zBlogging the Literary Life - Period 6/7 - AP College English - 2005/2006 - Oak Park River Forest High School

I think that in The Secret Sharer, Leggat is meant to be some kind of teacher for the narrator. The narrator has been placed in a new experience and he's all confused because he's captain of this ship and he doesn't know anyone. He can only sit outside and watch the stars because he is irritated by his crew and he doesn't fit in. At the beginning, he is very shy around them and has trouble giving orders. Leggat comes to help the narrator fullfill his position of captain as he finally does at the end. I'm not sure if this means that he is real or not...but maybe he could almost have been sent to the narrator by some supernatural force or some act of god if you believe in that sort of thing. Or he is real and just happened to come to the right place at the right time (it could happen). Anyway, he is so much like the narrator because the narrator needs someone who is so similar to him to teach him how to be captain. Maybe he is even a Conway boy because if the elitest thing is really true, the narrator would only respect someone like that enough to learn from him. Leggat leaves at the end because the narrator has learned what he needs and is ready to take over the ship himself.

By the way, if anyone cares about the sailing terms, reefing a sail is when you make the sail smaller. This is usually done when there is a lot of wind (like in a storm) because keeping the sail full would give you too much wind, which could lead to badness. In high winds reefing a sail can help you keep control of the boat.

What's With the Glow, Joe?

I've been going through every body's posts and every body's talking about Leggatt being a metaphor or the nameless captain's evil side.  That's great and all... but has everyone forgotten about the darn didily fluorescent glow?  It's specifically mentioned in two parts in the book, when the captain first sees Leggatt in the water and when Leggatt leaves him.  The subject of the glow has sort of passed over all of our heads as no one has really thought about what it could mean.  I don't think the author would have just thrown it into the book with out it having some sort of meaning.  Sure it could have just been the moonlight reflecting onto the highlighter green colored water, but I don't think that's too likely.  It could have been some glorious moment when the captain sees his one and only love at first sight.  This moment could definitely cause the captain to see his love as glowing, but I don't think that is too likely either.  My guess would be that Leggatt actually died during his swim from the Sephora and then his disturbed spirit was left to wade naked in the depths until he finds his one true love, the nameless captain.  So anyway, I think that Leggatt was indeed a ghost during the novel and that is why he glowed when he arrived and left the ship.

My picture's are sooooo cool. I made this one in paint. ;)

Returning Theme of Strangeness

In The Stranger we encountered the character Meursault and his indifference towards everything. Not many people can relate to a character that went to a comedy the day after his mother died. Thus, the character is strange to us. However, this theme returns in Joseph Conrad's The Secret Sharer. In our society male intimacy exists but it is not prevalent enough to be considered "normal". The characters Leggatt and the Captain form a special bond where they understand each other. This understanding is also difficult to comprehend because they were only with each other for a few days. How they created this special bond  in such a short period of time is still confusing to me. Why do you think they connected so well with each other? 

The Person vs. The Situation

Well, Legatt definately seems to be an inspiration to the Captain. I don't mean Legatt as a person though, I am referring more to situation the Captain finds, or I guess puts himself in. Since he feels like an outsider on the ship, he isn't really in control of anything. However, with Legatt's situation, he knows what happened with the murder and gets to know Legatt's little secrets during their nights of whispering and "heavy breathing" as Mr. Heidkamp pointed out. I think the Captain is having a good time hiding Legatt and finds comfort in the partnership they form. The entire situation, all the days that Legatt is on the ship, inspire the Captain to find confidence in his actions. Helping Legatt escape is what gives him power and confidence, not Legatt himself. Does that make any sense or am I totally off? Anyone else see where I'm coming from?

Meursault = Leggatt

As I was reading The Secret Sharer I couldn't help but notice that Leggatt and Meursault have a lot of similar qualities in the novels and on how they view life.  One of these similarities is quite obvious, they both killed a man.  But even more, they both did it on the spur of the moment and when overwhelmed with the situation's little annoyances such as the sun and the sailor's incompetence.  Most importantly though, they both showed little remorse following the murders.  Later on in the novels, the men both seemed to feel indifferent about their actions.  However, Meursault's existentialist personality caused this indifference while Leggatt seemed to just not care.

Colin P.

"I am Leggatt's raging insecurity.."

