The Tale
Book •
"The Tale" is a Joseph Conrad story in which a ship commander, operating amid fog and wartime subterfuge, must judge ambiguous evidence and decide upon a course of action with grave consequences.
After encountering a suspicious neutral coaster in dense fog, the officer confronts moral uncertainty about neutrality, treachery, and the ethics of deception at sea.
When he directs the coaster onto a deadly ledge, the resulting loss of life leaves him tormented by doubt over whether he enacted retribution or committed murder.
Conrad delves into the burden of command, the limits of human knowledge, and the corrosive effect of suspicion.
The narrative's tension arises from the clash between professional duty and the desire for moral clarity amid wartime ambiguity.
After encountering a suspicious neutral coaster in dense fog, the officer confronts moral uncertainty about neutrality, treachery, and the ethics of deception at sea.
When he directs the coaster onto a deadly ledge, the resulting loss of life leaves him tormented by doubt over whether he enacted retribution or committed murder.
Conrad delves into the burden of command, the limits of human knowledge, and the corrosive effect of suspicion.
The narrative's tension arises from the clash between professional duty and the desire for moral clarity amid wartime ambiguity.
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Mentioned by Peter Yearsley as the third story read in the Tales of Hearsay audiobook.
Tales of Hearsay by Joseph Conrad ~ Full Audiobook [drama]
