Joseph Conrad is an obvious staple of 20th-century British literature. His classic novella Heart of Darkness is a must-read for any literature student who wants to get a degree. It is an incredibly powerful piece of writing. However, it has been overanalyzed and repetitively analyzed to the point that it begins to be question if it even deserves its place in literature’s canon. Conrad’s later work, The Secret Sharer, offers a more nuanced and subtle approach to similar themes. Although Heart of Darkness is less well-known than The Secret Sharer, it is still a worthy work of analysis that deserves a place in British literature canon.
Before we can decide whether a piece belongs in a particular canon, let’s first define what a Canon is. Charles Altieri’s essay “An Idea, Ideal, and Literary Canon” paraphrases Frank Kermode. He says: “. . . Canons are strategic structures that societies use to protect their interests. The canon gives them control over texts they take seriously and the interpretations that determine the meaning of “serious”. The canon is an essentially strategic construct that societies use to protect their interests. The canon allows control over the texts a culture takes seriously and the interpretations that determine the meaning of “serious”. Conrad was born in Britain, and the Secret Sharer was not written by him. However, it is easy to claim that it reflects British ideals or values. The story’s themes about morality and the underpinning human psyche don’t reflect the positive aspects of British cultural values. We now have to ask: Does The Secret Sharer accurately represent British culture? It will be clear if the story is worthy of a place in British culture’s canon. Therefore, it is worth analyzing its themes.
The Secret Sharer opens with an unidentified speaker, who describes his sea surroundings in the opening lines. The story’s major themes are revealed in the closing sentence of the introduction paragraph. It reads: “And then… I was left alone with the ship, anchored at Siam’s head” (Conrad 4,). This tells us everything we need in as short a time as possible. It is his ship and the speaker reveals that he commands it. He mentions being single, which becomes an important theme in the story. He finally gives his location away, which is much more crucial to the story’s message than it appears.
The Gulf of Siam was the setting of the story. Today, it is called the Gulf of Thailand. Thailand is one lucky country in the east to have escaped colonization. Although colonialism is more prominent in Conrad’s work, the story has a subtle undercurrent of imperialist and colonial attitudes. The significance of the setting is significant because it has implications. Although Thailand was never colonized, Britain’s presence at sea no doubt suggests their presence in other countries. This ship represents one of many vessels that transit constantly between colonized lands in the British Isles and their homeland.
Conrad appointed the speaker as a captain. Despite his new position, we quickly learn that the speaker feels insecure. The speaker appears to be both the everyday man and in a position that is powerful, which suggests that his actions could mirror those of any other person (or at least any western male) in that same position. The characterization of western morality suggests that it is possible to incorporate this into the British canon.
The story isn’t driven by the speaker, but he does influence how we perceive it. The Secret Sharer’s events are set by the appearance of a stranger onboard the ship. He describes the stranger when he first meets him: “With an exhale, I saw a pair feet, long legs, and a broad, glowing back that reached right to the neck in a greenish-cadaverous glow. The ladder’s bottom rung was clutched by the one-handed hand. The head was all he needed. Conrad depicted a dead body without a head (7). The man is aware that he does indeed have a head. However, this first encounter is critical to understanding how the stranger perceives him. Leggatt is also the “everyman”, as we discover. His initial state of headlessness represents the ambiguity, fluidity, and uncertainty of his identity. Instantly, he transforms into a fill in the blank. The speaker then projects his own perception.
As Leggatt’s criminal acts are exposed, this becomes even more important. The speaker uses his newfound power to harbor a fugitive aboard a ship that has been accused of murder. This crime has been long considered one the most horrific. The similarities between himself and Leggatt is the speaker’s main reason for doing this. This is due to the colonial undercurrent in Conrad’s writing. It perfectly reflects the implicit bias of western cultures. Those who are perceived “like” are exempted from the most atrocious and are even criminalized for the arbitrary. The symbolic representation of the willful ignorance that justifies western cultures in general, and how they act as a shield against Leggatt by acting as such is the speaker.
The main conflict in the story centers around Leggatt’s hiding by the speaker. The speaker’s decision whether to reveal Leggatt or let him escape without answering for his crimes is the main conflict in the story. This parallels the notion of facing one’s demons and ignoring them. According to Conrad 15, the speaker also expressed his views on the matter. He said that he was “extremely tired” due to the strain of stealthiness, whispering, and general secrecy. Although this may suggest that the speaker is tired and frustrated with hiding his feelings, he eventually decides to help Leggatt escape. He has basically ignored his demons. The speaker never admits that he concealed Leggatt’s activities, but ironically, this sequence of events helps him gain the trust of his crew. This illustrates one of western culture’s great flaws: It is much easier to “save face” rather than admitting to having done wrong. This is precisely what happened to The Secret Sharer’s speaker. He helped a murderer escape but he is content with his actions because he earned the respect of his fellow shipmates.
There are no set criteria for a canonical piece of work, but a strong sense culture and an openness are crucial factors to making it worthwhile to study. The Secret Sharer is fundamentally a critique on British culture. It demonstrates the influence of colonialism, imperialism, and other foreign influences on the formation of British identity. It is not a positive portrayal of British culture, but it offers insights into cultural history. The story’s ambiguity allows for many interpretations. It will certainly not be forgotten.
Works citées
Altieri, Charles. “An Ideal and Idea of a Literary Canon.” Critical Inquiry. (10.1): 37-60. Web. March 12th, 2017.
Conrad, Joseph. A man discovers a stowaway on his ship and decides to keep him a secret from the rest of the crew. He soon finds himself in an unusual situation as he begins to identify with the stowaway and begins to trust him more and more. Raleigh: Boson Books, 2013. Print.
