Joseph Conrad is a fascinating writer because he personally spent a decade of his life at sea. He worked a variety of positions on board ships for both the French and the British merchant navy, eventually being promoted to captain late in his career. All of his novels and short stories deal with the sea in one way or another with Conrad writing from experience and elaborating on situations and individuals he met during his time aboard ships. Typically in Conrad novels, the narrator is a cabin-boy or a sailor who holds a minimal position aboard the ship. What is interesting about The Secret Sharer is that it is narrated by a captain. However, this captain has not yet earned the respect of his crew, which means that he is unsure of their moral standings and must be careful of his decisions so that he earns their trust and, most importantly, respect.
When Leggatt comes aboard and the captain stows him away in his own cabin, the narrator is taking a tremendous risk. From what Leggatt tells him, the stowaway is a murderer and a criminal. I find it interesting that the captain sympathizes with Leggatt and aids in his escape. The narrator is just as much a stranger as Leggatt and that is why he feels it is his duty to protect him and see that he makes it to land alive. Maritime laws and customs differ between each ship and crew and the captain chooses to blindly trust this stranger because he himself desires the blind trust of his crew.
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