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... f yet another stranger, Leggatt. Much like the captain he was also a stranger on his ship. Also, he spent many days locked up in isolation on his former ship, and two nights after that swimming in isolation.
Even with this arrival. The captain is still isolated from the crew. The feelings of isolation subside, however. "It's a great satisfaction to have got somebody to understand. " Thus, Leggatt was created to break the feeling of isolation for both the captain and himself. Starting in the opening paragraphs, the patterns of silence and calmness are projected in the novel. "I saw the strait line of the flat shore joined to the stable sea" instills in a reader a scene of calmness and order. "She floated at the starting point of a long journey, very still in an immense stillness... there was not a sound in her - and around us nothing moved" further adds to the effect. Further on in the novel the captain "was met by the profound silence of the fore end of the ship. " When the captain takes his stroll he notices "all was still down there. " Everything in the novel from "solemnity of perfect solitude" in atmosphere of the opening paragraphs, to the "silent young man" character of the second mate, to the "stillness of air and water" and "silent play of summer lighting" in nature reflect the world of the novel which is the solemn and silent ship.
The captain and Leggatt must abide by these laws of the world, and in order to maintain this artificial silence imposed upon them, they spoke is soft whispers audible only to each other. The duality theme also exists throughout the novel. However, duality serves a purpose as a factor in the tension and dialectic build up. From the start everything appears in pairs.
The title of the novel contains two significant words, who are of equal length, start with the same letter and are nouns. Further more, the novel is composed of two books. Also, the opening paragraphs introduce us to the two trees. There are two officers on the deck waiting to welcome the captain to the ship.
An officer remarks that he saw a second ship with the setting sun. The captain and Leggatt are two strangers on a ship. Moreover, there is an uncanny resemblance between the two. Also, there are two captains in the novel.
The end is marked by a comment "she's round" by the two seamen. Duality throughout the novel serves to show the partnership between Leggatt and the captain. This partnership is formed between opposing characters. As the captain remarked "the dual working of my mind distracted me almost to the point of insanity... it was very much like being mad, only it was worse because one was aware of it. " The tension formed by this dialectic must be resolved.
In order to resolve this problem, the narrator needs to grow up and individuate, to learn how to deal with the opposing force that are tearing him apart. The captain realizes that the partnership has served its purpose and has to end "everything was against us in our secret partnership. " Thus when it is resolved both of them can seek "a new destiny. " The theme of darkness tied in with the shadow image clusters plays important role in the novel. As the novel opens the narrator is in a shadow of the sails of the ship. Also, "the side of the ship made an opaque belt of shadow on the darkling glassy shimmer of the sea. " When Captain meets Leggatt, he is "glimmering white in the darkness. "A shadowy, dark head, like mine, " is used to describe Leggatt.
Darkness and shadows are always present when the two are together. The often talk during the night which is the epitome of darkness. Moreover, there is also an inner darkness which is associated with Leggatt's soul. He has killed a man, and that will forever leave a black spot on his soul. The captain knows of Leggatt's actions yet remains strangely detached. Shadows once again come to life at the end of the novel. "The shadow of the land...
the very blackness of it" describes the island's shadow on the ship. This instance is significant since the captain is with the crew. If one looks at possible Jungian considerations it becomes evident that it ties in the dialectic of private versus public as well as the rite of passage and journey theme, as well as the hero initiation archetype. In the opening paragraphs one finds many references to the journey home. "She floated at the starting point of a long journey. " Also there are some references to rebirth. The river is a symbol of rebirth, and if look on this way conception is two weeks ago when the captain got the post, and birth is coming onto a ship. Also, he is in a shadow when he comes on board alone, able to reflect on himself.
However, when he comes in contact with the crew he becomes a stranger, and puts up a facade in front of them. This sets up the dialectic between the public and the private world for the captain. He is unable to combine the two. His youth is evident in his inexperienced decisions. The following has to occur to resolve the dialectic. The captain has to grow up and explore himself to be able to deal with the two worlds.
This also marks the first stage of the hero initiation, the separation from the crew. Through a Jungian point of view, the captain puts on a mask for the world demonstrating a dominant persona. Through individuation he has to explore the shadow of his personality to balance the two. Next comes the growth phase. When Leggatt comes on board the captain makes an instant connection with his double. Due to his rash behavior we learn of one can say that Leggatt has a strong shadow to his personality.
Moreover, the captain cannot see Leggatt's head at first adding to the fact that Leggatt is without reason. Through their conversations in the darkness of the night, the captain explores his soul. He transforms, grows, goes through individuation and moves along his journey, thus tying in the dialectic and the themes. "The dual working of my mind distracted me almost to the point of insanity" reveals that growth did no come effortlessly to the narrator. The ending of the book brings an end to the dialectic, the journey, the rite of passage and hero initiation. At the end of the novel the captain is in the shadow with his crew signifying he is able to control both his private and the public world.
Also, he makes good decisions and saves himself and the crew, showing significant growth as a leader. With these actions he rejoins the crew as a fully functional member thus ending the hero initiation. Also, the island marks the endpoint of their physical journey as well. Thus, everything comes to an end. The cosmic implications of the book are positive ones. The theme of positive growth and success are evident in the end of the novel.
All of the dialectics are resolved in a good way. Also, all the thematic predictions are tied together and fulfilled. I believe I find an underlying Objective Correlative throughout the novel. All of us have been on the outside looking in sometimes. This is the situation of the captain at the start of his journey. At the end the captain succeeds in his quest, and the reader feels glad that the captain is able to fit in.
The reader can relate to the captain's plight, and therefore shares in the joy together with him. The Secret Sharer written by Joseph Conrad, is a short book that is very near perfection.
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Research essay sample on Rite Of Passage Starting Point
