The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad opens with a meticulous account of the moments before departure, of the instant when the journey is about to begin. The ship has been towed from the harbor to the mouth of the Menam River, and from there, it will embark on its journey as soon as the wind permits. The first-person narrator and protagonist stand on the cusp of an upcoming experience: all the preparations for setting sail have been made, everything is ready; but the journey is not yet underway. From his position, the captain offers his impressions of the situation. He precisely indicates where he is and what he observes to his right, to his left, and when he turns around. That initial state of the journey is defined as a pause, in which solitude, stillness, silence, and twilight are the defining features.