In The Secret Sharer, the protagonist is confronted with his double. There is no denying that. Whether it is a love affair, whether Leggatt symbolizes his ideal side, or whether Leggatt symbolizes his dark side. Yet, my interest is in how intensely he reacts to Leggatt. What would you do if you were suddenly confronted with your double? At first, the captain seems to have the feeling of being in two places at once. In his own body, but also in Leggatt's body, he seems to portray his soul being divided in two to provide for each of his "bodies." As the story moves on, the unspoken connection between Leggatt and the captain is exemplified by their Momentaneous but intense touching. "Our hands met gropingly, lingered united in a steady, motionless clasp for a second... No word was breathed by either of us when they separated (167)." Apart from the different reading of this book as love, idealism or darkness, the way Leggatt and the captain interact seems always very intense, as if every word and action was crucial to some greater meaning of themselves.
Leggatt and the captain are obviously acting out of their usual ways with each other. My question to you is, who would you react if your double, half dead, was found at your doorstep? Would you feel torn? Would you be indifferent? Would you even help him/her?
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