In “The Open Boat,” written by Stephan Crane, the readers are presented with a true story about Stephan crane. While being trapped out at sea on the boat with only each other, the characters needed to work together to survive. Stephan Crane displays the different views on nature throughout the story by posing the characters as a symbol of survival against nature and the universe.
According to Mordecai Marcus, “The Open Boat’s” theme of nature stems from a threefold view on nature revealed by the characters thoughts. According to Marcus, the characters “view nature first as malevolently hostile, then as thoughtlessly hostile, and finally as wholly indifferent.”(511). The different views on nature are unfolded in the story as the characters’
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experiences out at sea change. In the first three sections of the story the characters view the sea as hostile (Marcus). “These waves were most wrongfully and barbarously abrupt and tall and each froth-top was a problem in small-boat navigation” (Crane 339). Here the men are describing the sea as very rough and very difficult to navigate in with such a small boat. The men viewed the sea as malevolently hostile because the sea was not on their side, making survival even harder. As the story progresses, in the next sections, the view on nature turns from malevolently hostile to thoughtlessly hostile. Here the men are still stuck out at sea with land in sight, but they begin to fear death because no one is coming to help them: "If I am going to be drowned--if I am going to be drowned--if I am going to be drowned, why, in the name of the seven mad gods who rule the sea, was I allowed to come thus far and contemplate sand and trees?
Was I brought here merely to have my nose dragged away as I was about to nibble the sacred cheese of life?" (Crane 344).
At this point the men are questioning, why if they are going to die, they have made it this far. This is one of the symbols of the men viewing nature as thoughtlessly hostile because they have been allowed to struggle this long for survival and at any given moment nature could take their life. The men are beginning to think that they might survive because they have sight of land, but still have a fear of dying because the sea is still rough making survival
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tough. At the conclusion of the story the men view nature as wholly indifferent. Marcus points out the part when “an on-shore wind which gives the men some chance of being saved and which contrasts with the vicious motions of the sea.” This is an example of the indifference of nature because while the sea is still being described as vicious, nature (the wind) is still giving them a chance of survival. At the end of the story, during their swim to shore, Stephan crane presents the final view upon nature playing the role of thoughtlessly hostile. According to Marcus, the one who did the most for the group, the oiler, was the one that was taken by nature in the end (Marcus). It was after the oiler helped everyone in the group and after he struggled for his survival, that nature decided that it was the end for him. It is clear to the reader that the men’s view on nature changed because at the beginning of the story they described the sea as “Barbarously Abrupt”(Crane 339) while at the end of the story their view was “the white waves paced to and fro in the moonlight”(Crane 355). This change showed how the men first viewed the seat as vicious where at the end it was considered to be calmly moving in the moonlight. According to Gregory A. Schirmer, there are two different views on man in Stephan Crane’s story. One of the views of man is helpless and insignificant while the other is that of brotherhood that binds man to man in the face of that indifferent universe (Schirmer). In the beginning of the story the men could be viewed as helpless and insignificant because at this point there is no land in sight and they are only hoping that they will make it to shore or someone will see them and help them. This could relate to the view on nature in the beginning of the story as malevolently hostile. These two relate because while the men are viewed as helpless, nature is not helping them to survival. Since nature is not on the men’s side and the waters are rough for the boat to navigate on, there is not much the men could do, leaving them to be helpless. Throughout the story the men gain a sense of brotherhood. If the men did not work together and help each other to survival there is a good chance that none of the men would have made it out alive. One example of their sense of brotherhood is when they all take turns rowing the boat, giving the others a rest. “In the meantime the oiler and the correspondent rowed; and also they rowed. They sat together in the same seat, an each rowed an oar. Then the oiler took both oars; then the correspondent took both oars…” (Crane 341). This sense of brotherhood could relate to all the different views of nature. In the beginning when nature was viewed as malevolently hostile, the men helped each other and had a sense of brotherhood. Later in the story when the view on nature changed to thoughtlessly hostile and the men had the fear of dying at sea with land insight, they still helped each other and had a sense of brotherhood. Lastly when nature was viewed as wholly indifferent the men still helped each other to shore. A good example of brotherhood in relation to nature’s indifference through the end of the story is the oiler’s death. The oiler did everything he could to help the other men on the boat showing his strong