Leggatt As An Independent Character Essay, Research Paper

Leggatt as an Independent Fictional character

in Joseph Conrad & # 8217 ; s & # 8220 ; The Secret Sharer & # 8221 ;

This essay examines Leggatt as an independent individual, instead than as a

symbol connected to the captain-narrator, a position shared by many critics.

Leggatt is non a negative influence on the captain per Se. From an

nonsubjective point of position, it can be seen that Leggatt & # 8217 ; s portrayal depends

wholly on how the captain ( as storyteller ) perceives him, and that he

deserves to be treated as the person being that he is.

Many of Conrad & # 8217 ; s critics, most notably Albert J. Guerard, Robert W.

Stallmann, have taken the position that Leggatt, of the novelette & # 8220 ; The Secret

Sharer, & # 8221 ; is either some kind of symbol of the captain & # 8217 ; s dark side, a

sort of function theoretical account for the captain, or that he is portion of the captain.

In this essay I will foremost analyze the captain & # 8217 ; s portraiture of Leggatt,

so reason that Leggatt is none of these, instead, he is a complete

individual in and of himself, and non merely portion of the captain & # 8217 ; s

personality lacks.

At first glimpse it would look that Leggatt is either the adversary or

provides a condemnable influence on the captain. By no agencies are Leggatt & # 8217 ; s

determinations and actions exemplary. Murdering mutinous crew members is

barely an acceptable pattern, and avoiding justness, and one & # 8217 ; s

penalty all of which Leggatt do merely decline the issue. The captain

claims that in swimming to the island Koh-ring, his two-base hit had & # 8220 ; lowered

himself into the H2O to take his penalty & # 8221 ; ( Conrad 193 ) . However, as

Cedric Watts argues, this is merely true because Leggatt, by get awaying

justness, will confront an unsure hereafter marooned on an island ( 134 ) . In

world, Leggatt is making the antonym ; he is take downing himself into the

H2O to get away from the jurisprudence, for it is improbable that he would acquire off

scot-free in tribunal. The captain describes Koh-ring as & # 8220 ; a towering black

mass like the really gateway of Erebus, & # 8221 ; ( Conrad 193 ) Erebus being the

cavern through which the psyche of the dead entered Hades & # 8217 ; universe ( Watts

134 ) .

Leggatt and the captain discover shortly after they foremost meet that they

are both & # 8220 ; Conway boys, & # 8221 ; that is, as plebes, 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 & # 8220 ; a cosmopolitan missive of

recognition & # 8221 ; ( Burgess 115 ) . Leggatt and the captain & # 8217 ; s bond becomes stronger

one time they learn that they portion a common preparation background.

Conway male childs are taught the importance of fierce trueness toward one & # 8217 ; s

ship ( Batchelor 187 ) . Leggatt demonstrates his trueness by put on the lining his

life in order to salvage his ship, the Sephora, from droping by puting the

foresail. Ironically, the captain & # 8217 ; s truenesss lie with Leggatt, instead

than his ship, as he risks his ship and crew to guarantee Leggatt & # 8217 ; s safe

stranding at Koh-ring. The fact that the captain is so ready to ally

himself with Leggatt indicates that possibly the captain is non as

qualified for his bid as he should be. Further, this observation

introduces the captain as untrusty ; his judgement must be flawed if

his primary commitment is for Leggatt, instead than the ship entrusted to

his bid. This blemished judgement extends to the captain & # 8217 ; s perceptual experience

of, and subsequent portraiture of Leggatt, as we shall see.

However, many critics claim that, although Leggatt may non be a

symbol of the dark side of the captain, he is a condemnable influence for

the captain. The footing for the chief statement for Leggatt as a felon

influence is that he brings about state of affairss in which the captain hazards

his calling, crew, ship, and life. However, Leggatt is non responsible

for the captain & # 8217 ; s behaviour. During the class of the novelette, the

captain ever retains the power to take his actions and to do his

ain determinations. The dark word picture of Leggatt comes from the

captain & # 8217 ; s position and portraiture of Leggatt.

The captain is an anomic adult male. At the really beginning of the novel, he

remarks a few times that he is the lone alien on board his ship:

& # 8220 ; & # 8230 ; my place was that of the lone alien on board & # 8230 ; .But what I

felt most was my being a alien to the ship, and if all the truth must

be told, I was slightly of a alien to myself & # 8221 ; ( Conrad 137-138 ) . At

this point in the narrative, the reader foremost recognizes that the captain as

unsteady in his new bid, but as holding good purposes. He keeps

ground tackle ticker one dark, to the amazement of his crew, as a gesture of

benevolence ( Conrad 139 ) . However, this effort toward friendliness

serves to estrange the captain even further since his crew is so taken

aback by his actions. The captain needs to demo leading in order to

addition regard from and acquire to cognize his crew. However, the captain is so

inexperienced that he does non truly hold a construct of himself as

the commanding officer of a sailing vas. He needs person to confide in, but

this confidante can non be a crew member since they all know each other,

holding had worked with one another for some clip. This individual must be

every bit a alien to the ship and its crew. That is why, when Leggatt

is introduced, the captain about instantly treats him as though he

were some kind of a surprise invitee, instead than a fleeting.

