# XVII explained — The Mirror of the Sea

> Chapter companion for The Mirror of the Sea by Joseph Conrad.

## What happens

The narrator reflects on the mystery of ships reported as 'missing' and recounts a near-disaster in the Southern Ocean when a submerged ice floe nearly sinks his barque, emphasizing the fine line between survival and oblivion.

## Themes in this chapter

### Man vs. Nature

The crew's struggle against the gale and the hidden ice floe illustrates the constant battle with the sea's unpredictable forces.

### The Sea as Mirror

The sea's chaotic surface and the profound peace of the depths reflect the contrast between life's struggle and death's tranquility.

## Character check-ins

### Mr. Conrad

The narrator who goes aloft to supervise repairs and spots the ice floe.

### Captain MacW⸺

The captain who remarks on the narrow escape from becoming a 'missing' ship.

## Key lines

> The unholy fascination of dread dwells in the thought of the last moments of a ship reported as 'missing' in the columns of the Shipping Gazette.

There is a morbid curiosity about the final moments of a ship that vanishes without a trace, as listed in the Shipping Gazette.

_Opens the chapter with the theme of mysterious loss at sea._

> But for the turn of that wheel just in time, there would have been another case of a 'missing' ship.

If the helmsman hadn't turned the wheel at that exact moment, our ship would have been added to the list of missing vessels.

_Captain MacW—— reflects on the narrow escape from the ice floe._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_mirror_of_the_sea_se/chapters/xvii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_mirror_of_the_sea_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_mirror_of_the_sea_se/chapters