Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) spent much of his life at sea, and his experiences as a mariner deeply influenced his fiction. He set many of his finest stories aboard ship, where his characters - closely confined, enduring the rigors of the sea - might struggle more intensely with the psychological and moral issues that engaged him. The Secret Sharer is one of those. The story takes place at sea, near the Gulf of Siam, and is told from the perspective of a young nameless Captain. He is unfamiliar with both ship and crew, having only joined their company a fortnight earlier. He'll question himself about his ability to fulfill the role of such an authoritative figure. And that's how he will face the turning point of his life.