# the Serang — The End of the Tether character guide

> the Serang in The End of the Tether by Joseph Conrad.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Serang, the barefooted Serang

**First appearance:** 0000-i

## Snapshot

The Sofala's barefooted Malay boatswain, loyal and silent, who keeps the watch and answers his captain's anxious questions without ever asking why.

## Who they are

By custom the Serang holds the deck for the captain on easy stretches, but Whalley cannot stay below, and so the two men trade low words in the dark: 'You are watching the compass well?' 'Yes, I am watching, Tuan.' His steady obedience and unspoken understanding make him a still point amid the ship's gathering suspicions. He is the one witness whose silence the schemers never think to count.

## Relationships

### [Captain Whalley](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_end_of_the_tether_se/characters/captain_whalley)

_professional_

The Serang is the loyal and competent Malay boatswain who respects Whalley and serves him faithfully.

### [Mr. Sterne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_end_of_the_tether_se/characters/mr_sterne)

_professional_

Sterne attempts to manipulate the Serang for information, but the Serang remains aloof and loyal to Whalley.

### [Captain Whalley](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_end_of_the_tether_se/characters/captain_whalley)

_professional_

The Serang is the loyal and competent Malay boatswain who respects Whalley and serves him faithfully.

### [Mr. Sterne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_end_of_the_tether_se/characters/mr_sterne)

_professional_

Sterne attempts to manipulate the Serang for information, but the Serang remains aloof and loyal to Whalley.

## In the story

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_end_of_the_tether_se/chapters/i)

An elderly, alert Malay who serves as the ship's Serang, murmuring orders to the helmsman and keeping the captain's watch.

### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_end_of_the_tether_se/chapters/vi)

The old Malay serang on the Sofala, assists Whalley by watching for landmarks and giving bearings.

### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_end_of_the_tether_se/chapters/vii)

Stands beside Whalley, muttering navigation instructions in quiet tones, assisting with the bar crossing.

### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_end_of_the_tether_se/chapters/viii)

Quietly observes the ship's position and corrects the helm. He is certain the Sofala is off course but does not question his captain's actions, trusting in his own senses and Whalley's judgment.

### [Chapter X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_end_of_the_tether_se/chapters/x)

The Serang is closely attending Whalley on the bridge, prompting Sterne's comparison to a pilot-fish.

### [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_end_of_the_tether_se/chapters/xiii)

Revealed to be the one actually navigating the ship under Whalley's guidance, trained to handle the vessel despite Whalley's blindness. He is unaware of the captain's condition.

### [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_end_of_the_tether_se/chapters/xiv)

Heaves the lead to determine depth after the ship strikes the reef, reporting eight fathoms.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_end_of_the_tether_se/characters/the_serang
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_end_of_the_tether_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_end_of_the_tether_se/characters