Feeling totally isolated from your crew and spending months on the open ocean is enough to make any person lose touch with reality. You might even say that the central question of "The Secret Sharer" is something like: Is the captain/narrator crazy; did this story actually happen?
The captain tells us early on that he hasn't been sleeping much because of stress. And there's something fishy about the fact that no one on his ship ever sees his friend Leggatt except him. But then again, what about the crewmembers of the Sephora , who come looking for Leggatt? It's enough to tie your mind in knots, but at least won't drive us crazy…right ?
Questions About Madness
- Do you think Leggatt is a real, flesh-and-blood person? Why?
- Why does the captain's chief mate tap his forehead whenever the captain's back is turned? What does this gesture mean?
- What do you think of the captain-narrator's final decision to steer his ship into danger for the sake of giving Leggatt his best chance for swimming to safety? Do you support it or is it crazy?
- Do you think Leggatt can make a plea for temporary insanity if he's put on trial for murder? Why or why not?
Chew on This
In "The Secret Sharer," we find that madness is one of those things that are impossible to determine. After all, mad people don't usually know they're mad.
"The Secret Sharer"shows us that loneliness is definitely a form of madness, since it causes all of the symptoms of insanity.