The Open Boat

“When it came night, the white waves passed to and fro in the moonlight, and the wind brought the sound of the great sea’s voice to the men on the shore, and they felt they could then be interpreters” (Crane 370). “The Open Boat,” written by Stephen Crane, describes the journey of four men stranded in a dinghy in the middle of the ocean and the hardships that had to be faced in order to survive. This story is not only a riveting story, keeping readers on the edge of their seat, but the story also makes the reader realize how precious life truly is. Sometimes people have a tendency to take life as a grain of salt and do not think about the realization that life can be taken away within the blink of an eye. As in “The Open Boat,” the crew members learned they could not survive alone, and their only option was to work together as a team. We need to have that same perspective toward our everyday life when we, or someone we see, are struggling.

The Captain is a major character in the story, and his character holds the other crew members heads up keeping them motivated during times of distress. He was the captain on the original boat, but after the boat sank, he become injured and could not physically participate in keeping the dinghy afloat. In the beginning, the captain feels that he has lost his sense of direction due to not being used to letting others take charge. Without his sense of authority intact, he feels disconnected from the world, and his spirit becomes dismantled. However, since he was not able to contribute in the way he preferred, he led the way by giving specific instructions to the other characters in order to keep the dinghy afloat. Every member on the boat follows his directions. He commands very respectably. This...

... middle of paper ...

...ibing two different qualities that is being used together in the same statement.

In summary, “The Open Boat” is a highly intriguing story that can not only be read for pure enjoyment, but it also has a moral to the story. No matter where someone comes from in life, whether someone is the richest or the poorest person on Earth, he or she should always make sure to make it a point to look out for someone and have their back when they are struggling. By looking out for each other, just as they did in “The Open Boat,” they created strong everlasting friendships. If someone is being looked out for by someone else, then that person will make a point to return the favor as well. Life is just like the ocean. We might have our ups and our downs, but life never changes. The only thing that will affect the outcome of our lives is the perspective that we put toward our life.