# Charles Powell — Chance character guide

> Charles Powell in Chance by Joseph Conrad.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Mr. Powell, Powell, Charley, young Powell, Mr. Charles Powell

**First appearance:** 0005-i-young-powell-and-his-chance

## Snapshot

A young sailor whose first berth on the Ferndale entangles him with the Anthony household, and whose name collides uncannily with the narrator's own.

## Who they are

Powell arrives at the Ferndale green and untried, grateful for a berth after the humiliation of job-hunting in London, and eager to prove himself under a captain he barely knows. His youth makes him watchful rather than bold, and the shipboard world of the Anthonys draws him into loyalties and suspicions he never bargained for. Because he shares Marlow's name and later his confidence, Powell becomes the lens through which the story's strangest turns are seen.

## Relationships

### [Captain Anthony](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters/captain_anthony)

_professional_

Captain Anthony is Powell's commanding officer, and Powell is his loyal first mate, with a relationship built on mutual respect and duty.

### [Mrs. Fyne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters/mrs_fyne)

_social_

Powell is a frequent visitor and confidant in the Fyne household, acting as a bridge between the Fynes and the outside world.

### [Franklin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters/franklin)

_professional_

Powell and Franklin are fellow officers on the ship, with Franklin mentoring Powell in the duties of a seaman.

### [Flora de Barral](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters/flora_de_barral)

_friendship_

Powell is a kind and supportive friend to Flora, often acting as her ally and confidant during difficult times.

### [Mr. Smith](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters/mr_smith)

_professional_

Powell has a professional relationship with Mr. Smith, who is a shipowner or agent, involving business transactions and commands.

### [Ted](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters/ted)

_friendship_

Powell and Ted are friends and shipmates, sharing a bond of camaraderie and mutual respect.

### [Fyne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters/fyne)

_social_

Powell and Fyne are social acquaintances, with Powell being a guest in the Fyne home and a friend of the family.

### [Captain Anthony](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters/captain_anthony)

_professional_

Captain Anthony is Powell's commanding officer, and Powell is his loyal first mate, with a relationship built on mutual respect and duty.

### [Captain Anthony](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters/captain_anthony)

_professional_

Captain Anthony is Powell's commanding officer, and Powell is his loyal first mate, with a relationship built on mutual respect and duty.

### [Mrs. Fyne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters/mrs_fyne)

_social_

Powell is a frequent visitor and confidant in the Fyne household, acting as a bridge between the Fynes and the outside world.

### [Mrs. Fyne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters/mrs_fyne)

_social_

Powell is a frequent visitor and confidant in the Fyne household, acting as a bridge between the Fynes and the outside world.

### [Franklin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters/franklin)

_professional_

Powell and Franklin are fellow officers on the ship, with Franklin mentoring Powell in the duties of a seaman.

## In the story

### [Chance](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/chapters/chance)

A young, newly certified second mate who secures a berth on the Ferndale through a chance meeting with Captain Anthony.

### [Part I: The Damsel](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/chapters/part-i-the-damsel)

A young sailor who passes his examination and secures a berth on the Ferndale, meeting Marlow along the way.

### [I: Young Powell and His Chance](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/chapters/i-young-powell-and-his-chance)

A young, earnest sailor who has just passed his examination and is seeking his first berth. He is described as compact, broad, and sturdy, with a lively and open manner.

### [I: The Ferndale](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/chapters/i-the-ferndale)

The subject of Marlow's investigation; he disappears mysteriously into an Essex creek, revealing a secretive side.

### [II: Young Powell Sees and Hears](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/chapters/ii-young-powell-sees-and-hears)

Young and inexperienced, Powell is shocked to find the captain's wife is a young girl. He is focused on his duties and fails to understand the crew's resentment or the deeper marital tensions.

### [III: Devoted Servants—and the Light of a Flare](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/chapters/iii-devoted-servants-and-the-light-of-a-flare)

Second mate on the Ferndale, curious about the captain's behavior and sympathetic to Mrs. Anthony.

### [IV: Anthony and Flora](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/chapters/iv-anthony-and-flora)

Mentioned as the second mate of the Ferndale, whose observations contribute to the mystery.

### [VI: … a Moonless Night, Thick with Stars Above, Very Dark on the Water](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/chapters/vi-a-moonless-night-thick-with-stars-above-very-dark-on-the-water)

Observes the strange life on the Ferndale and feels enthusiastic about Mrs. Anthony.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters/charles_powell
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/chance_se/characters