"My Second Self"

We all have a secret part of us which we keep hidden from the rest of the world. It might be that you enjoy singing in the shower, or maybe, you spend an hour getting ready in the morning for perfection. Personally, I enjoy putting on the most obnoxious music and dancing like Shakira. But the point of all of this is, that these little things we do, we do in the secret of our own rooms, or homes. These little moments of free behaviour help us to identify ourselves. The things you do when you are by yourself show what kind of a person you really are.

Therefore, in The Secret Sharer, by Joseph Conrad, when the captain of the ship comes into contact with his other "self," we can feel a huge amount of surprise. Is he figuratively saying his "other self," or is he really mentally challenged, and creating another person whom he identifies as his "double?" Could this be the self which he hides from the rest of the world? As we read on, it is most likely that there is, in fact, another person, because with which the detailed history of this person is acounted for. However, the significance of the repeated fact that the captain believes this person to be his double keeps increasing, especially with the extraordinary way he tries to put his crew at ease, and hide his new companion. Companion this man seems to be, for he asses the way this murderer reacts when told of a ship's sighting, and seems to hold some kind of affection for the castaway.

Although the author elludes to the possibility of the captain being insane, he puts that idea to rest iwth the thought from the captain himself: "It was very much like bing mad, only it was worse because one was aware of it" (p.37). Therefore we know for a fact that the man is not mad, or else he would deny it.

This book can also be related to The Cherry Orchard, because the captain and his rescuee answer eachother with certain monologues or facts about themselves.

As chapter 1 came to a close, I felt a sudden impulse to keep reading. This book, filled with mystery as to what will happen to this second man, and who the first man - the captain - actually is, leaves me with a feeling of wonder, and excitement. Hopefully, the chapters will hold my attention and interest until the end of the work.