The captain fells Leggatt in his personal quarters, and they spend as

much clip as possible whispering together about Leggatt & # 8217 ; s offense, the

state of affairs on board the ship, and any other pressure information that

must be discussed. The captain sneaks in nutrient for Leggatt, and visits

him at every chance. The captain expends so much energy in caring

for his invitee that he farther alienates himself from the crew and the

ship. He avoids the steward, and sends him on inane errands in order to

acquire him off from his quarters lest he discover Leggatt. The crew therefore

perceives the captain as unusual and unpredictable. Further, the captain

endangers his calling, and finally, his ship and his crew, in order to

guarantee Leggatt & # 8217 ; s safe marooning. Watt points out & # 8220 ; Indeed, one of the

most puzzling characteristics of the narrative is that the storyteller ne’er seems to

appreciate the moral outrageousness of his ain preparedness to assist a criminal elude

justness & # 8221 ; ( 134 ) .

What makes things worse for the captain is that his desire to satiate his

solitariness transcends his judgement. While he is concealing Leggatt, he puts

himself under an tremendous sum of emphasis. He tells the reader how

intolerable it is to be separated from his two-base hit. The captain needs to

hold Leggatt in his quarters to do him experience less alienated from

others, but at the same clip, he can non cover with the strain of concealing a

fleeting. This causes him to waver, and accordingly, makes him look

as though Leggatt & # 8217 ; s condemnable side is act uponing the captain for the

worse.

Further, harmonizing to Graver, the captain uses phrases like & # 8220 ; dual, & # 8221 ;

& # 8220 ; other ego, & # 8221 ; and & # 8220 ; secret partaker & # 8221 ; to place himself with Leggatt

about

40 times during the class of the novelette ( 152 ) . This

enormous repeat is even more astonishing when it is considered that,

beyond their superficial similarities they are both Conway male childs, have oning

the same pajamas the two work forces are non really much alike at all. In fact,

the captain ne’er fusss to research any deeper connexions between the

two. This adds support to the averment that the captain feels a demand

for a confidante ; he draws on non-existent superficial similarities in

order to pull himself closer to Leggatt.

Leggatt is non an evil adult male, nor does he exercise a condemnable influence on

the captain. On the other manus, Leggatt is a function theoretical account for the captain

in some ways. He brings out a sort of interior strength in the captain on

at least two occasions. When they foremost meet, the captain says to the

reader, & # 8220 ; [ Leggatt ‘s ] voice was unagitated and resolute. A good voice. The

self-control of that adult male had someway induced a corresponding province in

myself & # 8221 ; ( Conrad 144 ) . This soothing consequence is what allows the two work forces to

continue to develop their close bond. The captain makes usage of this

consequence subsequently, when Captain Archbold is on board. The captain about playthings

with him, feigning he is difficult of hearing. He asks Archbold to talk

up ; this manner, Leggatt, hidden a few pess off, can listen to the

conversation. The captain so merrily leads Captain Archbold on a vain

hunt of his ship. At other times, the captain is so fearful of

Leggatt & # 8217 ; s being discovered that he about passes out from sheer panic.

One such incident occurs when the steward hangs the captain & # 8217 ; s coat to

prohibitionist in his bathroom, where Leggatt is concealing. & # 8220 ; My nervousnesss were so jolted

that I could non regulate my voice and hide my agitation & # 8230 ; I expected

to hear a cry of surprise and panic, and made a motion, but had non

the strength to acquire on my legs & # 8230 ; My caput swam & # 8230 ; & # 8221 ; ( Conrad 176-177 ) . If

anything, this is more like the reaction one would anticipate from a immature

inexperienced captain on his inaugural ocean trip, upon seeing a alien

hanging from his ship & # 8217 ; s ladder, instead than the captain & # 8217 ; s composure, hushed

whispering. Leggatt inspires the composure, collected temper in the captain, a

tool he will necessitate to derive assurance in his captainship, as he does at the

terminal of the novelette.

