Character Analysis
There's a lot going on with the captain—we can't forget, on top of being stuck in a lifeboat, he just lost his entire ship to the sea. Since the story is told from the correspondent's perspective, we only get a glimpse at the sheer magnitude of how he has been affected by the sinking of the ship. The narrator describes his voice as being "deep with mourning, and of a quality beyond oration or tears" (1.6). Yep, you heard that right: he's in mourning for his ship. For most of these guys—psychologically, at least—their ordeal starts when they get into the lifeboat, but we have to remember, for the captain, the ship was his responsibility. And now it's sunk. Talk about a heavy load to bear.
Nevertheless, the captain is a strong guy, and he quietly mourns while continuing to direct his crew. After all, these guys are still his charge. Now he's the captain of this lifeboat, and he'll be darned if he's going to let this one sink too.
One of the captain's most striking moments comes when he reveals to the correspondent that he was actually awake the previous night and saw the shark circle the boat as well. While we probably see the interaction from the correspondent's point of view—he's relieved to learn he wasn't completely alone that night—take a moment to think about what's going through the poor captian's mind that's keeping him from sleeping, even for a moment. He either forces himself to stay awake to keep a watchful eye over the other men, or is simply so distraught that he can't fall asleep.
The Captain's Timeline