I think it is safe to say that Leggatt, does, in fact, exist. So, with that out of the way, what's the deal? I think Leggatt, as we discussed in class, symbolizes everything the Captain isnt, but wishes he could be. Leggatt is smart, confident, and rules over his life. And during one of our many fascinating discussions, I had a REVELATION!, a VISION!, a...actually more like a pop culture comparison. I find the relationship between Leggatt and the Captain to resemble in a lot of ways, the relationship between Brad Pitt and Edward Norton in Fight Club. Brad Pitt's character, Tyler Durden, although really only part of Ed Norton's nameless character's mind, he represents his alter ego. Tyler is everything that Ed's character wishes he could be; clever, good looking, good in bed, confident. He's the wild side of Ed's character that was never able to emerge due to the comformity of modern society. But, over time, as in the Secret Sharer, Tyler inspires a sense of power and confidence in Ed that didn't exist before. He causes him to do what he wants, forces his boss to give him the business deal he wants without any drawbacks, and generally just allows him to break free as a human being. In the end, his alter ego becomes the dark, evil side of his personality that he must destroy, but that's irrelevant to this conversation. Anyone else see the similarities?

The Secret Sharer as a Metaphor for High School

I couldn't help but notice how much The Secret Sharer reminded me of my (or anyone else's) experiences in high school.  The captain, a freshman, acts life a self-conscious loner is because he is young and inexperienced.  Going into any new situation (aka the first year of high school), I, and he, certainly felt anxious.

Not only is the naive captain commandeering a ship, it's a ship that already has established cliques of people.  It's a lot easier to go into any situation when everyone feels as vulnerable as you, but entering as a leader who has no "street smarts" or respect from anyone (it could be someone coming from a small parochial school) is possibly the hardest thing to do. 

Perhaps, then, the narrator agrees to help Leggatt (and this may also be the reason that they supposedly resemble each other so closely) because they are both lonely.  If the situation had been different, say, if the narrator already had friends on board (or at school), do you think he would have helped Leggatt?  Leggatt and the narrator cling to each other because they have no one else.

The main reason that the narrator keeps to himself all the time is probably because he doesn't know how to reach out to people and become friends with them.  Thus, this vicious cycle continues and the captain and crew grow farther apart from each other.  I wonder what the crew thinks of their captain when they hear strange noises (the captain and Leggatt conspiring) coming from his cabin?  I can bet you that the crew gossips about the narrator--another similarity to high school.  Do you think that if the story was extended that it would resemble a coming-of-age novel or would the captain keep digging himself into a friendless hole?

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

I think it is impossible to refute the idea that Leggatt is not a double of the captain.  The questions seems, then, to revolve around what Leggatt symbolizes.  I have read in posts and comments (or at least, this is what I have gotten from them) that he represents the captain's inner self, embodying his struggles as a stranger on board.  In conquering the challenge of protecting his other self and helping him escape, he learns more about himself, his ship, and gains the confidence of the crew.

But looking at Leggatt in a different light suggests something else.  Leggatt has killed a man.  He is a fugitive, running from the law, unwilling to be tried for his crime.  Could Leggatt represent the "Bad" in the captain?  The image we get of the captain is quite an altruistic one (in helping his double), depicting him as the "Good" side.  Feasable?

...As for the "Ugly," I think it's the first mate who has an excess of red stubble.

Teenage Girls

Don't Legatt and the Captain remind you of 13 yr old teenage girls? They are always whispering in bed and telling secrets. The captain mentions how young they both are, but I never suspected he ment that their maturity level is that of a tween (tween cause its in beTWEEN 10 years old and teenage years!). They act without thinking of concequences, and have very little idea of how to hide their secret relationship. For example: people are always hearing Leggatt moving around. And, they come close to getting caught when the steward hangs up the coat. Are they immature or are they simply in love? Your call.

Self-Consciousness and the Captain

" by my own act had prevented the anchor watch being formally set and things properly attended to. I asked myself whether it was wise ever to interfere with established routine of duties even from the kindest of motives" (126-127).

The captain is very self conscious about things. He does not have a lot of confidence and he worries to much of what others think. He does not want to seem incompetent. He is sort of like an outsider or some creepy person no one wants to see. The captain is really anti social. He is most comfortable when he is by himself with the boat and nature. Which is ok, but he seems to be judgemental. May be it is just me.