Joseph Conrad Research Paper

Joseph Conrad is one such writer who uses his real life experiences and even his incidences in his writings. More over his settings incorporates details of exotic characteristics. Most of the books written by Conrad expose the bitter life of people and nature. Since he had suffered a lot during his early upbringing he never fails to let the readers get in his shoe and this is what makes his book unique and popular. For instance novels like Lord Jim, Heart of Darkness and secret agents are few in the lists which are partially autobiographical. Similarly the following paragraphs will touch upon the exotic setting and how the narrator and Leggatt resemble Conrad’s life in the novelette ‘The secret Sharer.’ To begin with Conrad has used an

“Experience is the greatest asset of a literary artist and Conrad’s wide ranging experience starting from the far eastern seascapes to the coastline of central America refined his literary sensibility towards perfection,” as stated by (Panigrahi, 2016) p.1647. The story itself is about a voyage and Conrad had been serving in marine for many years travelling several seas. Firstly the nameless captain or the narrator resembles Conrad himself. The captain has some autobiographical basis in Conrad early sea fearing experience. And the mates of the ship are not unlike those Conrad had met and commanded in his days as a merchant mariner. All the traits in the captain are that of himself. The captain feels insecure, incompetent and though possessing the highest authority on board he feels the other way round unable to command his crew. Similarly Conrad during his early days of marine life experienced the same. However later in the story after knowing and getting acquainted with the other character named Leggatt he goes through transformation in his thinking and action. After successfully helping Leggatt from being caught by Sephora he becomes bold and compatible to lead the ship by gaining his crews confidence. Conrad also started as an apprentice and then as steward in the beginning but later after gaining enough experience joined

Besides narrator, Leggatt is one character who gives reader the presence of Conrad in the story. In the story Leggatt kills one of the crew in Sephora and escapes. He is found by the narrator and hides in his vessel. Upon enquiring leggatt discloses how he had to kill one crew in order to save the ship and he believes he is not guilty for his action. The narrator on the other hand is satisfied with the justification and decides to help leggatt. Conrad’s early life was also filled with such event where he even participated in smuggling of guns. one can imagine the life and misery he might have faced during those times. All this commotion and toil among the humans are reflected through the character of leggatt. Conrad draws attention to leggatts physical and emotional qualities, where he is portrayed as an impulsive man who acts according to his own justice rather than the formal regulations and also fakes his own death and escapes his bondage at the end; as supported by (Bernard, 1968) life is a destructive element, the individual must struggle to justify his existence and make his dream come true. to be successful in this struggle man needs self knowledge. this in turn requires commitment to the community. The quest is therefore ethical rather than