Further statements back uping Leggatt as a benevolent character can be

found in analyzing one of Conrad & # 8217 ; s beginnings for his novelette. Conrad based

& # 8220 ; The Secret Sharer, & # 8221 ; on the events of another ship, the Cutty Sark, a

celebrated tea limiter. In 1880, the main mate of the Cutty Sark, Sydney

Smith ( Batchelor names John Anderson 188 ) , killed a disobedient and lazy

crew member, John Francis, by hitting him on the caput with a capstan

saloon, after Francis refused to transport out some peculiar order of Smith & # 8217 ; s

( Karl 203 ) . The skipper of the Cutty Sark helped Smith to get away, but

subsequently committed self-destruction. Smith was finally arrested in London and

convicted of manslaughter.

Conrad purposefully lessened the badness of Leggatt & # 8217 ; s offense compared to

Smith & # 8217 ; s by doing the state of affairs much more nerve-racking than that of the

Cutty Sark. Leggatt & # 8217 ; s ship, the Sephora, was in such violent Waterss as

Captain Archbold had non seen in his 73 old ages of seafaring. The

Sephora & # 8217 ; s sinking was thought to be at hand, and the crew was in terror.

In the thick of this pandemonium, Leggatt managed to put the reefed foresail,

which saved the ship and its crew. However, in puting the foresail, a

mate assisting Leggatt refused to follow orders, and Leggatt, exasperated

by the storm and by confronting decease, & # 8220 ; felled him like an ox & # 8221 ; ( Conrad147 ) .

The mate got up, desiring to contend, but Leggatt grabbed a clasp of his

cervix and did non allow travel until he was dead, while the storm tossed the

brace around the deck of the ship.

Subsequently, while Captain Archbold is on the captain & # 8217 ; s ship, he concedes that

it was the foresail that prevented the Sephora & # 8217 ; s sinking. He claims that

the sea was so violent that, although he knew the foresail should be

set, he was excessively afraid to give the order. Archbold goes on to ground

that it must hold been godly intercession which saved his ship, and

retreats to a blind, unthinking trust on God. After Archbold

disembarks, the captain returns to his quarters and asks Leggatt if he

had heard that conversation. Leggatt answers:

The adult male told you he barely dared to give the order & # 8230 ; I

assure you he ne’er gave the order. He stood there with

me on the deck of the crap after the chief topsail blew

off, and whimpered about our last hope & # 8211 ; [ it ] was plenty

to drive any fellow out of his head. It worked me up into a

kind of despair. I merely took it in my ain custodies & # 8230 ; It

wasn & # 8217 ; t a heavy sea & # 8211 ; it was a sea gone huffy! ( Conrad 171-172 )

Although the consideration of all of the external force per unit areas environing

Leggatt & # 8217 ; s offense do non do his behaviour acceptable, it does do it

more apprehensible. The reader gets the feeling that, given the right

fortunes, the same thing could go on to anybody under

force per unit area & # 8230 ; particularly the captain. Graver agrees that & # 8220 ; Conrad recast the

Cutty Sark beginning stuff to do Leggatt look more agreeable ; if he

had wished to make a character in some ways disreputable, he need non

hold made any alterations at all & # 8221 ; ( 150 ) .

Leggatt is non a sociopath who wanders about strangulating people. The

captain says, & # 8220 ; And I knew good plenty besides that my two-base hit was no

homicidal bully & # 8221 ; ( Conrad 147 ) . In all other respects he seems to be a

strong, intelligent, well-bred crewman. Conrad himself was & # 8220 ; merely

knocked over & # 8221 ; when he read a reappraisal naming Leggatt & # 8220 ; a homicidal

ruffian. & # 8221 ; ( qtd. in Baines 358 )

Leggatt is neither evil nor good, but someplace in between, as most

people are. He is non a symbol for some facet of the captain, but a

whole individual whose being does non depend on the captain & # 8217 ; s. The

contrary position, that Leggatt is someway a portion of the captain, a

doppelganger or some such dual, stems from the captain & # 8217 ; s flawed and

biased portraiture of him. Nor is Leggatt needfully a good influence, as

can be seen by analyzing the historical footing for the narrative. He is

simply a individual, independent and every bit free as he can be while flying from

the jurisprudence.

Plants Cited:

Baines, Jocelyn. Joseph Conrad: A Critical Biography. London: Weidenfeld

and Nicolson, 1959.

Batchelor, John. The Life of Joseph Conrad: A Critical Biography.

Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1994.

Burgess, Chester Francis. The Family of the Trade: Teodor josef konrad korzeniowski on Ships

and Seamen and the Sea. New York: National University Publications,

1976.

Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer. New York:

Bantam Books, 1981.

Graver, Lawrence. Conrad & # 8217 ; s Short Fiction. Berkeley: University of

California Press, 1969.

Karl, Frederick Robert. Joseph Conrad: The Three Lives. New York:

Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1979.

Watts, Cedric. A Foreword to Conrad. 2nd erectile dysfunction. New York: Longman

Publication, 1993.