The End of the Tether
by Joseph Conrad (1857–1924)
- Free to read
- 4 hours to read
- 14 chapters
- Reading level: 7th grade
“The End of the Tether” by Joseph Conrad is a novella written in the late 19th century. The story revolves around Captain Whalley, a seasoned and aging seafarer who reflects on his long career at sea while grappling with themes of loss, fading relevance, and the struggle to maintain dignity in the face of overwhelming change. Captain Whalley’s character is painted with depth, showcasing his profound connection to the sea and his sense of duty towards his late wife and daughter. The opening of the novella establishes Captain Whalley aboard the steamer "Sofala", detailing his mundane life on the coast he has navigated for three years. The sharp contrast between his past glories as a daring sea captain and his current position illustrates his melancholy and the inevitability of aging. He is portrayed as a man who has lost much—his wife, his fortune, and the status he once held in the maritime world. Additionally, his concern for his daughter Ivy’s future heightens his inner conflict, as he contemplates the drastic changes in his life and the world around him. The narrative sets a reflective tone, signaling a journey not just through waters, but also through memory and identity, as Captain Whalley faces the possibility of relinquishing his last command.
- Ship captains
- Fathers and daughters
- Seafaring life
- Older men
Read the opening
Chapter I
For a long time after the course of the steamer Sofala had been altered for the land, the low swampy coast had retained its appearance of a mere smudge of darkness beyond a belt of glitter. The sunrays seemed to fall violently upon the calm sea—seemed to shatter themselves upon an adamantine surface into sparkling dust, into a dazzling vapor of light that blinded the eye and wearied the brain with its unsteady brightness.
Captain Whalley did not look at it. When his Serang, approaching the roomy cane arm-chair which he filled capably, had informed him in a low voice that the course was to be altered, he had risen at once and had remained on his feet, face forward, while the head of his ship swung through a quarter of a circle. He had not uttered a single word, not even the word to steady the helm. It was the Serang, an elderly, alert, little Malay, with a very dark skin, who murmured the order to the helmsman. And then slowly Captain Whalley sat down again in the arm-chair on the bridge and fixed his eyes on the deck between his feet.
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About this edition
This free edition of The End of the Tether by Joseph Conrad comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #527, released 2006-01-09. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Novels, British Literature.
Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).