sense of brother hood but in the end in their final swim to shore, nature took his life. According to Peter Buitenhuis the structure of the story depends on the moods of the oiler, the cook and the correspondent. The characters’ moods can directly relate to the different views on nature because as nature is changing, the character’s view on survival is changing, leading their moods to change. Buitenhuis says that in the first section of the story, the scene is set, Crane stresses the concerns of the character’s and defines their individual natures. This can relate to the first view of nature as malevolently hostile because with the sea and nature not on their side, all the characters could think about is themselves and how they may not survive. “At the end of the first part there is a conversation in which the cook shows his facile optimism, the correspondent his cynical assurance, and the oiler his common sense.”(Buitenhuis). “The cook had said: "There's a house of refuge just north of the Mosquito Inlet Light, and as soon as they see us they'll come off in their boat and pick us up." "As soon as who see us?" said the correspondent. “The crew," said the cook. “Houses of refuge don't have crews," said the correspondent. “As I understand them they are only places where clothes and grub are stored for the benefit of shipwrecked people. They don't carry crews." "Oh, yes, they do," said the cook. “No, they don't," said the correspondent. “Well, we're not there yet, anyhow," said the oiler, in the stern” (Crane 340). This is proving that the cook had some hope that they were going to find help soon, while the rest of the men didn’t have as much hope as him. This can relate to the view on nature as being malevolently violent because with nature not being on the men’s side, it is hard for the oiler and the correspondent to think positively on finding help. later in the next four sections of the story, the men’s moods change from “the cheerfulness they feel on sighting the lighthouse to their despair on finding out that they cannot get through the surf to land before night falls” (Buitenhuis). Their moods here directly relate to the view on nature as thoughtlessly hostile because while they are seeing land and hoping to reach it, they realize that it isn’t possible to do before night fall. "If I am going to be drowned--if I am going to be drowned--if I am going to be drowned, why, in the name of the seven mad gods who rule the sea, was I allowed to come thus far and contemplate sand and trees? Was I brought here merely to have my nose dragged away as I was about to nibble the sacred cheese of life?" (Crane 344). Steven crane repeats this quote many times during these for sections of the story, showing how the men are unsure about survival. This quote is showing how the characters are questioning if nature is really on their side for survival. They begin to feel happy when they spot the lighthouse and they think they are going to make it to shore, until they realize that it is not possible for them to make it to shore before night fall. The men begin to question nature and wonder why they have been able to survive this long, when in the end they might die with land in sight. In the last section of the story the men’s moods are a lot more grateful, but still skeptical. Here the men are beginning to swim to shore, hoping to reach land and survival, but they are unsure if they will make it because nature could turn on them any second. The men’s moods here would relate to the view on nature as being wholly indifferent because although they are swimming to shore and they can be reaching survival, nature is still making it tough for them to get to shore. In the end nature was indifferent because three of the men made it to shore, while the fourth one (the oiler) drowned. According to Evan Luzi Stephan Crane’s story is an example of naturalism. Naturalism is the realism in art or literature; specifically: a theory or practice in literature emphasizing scientific observation of life without idealization and often including elements of determinism (Merriam-Webster dictionary). Evan Luzi makes the comparison between the men on the boat to puppets. He compares them to puppets because he says that they are always hopeless because they are not agents of freewill, he says, “they are puppets to the ocean the wind and their dingy” (BlackandBlue web source). He compares them to the puppets because puppets are not in control in what they do, just like the men in this situation. On the boat, whatever the men do is dependent on nature. The only way they are going to survive is if nature allows for them to, and if nature is on their side. Anthony Channell Hilfer also argues that the sea is a disadvantage to the men: “A singular disadvantage of the sea lies in the fact that after successfully surmounting one wave you discover that there is another behind it just as important and just as nervously anxious to do something effective in the way of swamping boats” (Crane 339). In the sense of nature being on the side of the men, it is not, nature is making surviving at sea harder for the men because after they successfully survive one wave there is always more coming for them. “Nature here has malign intent” (Hilfer) Nature is making surviving for the men at sea even more difficult and according to Hilfer the men are in a reactive relationship with the waves. Whatever the men do, and if they survive is all in reaction do how nature and the sea treats them (Hilfer). Mark Elliot says “Crane makes the men on the boat a symbol of the heroism of simple human endurance against an indifferent universe” (Elliot).
