Compiled, designed & circulated by:
Mr Milan Mondal, Assistant Professor, Dept. of English, Narajole Raj College
ENGLISH (CC); SEM-III: PAPER- C6T ( The Secret Sharer ) A critical overview of the text: —
After committing the crime (murder) Leggatt was kept in his chamber. Then after three weeks, as Leggatt narrated to the Captain, his chamber was left open by the steward at the time of his supper. The ship of Leggatt was on the Java sea then. Then Leggatt took the opportunity. He jumped into the sea. The crewmen thought that he committed suicide. But from the description of of the event we come to know that Leggatt wanted to get rid off from his captivated condition. Though at first, he jumped into the sea caring a fig for his life, after a certain point of time he decided to go away to escape punishment. Here, we find a trace of the courageous nature of Leggatt. He Did not believe in luck, rather he wanted to live his life in his own way.
So, here also a contrast in between the character of the Captain and Leggatt is clearly discernible.
Leggatt then narrated that the gale of this ship became quiet as his crewmen thought that he committed suicide. But Leggatt told the narrator that after swimming sometime he found an islet where he removed his dress. It was like suicide to Leggatt because according to him he drowned his self of a captain by drowning his attires. So, according to Leggatt it was similar to suicide. He stated that he would never go back to the ship.
Leggatt stated that as did not want to be caught again, he had to swim till his death by drowning into the sea. This act of Leggatt hints at his ‘struggle for existence’. Here, Leggatt’s struggle for existence symbolizes the struggle of each and every one to keep his / her existence.
Then, Leggat told the narrator that he came to his ship by watching the light of the ship and fortunately he got the ladder of the ship.
Then the narrator narrated the story of getting the charge as a captain into this present ship to Leggatt. The narrator clearly admitted that he was also a stranger in his ship like that of Leggatt himself. So, it is once again clear that the doppelganger theme prevails in every inch of this short-story. The following line from the story can be mentioned:
“… we, the two strangers in the ship, faced each other in identical attitude.”
Compiled, designed & circulated by:
Mr Milan Mondal, Assistant Professor, Dept. of English, Narajole Raj College
ENGLISH (CC); SEM-III: PAPER- C6T ( The Secret Sharer )
Then Leggatt again started narrating his story. He told the narrator (The Captain of the ship) that he was imprisoned for nine weeks.
In the mean time it was morning. The narrator hid Leggatt, his alter-ego very tactfully from his crewmen in between his cabin and the bathroom. It is very worthy to note that to save Leggatt the narrator, for the first time gave order to the steward. The narrator thus says, “It was first particular order I had given on the board that ship…”.
So, it is as clear as water that it was the presence of Leggatt that made the Captain in its true sense. Thus, there was a psychological development in the character of the Captain due to Leggatt.
When the narrator was busy to hide his ‘secret sharer’ i. e. Leggatt from his crewmen, suddenly, he was informed that a boat was coming towards their ship. The narrator fond that Leggatt became puzzled and after a long time he moved. The narrator his men to put down the ladder and went outside of his cabin.
Thus, in the first part of the story, we find that a psychological development was under progress with the narrator. From innocence he is heading towards experience both professionally and psychologically and this is for none other than Leggatt.
