Naturalism in "The Open Boat"

     Although the men are pitted against an uncaring sea, they still at this point seem to think their destinies are controlled by some outside force. Their collective thoughts are given: '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?...If this old ninny-woman, Fate, cannot do better than this, she should be deprived of the management of men's fortunes.'(6) It soon dawns on them, though, that there is no 'fate,' no purpose for their being where they are. It is the realization of this fact that brings the men to the brink of despair: 'When it occurs to a man that nature does not regard him as important, he at first wishes to throw bricks at the temple, and he hates deeply the fact that there are no bricks and no temples.'(6) It seems to them that their

The Open Boat, written by Stephen Crane is discusses the journey of four survivors that were involved in a ship wreck. The oiler, the cook, the captain, and the correspondent are the survivors that make onto a dingey and struggle to survive the roaring waves of the ocean. They happen to come across land after being stranded in the ocean for two days and start to feel a sense of hope that they would be rescued anytime soon. They began feeling down as they realize nobody was going to rescue them and make an attempt to reach shore. The story discusses an external conflict of man vs nature to help state clearly the central idea. The central idea of the story conveys man’s success against nature when ones’ abilities are combined together to increase the chances of survival. The use of 3rd person limited omniscience and character analysis helps to explain how the journey of the men’s survival to get out of the ocean and reach shore is able to succeed while Stephen Crane uses symbolism to demonstrate the unity created amongst the survivors.

There is also a shark that is “playing around” near the boat; curiously, it does not seem to even acknowledge their presence. The realization that they have no purpose brings them to the brink of despair. In the beginning of the story, the author describes the “dawn of seven turned faces.” These are faces of the “seven mad gods” who are apathetic towards the men; moreover, they are part of nature. Towards the end of the story, the correspondent recalls a childhood verse that helps him to understand nature’s indifference. Through their experience together, the four men realize that all they have is each other. The correspondent feels sympathy suddenly for a dying soldier, one who does not even exist, “The correspondent, …dreaming…was moved by a profound and perfectly impersonal comprehension. He was sorry for the soldier of the Legion who lay dying in Algiers.” Being in the current situation, the correspondent finally understands the tragedy of the dying soldier. He realizes what it is like to be alone in a cruel world and more importantly, he realizes he does not have to be alone. When he first heard the story, he was also indifferent towards the soldier, just as nature is indifferent towards the rest of the world. He now understands what it is to be human. Crane opens a view of reality that first seems bitter, but in the end, stands as

The lighthouse appears deserted. The men discuss rowing toward land swimming through the surf once the boat finally capsizes in the rougher water that is closer to shore. The crew knows that, over time, they will grow weaker and things will get worse, not better. They exchange with each other “addresses and admonitions”, in case all of them do not live through this whole ordeal

Even though the oiler suffered on his journey on the open boat all of the characters were victims of life’s unfortunate and twisted series of events. These four men have possibly gone through a shipwreck that left them stranded in the middle of the ocean without any tools for survival aside from a small dinghy. This event in itself is unfortunate enough, but for these men it is barley the beginning. They endure rough seas, fatigue and endless rowing alongside several other complications during their desolation at sea. Nearing the end of the story a large and furious wave completely runs

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

However, the other boat constantly stayed in front of them and eventually disappeared into the mist that was ahead. This to me symbolizes that sometimes no matter how hard you work for something, you might not be able to obtain it. Sometimes in life you aren't meant to have something that you want. You might work really hard to get a new job and never get it. It could be that you do everything to keep a grandparent alive but they still pass, or maybe it just a grade that you desperately want to raise but do not

The men would most likely have died facing the tough obsticals of the San Francisco bay the island was surrounded by. The text clearly states the words “shark infested waters of the bay”. If any kind of struggle like waves would have happened on the boat a shark would probably attempt to eat the men thinking it was some kind of prey in a struggle. The text also states

"They then briefly exchanged some addresses and admonition. As for the reflections of the men, there was a great deal of rage in them. Perchance they might be formulated thus: "If I am going to 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 this 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? It is preposterous. If this old ninny-woman, Fate, cannot do better than this, she should be deprived of the management of men's fortunes. She is an old hen who knows not her intention. If she has decided to drown me, why did she not do it in the beginning and save me all this trouble. The whole affair is absurd...But, no, she cannot mean to drown me. She dares not drown me. She cannot drown me. Not after all this work.: Afterward the man might have had an impulse to shake his fist at the clouds, "Just you drown me, now, and then hear what I call you!" (Crane 7)

The men eventually found another shore and decided that the better dock their boat there or else they may not get another opportunity. In this scenario is when Crane uses a lot of irony. While rowing, one of the men continually recited words saying, “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?” (Crane 590). This phrase is extremely ironic because it makes sense. Why would someone’s life plan be to survive just far enough to see where they could continue to survive, and then die? It is almost like a teasing joke. Once the men got closer to the shore, they realized that they would not be able to get their boat completely to land

The men died while braving the risky waters of the San Francisco bay. The waters were shark infested and had very strong currents I also found the raft they used was made out of rain leftover coats. The currents alone would have posed a tremendous threat because they were so strong they could tear the flimsy boat to ribbons. Also the bay was very cold and could cause hypothermia in mere seconds. The men could not have possibly lived because of these obstacles in their way.

In Stephen Crane’s The Open Boat, the context of the dinghy and the four surviving people in it shows the struggle of human nature as well as the need for hope that is a concept often created from dangerous, and more often than not, desperate situations. The captain, the cook, the correspondent, and the oiler, are embodiments of Crane’s fiction about the human psyche. The sea, which is treacherous, as well as the islands which the characters believe can save them from death from drowning, is a vision of the reality that is suspended in point of view and is an abstraction of the reflection of Crane’s perspective of perception, metaphysics, and the extraordinary experience. Crane’s point in doing this kind of style in The Open Boat is to confront the fear of death by facing it, as described in the interpretation of its non-human nature.

Stephen Crane is known as author of both realism and naturalism. Crane proves that he is an expert within these genres in his short story The Open Boat. This short story of his is actually an adaptation to a similar situation that happened to him in his lifetime. The story takes place on a small boat known as a dinghy. It carries four passengers who have survived the destruction of a commodore ship and are now floating, trying to stay alive. Throughout this short story, Crane provides a clear sense of realism all while questioning destiny and fate of the characters within the story. There are clear points where the characters change their outlook on these subjects based on their current situation.

First of all, the “man in the water” appeared to the others as very alert and in control. This is significant because when Roger Rosenblatt wrote this essay, he basically made it so the water that was swallowing all those innocent people, was just a horrible person. He used these personifications throughout the whole essay. While the waves from the water were pushing passengers under and costing them their lives, he was sacrificing his life by handing all the others the floatation devices so they would live before he did. He had great commitment to make those

The tone most readers find in “The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane is a person alone in the universe. That particular tone is the easiest to see when; a group of four men are in a ten foot dinghy with nothing to their north, south, east, and west except water around their position. “The men seem to recognize that they are helpless in the face of nature. Their lives could be lost at any moment by the most common of natural phenomena: a wave, a current, the wind, a shark, or even simple starvation and exposure. The men are at the mercy of mere chance.” (The Open) With that specific thought out in the open, there is an adventure of finding the other tones of the story. Luck, chance, and hints of despair are a few of the other tones in this short story. The tone to be on the lookout for in “The Open Boat” is one of concern, hope and will to survive.