While the men are out at sea, rowing for their lives, the thought sets in to them that they are helpless in the sense of nature’s power (Elliot). Mark Elliot points out that the men need to realize that their lives are dependent on the strong power of nature and what happens out at sea. Elliot says that an ironic reversal of the Darwinian rule of survival of the fittest is the scene at the ending of the story when the oiler drowned. He claims this to be ironic because the oiler seemed to be the most physically fit one to survive and he did the most for the other men, where in the end he was the only one to die. (Elliot). This is an example of how nature is a key in the struggle of
life. Many critics have analyzed and interpreted Stephan Crane’s “The Open Boat” in many different way, but the one thing most of the critics said that was in common was the symbol of nature. Many critics analyzed how nature played a major role in the struggle and the survival of the men out at sea. In the end it is obvious that the men struggled while out at sea, and the different views on nature never made it easier for them to make it to shore.
The author shows the reader the sea just as the sailor does as death, but more than death
...He is still anchored to his past and transmits the message that one makes their own choices and should be satisfied with their lives. Moreover, the story shows that one should not be extremely rigid and refuse to change their beliefs and that people should be willing to adapt to new customs in order to prevent isolation. Lastly, reader is able to understand that sacrifice is an important part of life and that nothing can be achieved without it. Boats are often used as symbols to represent a journey through life, and like a captain of a boat which is setting sail, the narrator feels that his journey is only just beginning and realizes that everyone is in charge of their own life. Despite the wind that can sometimes blow feverishly and the waves that may slow the journey, the boat should not change its course and is ultimately responsible for completing its voyage.
To survive, is one of the few basic needs that every human needs to obtain, to of course find a sense of nirvana. In this story, these four gentlemen are on what you would call a dinghy. A dinghy is something of a “last resort” type deal, foreshadowing that something bad is going to happen and letting the reader know that something bad has already happened. Speaking of foreshadowing, you can see that something bad is most likely going to happen when the Captain stated, “I wish we had a sail”. The Captain stated “We might try my overcoat on the end of an oar and give you two boys a chance to rest”, speaking to the cook and the correspondent.
Stephen Crane’s short story, “The Open Boat” speaks directly to Jack London’s own story, “To Build A Fire” in their applications of naturalism and views on humanity. Both writers are pessimistic in their views of humanity and are acutely aware of the natural world. The representations of their characters show humans who believe that they are strong and can ably survive, but these characters many times overestimate themselves which can lead to an understanding of their own mortality as they face down death.
Crane’s work, “The Open Boat,” is story based on his experience as a survivor
In the short story “ The Open Boat,” by Stephen Crane, Crane does an outstanding job creating descriptive images throughout the entire story. With saying this, Crane uses symbolism along with strong imagery to provide the reader with a fun and exciting story about four guys who 's fight was against nature and themselves. Starting early in the book, Crane creates a story line that has four men in a great amount of trouble in the open waters of the ocean. Going into great detail about natures fierce and powerful body of water, Crane makes it obvious that nature has no empathy for the human race. In this story, Crane shows the continuous fight that the four men have to endure in able to beat natures strongest body of water. It 's not just nature the men have to worry about though, its the ability to work together in order to win this fight against nature. Ultimately, Crane is able to use this story, along with its vast imagery and symbolism to compare the struggle between the human race and all of natures uncertainties.
“None of them knew the color of the sky. Their eyes glanced level, and were fastened upon the waves that swept toward them. These waves were of the hue of slate, save for the tops, which were of foaming white, and all of the men knew the colors of the sea” (Crane 990). The story begins by telling the readers that the men do not know the color of sky, but that they do know the colors of the sea. This particular statement begins the story with the color white which could be symbolizing hope, but in this story it is welcoming the dead to the other side. In the first section of this story, readers learn that 4 men are stranded in a dingy, the waves surrounding them are white, and the waves were a problem for small boat navigation. Not only are the men facing the troublesome waves, the men face a group of seagulls that seem
Both authors use very different methods to achieve the same effect on their readers. The amalgamation of the diverse techniques Crane and Proulx utilize creates a solemn atmosphere in both stories. “Job History” and “The Open Boat” portrays characters that are void of personality. This absence of personality prevents the reader from true empathy or understanding of the characters.
