsequent stage involves growth, during which the captain forms an immediate connection with Leggatt, who serves as his double.Due to his impulsive behavior, it can be inferred that Leggatt has a strong enigmatic side to his character. Additionally, the captain initially cannot see Leggatt’s head, further emphasizing his mysterious and unfathomable nature. As they engage in conversations during the obscure hours of the night, the captain delves into his own psyche. This leads to a transformative process wherein he evolves, embarks on a journey of self-discovery, and experiences individuation, ultimately intertwining with the dialectic and central themes of the narrative. The statement “The dual working of my mind distracted me almost to the point of insanity” illustrates that personal growth was not attained without effort for the narrator. The conclusion of the book signifies the conclusion of the dialectic, the journey itself, the rite of passage, and the initiation into heroism. At this point, the captain, accompanied by his crew, finds himself in the shadows indicating his ability to govern both his private and public existence. He displays good judgment and successfully saves himself and the crew, demonstrating notable growth as a leader. Through these actions, he reintegrates with the crew as a fully functional member, effectively completing the hero’s initiation. Alongside this, the island symbolizes the culmination of their physical voyage. Thus, everything reaches its final conclusion.
The book’s cosmic implications are positive, as evidenced by the theme of positive growth and success at the end. All dialectics are resolved favorably, and thematic predictions are interconnected and fulfilled. There is an underlying Objective Correlative throughout the novel that I believe in. We have all experienced being outsiders at times, just like the captain at the beginning of his journey. However, at the end of his quest, the captain triumphs and the reader feels delighted that he is able to belong. The reader can empathize with the captain’s struggles and therefore shares in his joy.
The Secret Sharer, a short book by Joseph Conrad, is remarkably close to perfection. The opening paragraphs and the title effectively foreshadow the entire work. In just a few pages, the reader becomes acutely aware of the story’s trajectory. An observant reader will also recognize themes of duality, darkness, mystery, isolation, and silence. Additionally, they will notice the presence of dialectics and numerous journey themes, both physical and mental. By paying careful attention to the text, one can uncover a world never before encountered.
Category: English
