Leggatt as an Independent Character in Joseph Conrad's "The Secret Sharer"
This essay examines Leggatt as an independent person, rather than as a
symbol connected to the captain-narrator, a view shared by many critics.
Leggatt is not a negative influence on the captain per se. From an objective
point of view, it can be seen that Leggatt's portrayal depends entirely on how
the captain (as narrator) perceives him, and that he deserves to be treated as
the individual being that he is.
Many of Conrad's critics, most notably Albert J. Guerard , Robert W.
Stallmann , have taken the view that Leggatt, of the novella "The Secret
Sharer," is either some sort of symbol of the captain's dark side, a kind of
role model for the captain, or that he is part of the captain. In this essay I
will first examine the captain's portrayal of Leggatt, then argue that Leggatt
is none of these, rather, he is a complete person in and of himself, and not
simply part of the captain's......
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Approximate Word Count: 2284
Approximate Pages: 9 (260 words per double-spaced page) |