The Secret Sharer

 At the beginning of the story, the captain was a very weak man and was able to find confidence and authority in his “double.” The biggest way in which the narrator changes is in his ability to command the ship more firmly.  Although this had become somewhat noticeable in part 1 (when the captain gives his first order), it becomes much more apparent. The captain orders the men of the boat to land extremely close to shore so that Lagatt is able to swim back. This is a very risky move by the captain and could be putting the ship in danger. Before, he could hardly give a typical order. Now, he is going above the authority of a normal captain by asking them to risk the safety of the ship. Also, the captain gains some confidence in the second part. While showing other men around, he shows off all of his rooms and acts very highly. He does this to show that no one is there and that he isn’t hiding anyone. He also plays games with some of the men on his ship and people from another ship. Previously, it seemed that the captain was lacking in social skills and any sort of relationship with his men. Although that relationship still does not really exist, he still steps out of his comfort zone with them more than he ever had. Lastly (I am somewhat unsure if this is significant or not), I found it strange that the captain was willing to let his double go. I thought his attachment was too great for him to create a plan to allow Legatt to leave. His obsession may have died down a little towards the end; although I am not sure I interpreted this correctly.