The Secret Sharer Part 2

The narrator has changed by spending time with the secret sharer because he becomes more like Leggatt. He is not fully focused on commanding the ship as the captain because he is constantly thinking about Leggatt. His attention is split because he feels like he is missing a part of himself when they are not together. The narrator solely confides in Leggatt and they whisper in his cabin about making decisions for the ship. The narrator becomes more assertive in giving strict orders to his crew, which expects to follow them without question. He acts with new authority partly because it is a quality which he assumes from Leggatt, but also because he does not want his secret sharer to be discovered by the crew. He takes direct action with little thought to its dangers when he orders the crew to change course towards land. He is not concerned about the difficulties of seeing the land in the night and getting the ship stuck on shore. Also, he gains Leggatt's short temper and is quickly agitated by the steward who tries to clean his room while he is hiding Leggatt. When a mate despairs that the ship is lost and unable to catch a wind so close to the land, the narrator firmly grips and shakes his arm. He shouts for him to be quiet and continues to violently shake him, which is similar to when Leggatt grabs the neck of the man who is being insolent. The narrator takes full control of his ship, which he prevents from hitting land, like when Laggatt saves the Sephora with the reefed foresail. The narrator gains the strength, which seems to be draining from Leggatt. When they are planning to maroon Leggatt, they switch roles because the narrator commands him to take the gold pieces and tells him when to leave, unlike when Leggatt gives the narrator orders as he first boards the ship. In the end, the narrator states that Leggatt is a free man with a new destiny, but since he is his second self, the narrator is also free. He is no longer tentative and has confidence to control his ship.