- novella is actually a story within a story, narrated by Marlow
- details an incident in Marlow's life where he travels up the Congo River to investigate the work of Kurtz, a Belgian trader in ivory
Lord Jim
- psychological tale about Jim's moral lapse aboard the pilgrim ship Patna, but also adventure story about Jim's rise and fall amongst the Patusan, a native-ruled state somewhere in the East Indies
- bulk of novel is told in the form of a story narrated by Marlow
The Secret Sharer
- narrated by a sea captain many years after the event has happened
- story takes place during his first command of a merchant ship in the Gulf of Siam
- he is something of a stranger to himself and is inexperienced on board
- his "strangeness" makes him sleepless and he decides to set anchor-watch.
- he remains on deck during the early night and sees a naked man clinging to the rope ladder on the side of the ship. This man's name is Leggatt.
- The Captain hastens away from the rail to fetch some clothes and the stranger conceals his damp body in a sleeping-suit of the same pattern which the Captain is wearing, like his double.
- Leggatt explains he has swum from "The Sephora", a ship anchored two miles away. He had been first mate and during a storm he had strangled a disobedient member of the crew. He is now running away from the law and the Captain recognizes it as his duty to harbor Leggatt.
- The Captain knows he must steer near enough to land to allow Leggatt to swim to shore but beneath this shore was the black mass of Koh-ring. Consequently his ship is in danger but finally, Leggatt departs and the ship is safe.
- The Captain finds himself at one with the ship.
No comments:
Post a Comment