The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad

Characters

The Captain: The unnamed Captain of an unnamed ship who narrates the story. A young man
struggling to prove himself worthy of the command he was given a fortnight before the story
begins.

Leggatt: A murder accused from another ship named Sephora. He escapes to the narrator’s ship
(the unnamed captain) and is harbored by the narrator allowing him to learn much about himself.

Captain Archbold: The captain of the Sephora who comes aboard the narrator’s ship in search
of Leggatt while providing a contrast to the new, inexperienced narrator.

The Chief Mate: An old experienced sailor who looks down towards the new captain because of
his inexperience.

The Steward: The cook on board the Captain's ship.

The Second Mate: The only sailor on the ship younger than the caption; yet also looks down at
the captain.

Summary

An unnamed young Captain is on the deck of his ship in the still waters of the Gulf of Siam (now
called the Gulf of Thailand) waiting for the winds to pick up so he can begin his journey home to
England. He was appointed to lead the crew only two weeks before. He feels disconnected from
the crew as he has never sailed with them before. The Captain, knowing how much work the
crew had done in the last few days readying for the return voyage home, tells the first mate that
everyone should get some rest below deck. He says that he, the Captain, will take the first
overnight watch awaiting the winds to pick up. This is an unusual suggestion from a captain, but
he hopes it might help the crew to accept him. As he walks the length of the ship, he notices a
rope ladder has been left hanging to the water from the deck. At first annoyed that his men didn't
pull up the ladder, he realizes that his abrupt suggestion that they all rest is probably why it was
left. As he begins retrieving the ladder, he feels an unexpected jerk stop him. He looks over the
side of the ship and sees something long and pale floating in the water. Looking closer, he sees it
is a naked man. He is shocked, for the man looks dead. The Captain notices the man's arm
holding the ladder and then the man's upturned face. He is a young man like the Captain. The
Captain speaks to the man cautiously, learning that his name is Leggatt and that he has been
swimming for a few hours and decided to rest holding the ladder. The Captain is somehow
calmed by Leggatt's voice and sense of self-possession. "A mysterious communication was
established already between us," the Captain reveals. The Captain allows him to climb up the
ladder onto the ship. The Captain goes below to his stateroom to get Leggatt some clothes; he
notes that his crew is still silently asleep. Leggatt puts on the sleeping suit the Captain brings
him, and it is the same grey sleeping suit the Captain is wearing. Leggatt follows the Captain to a
safe place to talk. Leggatt describes what happened to him before he began swimming in the
Gulf as “an ugly business”. He tells the Captain that he is the first mate on the nearby ship,
the Sephora. Many weeks ago, the Sephora hit bad weather. While the captain of
the Sephora didn't appear to be reacting well to the terrible conditions, Leggatt moved into action
to try to maintain the ship. One of the crew members on the Sephora didn't like Leggatt, who felt
the same about the man, describing him as one of the “miserable devils that have no businesses
to live at all”. The man attacked Leggatt, and he felled the man. As the winds and water barreled
onto the ship, Leggatt and the man fought, Leggatt choking him and shaking him like a rat.
When they were found after the ship settled, Leggatt had his hands around the now dead man's
neck. The Sephora's captain followed the letter of the law and put Leggatt in a locked room to
stay in until they came to land and he could be turned over to the authorities. Leggatt sat in the
room for many weeks with only a short time each day to be outside.

The Captain makes the decision to help Leggatt. He takes him down to his stateroom to hide him
and returns to the deck, calling for the second mate to relieve him of watch duties. Returning to
his room, the Captain provides a detailed description of the layout of his room. It is L-shaped,
with a raised bed with curtains, a desk, couch, and a small bathroom. He considers the various
ways he can keep Leggatt hidden in the room. As Leggatt tells his story, explaining that he was
angry that he had saved the ship in the storm but was treated like a criminal for fighting off a
lazy crew member at that dangerous moment. He is preoccupied with his "secret self" sleeping in
his stateroom, thinking of Leggatt as "the secret sharer of my life." Captain Archbold, from
the Sephora anchored nearby, arrives to talk to the Captain about his missing first mate.
Seemingly all business, Archbold explains that he and some of his men have been exploring the
surrounding small islands looking for Leggatt. The Captain plays dumb. They sit in the cabin
next to the Captain's stateroom to talk. The Captain wants Leggatt to hear everything Archbold
says, so he pretends he has a hearing problem and requests Archbold speak a little loudly.
Archbold explains what happened on his ship and that he's never heard of such a thing on an
English ship in his 37 years at sea. The Captain wonders if it is possible the dead man was killed
by the sea: "I have seen the sheer weight of a sea kill a man very neatly, by simply breaking his
neck." Archbold doesn't agree, and he mimics the dead man's face, tongue sticking out,
suggesting that if the Captain had seen the sight, he would never forget it as long as he lived. the
Captain insists that Archbold see every part of the ship.

The steward explains that he was going to hang the coat back in the Captain's room. The steward
enters the room, and soon the Captain hears the bathroom open. He is convinced that this is the
end and Leggatt will be revealed. However, nothing happens. Leggatt somehow hid himself, and
the steward leaves the stateroom without incident. Returning to his room, he finds Leggatt
wedged in the corner amid clothing on hooks. The Captain is amazed the steward didn't see him.

