# Mr. B⸺ — The Mirror of the Sea character guide

> Mr. B⸺ in The Mirror of the Sea by Joseph Conrad.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** B⸺

**First appearance:** 0006-i

## Snapshot

A shipmaster whose anecdotes and experiences populate the narrator's memories of maritime life, embodying the professional pride and occasional pathos of commanders past their prime.

## Who they are

Mr. B⸺ belongs to that gallery of shipmasters whose stories the narrator collects—men whose identities blur into the ships they commanded and the passages they made. He exists in the margins of tales about the old Tweed and Captain S⸺'s yearning for lost triumphs, part of the collective memory of the merchant service. His presence reinforces the book's central meditation: that ships and men are inseparable, and that the sea keeps no record of individual glory except in the memories of those who sailed.

## In the story

### [The Mirror of the Sea](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mirror_of_the_sea_se/chapters/the-mirror-of-the-sea)

Chief mate who watches the anchor go clear with professional pride.

### [Landfalls and Departures](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mirror_of_the_sea_se/chapters/landfalls-and-departures)

Referenced as a chief mate whose actions during anchor handling are recalled with admiration.

### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mirror_of_the_sea_se/chapters/v)

The chief mate, described as having a red moustache, lean red face, and uneasy eye. He is extremely watchful and insecure about the ship's safety under the narrator's command, yet deeply devoted to the barque.

### [The Fine Art](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mirror_of_the_sea_se/chapters/the-fine-art)

Mentioned as an exemplar of the fine art of seamanship, demonstrating skill and devotion to his ship.

### [The Weight of the Burden](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mirror_of_the_sea_se/chapters/the-weight-of-the-burden)

Referenced as a chief mate who bears the burden of watchful responsibility.

### [The Grip of the Land](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mirror_of_the_sea_se/chapters/the-grip-of-the-land)

Noted as a chief mate who, when ashore, succumbs to the land's grip, leading to trouble and a loss of his seamanlike qualities.

### [XXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mirror_of_the_sea_se/chapters/xxi)

The narrator, serving as chief mate during a stranding, describes his own role in laying out anchors and his professional satisfaction.

### [The Character of the Foe](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mirror_of_the_sea_se/chapters/the-character-of-the-foe)

Referenced as a chief mate whose watchfulness exemplifies the necessary attitude toward the sea.

### [XXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mirror_of_the_sea_se/chapters/xxiii)

The mate who delighted in calling the gale 'a famous shove.'

### [XXXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mirror_of_the_sea_se/chapters/xxxiv)

Chief mate of the Duke of S——, a heavy drinker who manages to perform his duties despite his nightly struggles; later encountered years afterward, sober but down on his luck.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mirror_of_the_sea_se/characters/mr_b
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mirror_of_the_sea_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mirror_of_the_sea_se/characters