Realization in "the Open Boat" Essay

Humanity often tends to see itself as being somehow important in the grand scheme of the Universe. We speak of 'fate' as if we were put here for some reason, or purpose. We have our religions, which often serve as an engine to drive our lives and as a means to give meaning to them. But why do we think of ourselves in such a superior fashion? Do we really matter at all? Would the Universe stop if we were suddenly taken away? In his short story, 'The Open Boat,' Stephen Crane shows us a Universe totally unconcerned with the affairs of humankind; it is an indifferent Universe in which Man has to struggle to survive. The characters in the story come face to face with this indifference and are nearly overcome

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.

"The Boat" by Alistair MacLeod is the story told from the perspective of university teacher looking back on his life. The narrator relates the first memories of his life until his father's death. The story focuses on the conflicting relation between the mother and the father, and their different perspectives on how their children should lead their lives. MacLeod uses features of setting to present the tension between tradition and freedom.

They are so consumed with their struggle against the waves they do not even have the time to notice something as simple as the color of the sky. From the very beginning the reader is filled with the suspense that each individual character feels. Despite the crews struggle with Mother Nature, they are continually struck by the fierce waves. With each passing wave the reader is lead to believe that this one will surely be the one that capsizes the little dingy. “As the salty wall of water approached, it shut all else from the view of the men in the boat, and was not difficult to imagine that this particular wave was the final outburst of the ocean (256).” Crane creates suspense between the reader and the characters that allow both to feel the relentlessness of nature’s indifference of their struggled attempts to survive. It seems that no matter how hard the crew works to keep the dingy from capsizing “… the waves continued their old impetuous swooping at the dingy, and the little craft, no longer underway struggled woundily over them (259).” The narrator describes the waves as acting carefree and rather impulsive as if they had no obligation to the men for their survival. Nature does not care that this crew of men were working to survive, but nor does it mean to cause the men any harm. The waves are merely there, doing as nature intends the waves

“The Open Boat” is a short story written by Steven Crane about four men stranded on a dinghy after their boat had sunk over night. The men were struggling to stay alive because it seemed as if they had no hope for survival. The four stranded shipmen were a correspondent, an oiler, a cook, and a captain. The theme of the story is that man has no control over his destinies and that nature controls everything. Naturalist themes prevail in Stephen Crane's “The Open Boat” as it demonstrates naturalist literature through the struggle that nature throws at the men. Naturalism arises throughout the men’s constant battle between their surrounding environment and keeping

Naturalism stemmed from Realism. Naturalism characterizes the subject as they appear in everyday life in a negative way, contrary to nature fighting for their survival, and is seen in an "objectual" scientific manner. In Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper”, it tells the story of a women's plunge into depression and hysteria on account of this persecution. The storyteller's declining mental wellbeing is reflected through the qualities of the house she is trapped in and her spouse, while attempting to safeguard her, is really destroying her.

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 Open Boat” by Stephen Crane is a short story included in The Norton Introduction to Literature. In it, we embark on the journey of four men, whose ship has sunk and are now adrift. The characters fight for survival throughout the whole tale, trying to withstand nature. As the story passes, they realize that nature is indifferent and uncaring. Moreover, they begin to question the existence of God. Ultimately, three of the men survive and one of them dies. Stephen Crane’s “The Open Boat” shows the struggle of men attempting to understand nature and desiring to survive against this invincible and indifferent force. I will analyze literary elements of character, plot, and symbol, using Literary Naturalism to demonstrate this constant conflict between man and nature that plays out in “The Open Boat.”

Realism is famous for the way it illustrates a world that seems real and true. In “A Sweatshop Romance,” Abraham Cahan creates a clear visual of the events that occurred at the coat-making factory owned by Mr. and Mrs. Lipman. Cahan shows the lower class’s working environment and how they interact with each other in a realistic manner. In “The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane, four men are trapped on a lifeboat after their ship sinks. After almost being saved multiple time, the group of men began to lose hope. The end of the story consists of the rescuing of the cook, the correspondent, and the captain while the oiler was found face down in the water. The realistic reactions and events in “The Open Boat” adds truth to the story.

The Open Boat by Stephen Crane is a story describing four men that are trapped together in a small boat or dingy. The men aboard the boat are a captain, a correspondent, an oiler, and a cook. The men were aboard a larger boat that crashed off the coast of Florida and are now searching for the safety of a light house they remember. After making a homemade sail and some brisk paddling they finally get near the coast. They spot some people and begin to signal for help but the people only respond with friendly waves. The tide is much too strong to swim to shore so they paddle back out to sea a ways and wait for it to calm. While waiting they get approached by a shark. The large fish circles in such a way that death searches for the

“The Open Boat” follows the trials of four men lost at sea after the sinking of the Steamer the Commodore. The injured captain, the cook, the correspondent, and, the strongest of them, the oiler are tossed about in rough weather trying to make it to land.

He says that the sudden storm with its “clouds brick-red” (Crane 55) is “like smoke from a burning building” (Crane 55-56). Smoke is a sign indicating danger , therefore the message Crane is delivering is that their approaching situation is very dangerous. This is again contrasting the sea with the land as the men want to get away from the threatening sea and out of harm's way, safe on

Crane begins the story with four characters, the captain, the correspondent, the cook, and the Oiler, bailing and rowing in their small craft. He shows the self sacrifice of each individual, and how each person must do his part for the community of men to survive. In the beginning of the story a passage states, "The oiler, steering with one of the two oars in the boat, sometimes raised himself suddenly to keep clear of water that swirled in over the stern. It was a thin little oar and it seemed often ready to snap. The correspondent, pulling at the other oar.... ." 1 This in the most basic sense illustrates each man doing his part for the group. The correspondent and oiler continuously take turns rowing their small craft, never stopping, only resting when spelled by the other. The cook sits in the bottom of their floating hell bailing the seawater. The captain masters the craft and keeps the men together. Without each finger of the proverbial hand there would be no fist. Together, the men fell into this situation, and for their survival, together they must learn to become one.

Choice is important in a person’s life, as a person’s life is constantly revolved around the choices one make. The choices one decides to make, always has a significant impact on their life, and the people around them. However, the values a person has impacts the decision that one make. The values a person carries are taught to them by their parents, whatever the parent value that is what the child is going to learn and base their future decision on. However, if both parents carry contrasting values to each other, the child will learn both values, but if the child favors ones’ value over another, it creates a riff between the least favourable values of the other parent. In the short story “The Boat” written by Alistar MacLeod, shows the importance choice has on a person’s life, and the values that a person is taught impacts the decisions a person makes.