Overnight, the Captain orders the crew to change the ship's direction towards the island shores.
The first mate looks at him skeptically; he doesn't like the idea as being that close to the shore is
dangerous to the ship. The next morning, the Captain scours the distant shorelines looking for a
place that would be best to drop off Leggatt. The first mate again asks about the course they are
on. The Captain says they are staying on course, and he wants to go as close as he can to the
islands. The first mate worries they will be among rocks and reefs by nightfall and appears upset
at the Captain's actions. The Captain explains his plan to Leggatt. Even Leggatt seems concerned
about getting so close to the island. The Captain finally gives orders to "ready about," changing
the direction of the ship away from the island. Trusting the ship will be able to handle the
maneuver he ordered, the Captain looks overboard for Leggatt but sees only the still, shadowy
water. He doesn't know the ship well enough to sense if the wind has caught, and it is moving
away to safety. Suddenly he spies something in the water. It is his white floppy hat. He can't be
sure if Leggatt has made it to shore or if he will even survive. He watches the hat with an
expression of his sudden pity for his mere flesh. Watching the hat move is proof the ship is
actually sailing away from the shore.

Standing on deck, the ship now safely at distance from the island shore, he gives the order to "let
go and haul," to which the crew react quickly and with cheers. Walking to the rail, still dressed in
his grey sleeping suit, the Captain catches a glimpse of his white hat and says “left behind to
mark the spot where the secret sharer of my cabin and of my thoughts, as though he were my
second self, had lowered himself into the water to take his punishment: a free man, a proud
swimmer striking out for a new destiny”.

Leadership: Character and Lessons

The new captain seemed fully prepared to take command of a ship. He had worked his way up to
the post, knew the trade routes firsthand, had excellent skills at navigation, and believed that life
at sea was his calling. All the new captain lacked was “the novel responsibility of command”.

The Secret Sharer is one of Conrad’s most remarkable stories. It focuses directly on the question
of what it means for a leader to take responsibility - in an organization, under stress and
uncertainty. Conrad’s vivid account of the psychological and emotional challenge of taking
responsibility also helps us understand why leaders need to master themselves before they can
lead others.

Conrad’s views on taking responsibility are best explained as a series of two-edged questions.
Each asks questions about the captain and at the same time, raises hard questions for anyone
taking serious responsibilities. The questions and their appropriate answers can be understood
through the captain’s story.

1. Do I really feel my responsibilities?

Conrad shows little interest in the captain’s knowledge of the sea and his sailing prowess. He
seems to be saying that technical knowledge and skills are necessary for effective leadership, but
far from sufficient. This becomes apparent when we see how the captain makes his first major
decision: to let a mysterious stranger board the ship. Through this decision, Conrad shows us
what the new captain really needs before he can lead his crew: a strong feeling that he is
personally accountable for meeting his new responsibilities. Leggatt could be a danger to the
captain or the crew. Nonetheless, the captain decides to hide Leggatt in his cabin and tell no one.
We can give him credit for empathy, but in failing to consider his other responsibilities and the
practical consequences of taking on and concealing a stowaway, he seems to have forgotten that
he is the ship’s captain.

2. Can I look at the reality around me?

The ship is small, as are the captain’s quarters. If the crew discovered the stowaway, the
captain’s credibility would evaporate and his career might be over. As a result, the captain is
under intense pressure, frequently distracted, and close to the breaking point. To the captain’s
credit, he doesn’t divert himself from what is going on. He knows his career as a captain is on
the line, and he is shedding his romantic view of life at sea and the novel responsibilities of
command.
3. Can I take small steps forward?
The captain’s response to his deteriorating situation is remarkable. Faced with a sharp,
disappointing turn of events, some managers avoid reality by focusing on minor problems,
blaming others, freezing, or immersing themselves in analysis. The captain makes none of these
mistakes. Instead, he shows a clear bias for action – not through a single, dramatic act that would
solve everything, but through small, practical steps to build his credibility with the crew by
behaving like a captain.
4. Can I take responsibility?
After taking the small steps, the captain takes another important step forward. He devises a plan
to get Leggatt off the ship. This requires imagination, careful attention to detail, and success at a
hard test of character: the captan has to stand up to Leggatt, who wants to stay on board and be
marooned later in the voyage, near Cambodia. He indicates that he is now ready to handle his
responsibilities. But, how can one believe this as the captain has concealed a stowaway, accepted
his uncorroborated account, driven himself to distraction, undermined the crew’s fragile
confidence in his leadership, deceived a fellow captain, and endangered his boat and crew so
Leggatt could escape? The answer in short is that the captain has finally taken responsibilities.
He demonstrates to the crew and to himself that he has not only the skills but also the
determination and personal strength to be a leader.
While answering all these questions, it can be seen that the captain leaves behind a naive,
detached sense of his responsibilities and develop a serious, committed, fully engaged sense of
himself as a leader. New jobs raise the challenge of taking responsibility, but the new captain’s
story suggests that familiar jobs often do the same. Answering for one’s self is a fundamental
aspect of taking responsibility. Leaders have a deep conviction that they must make something
happen and they devote themselves to making it happen despite obstacles, frustrations, failures,
and very steep costs. Only at the end of the story does the new captain take responsibility in his
crucial way. He accomplishes this not by practicing navigation skills or studying maps, but
through self-observation and steady, patient steps toward self-mastery.