Literary Circle (Happy Hour) - The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad

At our next short-reading discussion, we’ll get together for a happy hour at Common Theory in Kearny Mesa to discuss The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad.
One of Conrad’s most admired and frequently anthologized works, The Secret Sharer was written quickly in December 1909 during a pause in his work on Under Western Eyes. About 15,000 words long, it first appeared in Harper’s Magazine in 1910.
This short but powerful story follows a young, first-time sea captain who quietly doubts his ability to command. When he discovers a mysterious man swimming alongside his ship on dark night, he is suddenly confronted with an unexpected moral dilemma—one that tests his judgment, his sense of duty as a sea captain, and his emerging identity as a leader. Forced to make a solitary, high-stakes decision that could cost him his command, he must weigh the safety of his crew against his instinct to help a desperate stranger, who may, but very will may not, deserve the captain's sympathy.
As in Heart of Darkness and Lord Jim, Conrad creates a piercing psychological drama, transforming a nautical incident into a meditation on responsibility, loyalty, and individuation.
Please join us if you can to discuss this short story masterpiece.