The Plot Outline

by novalark

Posted to Utterances on 2002-10-28 12:16:00

Parent message is 312747
The story takes place during a Captain’s first command of a merchant ship. His new ship is anchored at the head of the Gulf of Siam, “at the starting point of a long journey.” There is no suggestion that it is a journey involving special hazards. The young man leans on his “ship’s rail as if on a shoulder of his trusted friend.” He feels that he is a stranger to the ship. He is something of a stranger to himself. He is the youngest man on board except the second mate. He is inexperienced, considering his position, which involves the fullest responsibility.

The rise in action takes place when the Captain encounters Leggatt, who appears in the night as a headless corpse. Leggatt reveals to the Captain that he killed a disobedient man on board the ship and the Captain decides to hide him on board. This leads to the dilemma of taking care of the ship versus taking care of Leggatt.

The end of the story is reached when Leggatt finally manages to slip away into the sea with the help of the Captain. It is a culmination of the supreme effort that the Captain has made to save Leggatt, who goes off to live a free life, without any chance of being prosecuted and also to appear to be a capable captain to his crew. Leggatt has been made “a free
man.” He enters the water as “a free man, a proud swimmer striking out for a new destiny.”

The Captain has secured the safe escape of Leggatt, his double. The Captain himself becomes a free man and a master of himself and his ship.


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