The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad
The Secret Sharer is a short story by Joseph Conrad, first published in 1910. It tells the story of a young, inexperienced captain of a merchant ship who finds a man hiding on his ship. The man, Leggatt, is a fugitive from a nearby ship, and the captain decides to protect him. The captain and Leggatt become close, and the captain learns from Leggatt's experiences. The captain eventually helps Leggatt escape, and in doing so, he learns more about himself and his own capabilities as a leader. The story is a meditation on the nature of identity and the power of self-discovery.
By Joseph Conrad · First published 1909 · Genre: Psychological Fiction, Adventure Fiction, Mystery Fiction · 2 chapters · 16,734 words
First lines
On my right hand there were lines of fishing stakes resembling a mysterious system of half-submerged bamboo fences, incomprehensible in its division of the domain of tropical fishes, and crazy of aspect as if abandoned forever by some nomad tribe of fishermen now gone to the other end of the ocean; for there was no sign of human habitation as far as the eye could reach. To the left a group of barren islets, suggesting ruins of stone walls, towers, and blockhouses, had its foundations set in a blue sea that itself looked solid, so still and stable did it lie below my feet; even the track of light from the westering sun shone smoothly, without that animated glitter which tells of an imperceptible ripple. And when I turned my head to take a parting glance at the tug which had just left us anchored outside the bar, I saw the straight line of the flat shore joined to the stable sea, edge to edge, with a perfect and unmarked closeness, in one leveled floor half brown, half blue under the enormous dome of the sky. Corresponding in their insignificance to the islets of the sea, two small clumps of trees, one on each side of the only fault in the impeccable joint, marked the mouth of the river Meinam we had just left on the first preparatory stage of our homeward journey; and, far back on the inland level, a larger and loftier mass, the grove surrounding the great Paknam pagoda, was the only thing on which the eye could rest from the vain task of exploring the monotonous sweep of the horizon. Here and there gleams as of a few scattered pieces of silver marked the windings of the great river; and on the nearest of them, just within the bar, the tug steaming right into the land became lost to my sight, hull and funnel and masts, as though the impassive earth had swallowed her up without an effort, without a tremor. My eye followed the light cloud of her smoke, now here, now there, above the plain, according to the devious curves of the stream, but always fainter and farther away, till I lost it at last behind the miter-shaped hill of the great pagoda. And then I was left alone with my ship, anchored at the head of the Gulf of Siam.
What this Textopian page supports
The Secret Sharer is listed on Textopian as a novel by Joseph Conrad, dated 1909 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Joseph Conrad
- Date: 1909 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Psychological Fiction, Adventure Fiction, Mystery Fiction, Literary Fiction
- Length: 16,734 words
- Structure: 2 chapters, 554 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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- Work identity for The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
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- Mr Justice Raffles by E. W. Hornung
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- The Courtship Of Morrice Buckler by A. E. W. Mason
- The Sea Wolf by Jack London
- Prester John by John Buchan
Genres
- Psychological Fiction — The Secret Sharer is a psychological exploration of the protagonist's inner turmoil as he grapples with his own identity and morality.
- Adventure Fiction — The Secret Sharer follows the protagonist's journey as he embarks on a daring adventure to save a fugitive.
- Mystery Fiction — The Secret Sharer is filled with suspense and mystery as the protagonist attempts to uncover the truth about the fugitive.
- Literary Fiction — The Secret Sharer is a classic work of literary fiction, written by renowned author Joseph Conrad and featuring complex themes and characters.
Tags
Short Story · bed · board · cabin · close · dark · deck · door · double · eyes · hands · head