Stephan Cranes “The Open Boat” is short stories that will make one appreciate every aspect of life whether it is a tragic misfortune or even a simple head cold. This is illustrated due to the fact in the story nature trains the men in the raft to appreciate what they have and don’t take life for granted. This is made clear when the correspondent says “If I am going to be drowned – if I am going to be drowned – if I am going to be drowned, why in the name of the seven mad gods who rule the sea, I was allowed to come thus far and contemplate land and trees” (Baym)? After that statement one realizes that the men in the raft are beginning to appreciate nature that they show no attention to. In the story it says “When it occurs to a man that nature does not regard him as important, and that she feels she would not maim the universe by disposing of him, he at first wishes to throw bricks at the temple, and he hates deeply the fact that there are no bricks and no temples” (Baym). They realize nature cares nothing about them they have to play by the rules of it.
They are forced to contend with the realization that their survival does not matter to nature. The correspondent comes to the realization, “When it occurs to a man that nature does not regard him as important, and that she feels she would not maim the universe by disposing of him, he first wishes to throw bricks at the temple, and he hates deeply the fact that there are no bricks and no temples” (Crane 213). While the men may try to pin their trouble on the “mythicized deity,” that really does not serve them. When discussing this, Hilfer says, “The discomfiting thing about nature is that though we can address it, our messages can only come back stamped ‘return to sender’” (251). No matter how much the men in the boat try to make sense of what is happening to them, they cannot find the being or force behind
The struggle for survival by mankind can be found in many different settings. It can be seen on a battlefield, a hospital room or at sea as related in “The Open Boat”, written in 1897 by Stephen Crane. The story is based on his actual experiences when he survived the sinking of the SS Commodore off the coast of Florida in early 1897. “The Open Boat” is Stephen Crane’s account of life and death at sea told through the use of themes and devices to emphasize the indifference of nature to man’s struggles and the development of mankind’s compassion.
... out that nature, although it does impact the men's lives, does not have any connection to the outcome. With his short story, Crane challenges the idea that men and nature are connected spiritually. He even challenges the idea of religion by leaving the outcome of the men simply to the experience that they have. The boat, an oar, and some directions from their captain save the men from death, not a divine guide. One man simply does not make it to the shore alive. The view of man and nature within this story is somewhat pessimistic, pointing to the philosophy that we are hopeless in the face of circumstance. The point Crane makes in the end is that although people are often victims of circumstance, humans have one another to help survive difficult experiences.
In the story "The Open Boat," by Stephen Crane, Crane uses many literary techniques to convey the stories overall theme. The story is centered on four men: a cook, a correspondent, Billie, an oiler who is the only character named in the story, and a captain. They are stranded in a lifeboat in stormy seas just off the coast of Florida, just after their ship has sunk. Although they can eventually see the shore, the waves are so big that it is too dangerous to try to take the boat in to land. Instead, the men are forced to take the boat further out to sea, where the waves are not quite as big and dangerous. They spend the night in the lifeboat and take turns rowing and then resting. In the morning, the men are weak and exhausted. The captain decides that they must try to take the lifeboat as close to shore as possible and then be ready to swim when the surf inevitably turns the boat over and throws the men into the cold sea. As they get closer to land a big wave comes and all the men are thrown into the sea. The lifeboat turns over and the four men must swim into shore. There are rescuers waiting on shore who help the men out of the water. Strangely, as the cook, captain and correspondent reach the shore safely and are helped out of the water, they discover that, somehow, the oiler has drowned after being smashed in the surf by a huge wave. (255-270) “The Open Boat’s” main theme deals with a character’s seemingly insignificant life struggle against nature’s indifference. Crane expresses this theme through a suspenseful tone, creative point of view, and a mix of irony.
“The Open Boat” was written by Stephen Crane in 1897. This is an extremely powerful short story fictionalized by one of Crane’s own experiences out at sea. He is able to use what has happened to him, and spice it up to turn his story into a fictional account everyone can relate to. The reasons this story is so powerful is because of the literary devices Crane uses throughout the story, especially symbolism. In “The Open Boat,” Crane uses the four main characters, the dinghy, the waves, and the sea-weed as symbols to produce a microcosm of society.
In fact, the daily life of human beings is at the mercy of the uncontrollable waves of the sea; while, at the same time, the essential part of reality remains unknown to feeble, helpless humans. The human voyage into life is feeble, vulnerable, and uncontrollable. Since the crew on a dangerous sea without hope are depicted as "the babes of the sea", it can be inferred that we are likely to be ignorant strangers in the universe. In addition to the dangers we face, we also have to overcome the new challenges of the waves in the daily life. These waves are "most wrongfully and barbarously abrupt and tall", requiring "a new leap, and a leap."