Allegory In The Open Boat

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“Man is nature’s sole mistake,” once preached William S. Gilbert. Nature is a perpetuator of beauty, something which every human, regardless of religion or belief, can agree that it brings life and is almost too perfect for our appreciation. This quote describes the one harming outcome of nature, the product of mankind. Agent Smith, a character in the 1999 film The Matrix, once described humanity not as mammals, but as a virus that is in constant conflict with the natural world. The Open Boat is a short story written by Stephen Crane, which was inspired by his own shipwreck experience, which portrays men living on a rescue boat attempting to survive despite of horrid conditions. In this short story, the primary conflict is that of man against the universe and nature. The crew faces several dangers throughout their quest before reaching land. Crane is a dedicated writer of naturalism and realism, and consequently often writing his perspective as one of indifference. The different characters each serve as an allegory for a specific roll in …show more content…

The conflict that the men face is one questioned by theologists in regards to the universe’s reaction to man; should humans’ lives be prioritized to natural laws? Simply put, the universe is harsh, as John F. Kennedy once quoted, “Life is unfair.” Granted that these individuals are stranded on a boat, the ocean won’t ease its currents nor ungrasp physic’s natural laws in order to keep the boat afloat. The captain’s feeling of restriction is amplified when a seagull landing on his head, seen by him as a mocking gesture of his lack of flight. “The wrath of the sea was no more to them than it was to a covey of prairie chickens a thousand miles inland.” When the men see a man on the beach, their cries are unheard and are rendered useless. Incessant unfortunate events cause the men to lose hope and accept their fates, which is a prominent theme of naturalism and

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