Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Here's the question on everyone's mind: Is Leggatt a real flesh-and-blood person or a figment of the narrator's imagination? What evidence do we have for either interpretation?
- What do you think the crew's real opinion of the captain is? What evidence is there to back it?
- Do you think the captain is being immoral by hiding Leggatt, or is he doing the right thing? Why?
- What is the significance of this book's setting to its overall themes? Where does it take place? How is the setting symbolic?
- If you could think of a central flaw with the narrator, what would it be and why?
- What is the significance of Conrad changing the title of this story from "The Secret-Sharer" to "The Secret Sharer"? What does the removal of the hyphen accomplish?
- What types of things do the captain and Leggatt tend to talk about when they're together? What does it tell us about their relationship?
- Do you think there's something romantic going on between the captain and Leggatt? Why or why not?