It's tough having no friends, especially when you're travelling halfway around the world on a ship full of men who probably resent you. It's almost enough to make you create an imaginary friend…but maybe we're getting ahead of ourselves here. We're not going to say one way or the other if Leggatt is real. But in terms of what he does for the narrator of "The Secret Sharer," he might as well be. Leggatt gives the captain a reason to live, and by the end of the book, the captain seems like a totally new man. Imaginary or not, Leggatt helps teach us that friendship isn't just important—it's as necessary as food and water.
Questions About Friendship
- Is it fair to call the captain and Leggatt "friends"? What kind of friendship do they have?
- What's the captain's initial reaction to Leggatt saying he needs to leave the ship? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
- Why does the captain feel like he has no friends on his ship? Do you think he could make some if he tried harder?
Chew on This
In "The Secret Sharer," Conrad shows us that friendship doesn't matter as long as you have a good sense of who you are.
In "The Secret Sharer," we learn that it's impossible to have an identity without being part of a community of friends.