Open Boat - 1478 Words

The Open Boat What can Man do when faced with a Universe that has no concern for him? Begin to contemplate the belief that man has a role in the universe, that existence should mean something. A feeling of loneliness is conveyed from the understanding that man is alone in the universe and insignificant to the workings of the universe. In â€Å"The Open Boat† by Stephen Crane, Crane exemplifies mans insignificance to the universe and nature because ultimately fate decides and fate is an indifferent, uncontrollable, and inevitable force that possesses no consciousness that people can understand. â€Å"The Open Boat† reflects Naturalistic ideas, the era in the late nineteenth century when American was growing rapidly and the individual felt†¦show more content†¦James B. Colvert, a chief critic, agrees that the sea is described as hostile and indifferent force (â€Å"Stephen† 112). At the end of the story the correspondent it taken away by the swift current but whirled ba ck toward the land, the very thing that has put him in harm’s way has saved him (Crane 239). Along with the death of the oiler, Crane shows that nature does not act out of motivation and fate is inevitable. The internal conflict resides in the men’s realization that their survival is uncontrollable; it is up to fate. In â€Å"The Open Boat† by Stephen Crane it states, â€Å"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 232). This statement refers to the god’s who are traditionally in men’s lives as being absent toward the abandoned men. This statement alludes to Peter denying Jesus; man denying God, but Crane inverts this scene to God denying man. â€Å"Irony is Crane’s chief technical instrument,† explains critic Robert Wooster Stallman (â€Å"Stephen† 1 08). In the statement â€Å"When it occurs to 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†¦ Thereafter he knows the pathos of his situation,† itShow MoreRelated Open Boat Essay1127 Words   |  5 Pagesfull picture to the events that transpired that cold January are uncovered. â€Å"The Open Boat,† is very rich in symbolism. Symbolism evokes or describes ideas and feelings through the use of symbolic images. In chapter seven of â€Å"The Open Boat,† the narrator describes a tower. â€Å"It was a giant, standing with its back to the plight of the ants† (Crane 297). The tower represents many different things. To the men in the boat the tower may represent freedom, hope, or a win against nature. While to the readerRead More The Open Boat Essay2641 Words   |  11 Pagesâ€Å"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). â€Å"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, keepin g readers on the edge of their seat, but the story alsoRead MoreThe Open Boat Essay797 Words   |  4 PagesThe Open Boat implies the overall relationship between the individual and nature. This sentence also implies the limitations of anyones perspective. The men in the boat concentrate so much on the danger they are in, that they are oblivious and unaware to everything else; in other words, maybe lacking experience. The Open Boat begins with a description of four men aboard a small boat on a rough sea. The central theme of this story is about confronting Nature itself. The Open Boat is StephenRead More The Open Boat Essay575 Words   |  3 Pages Open Boat Symbolism allows writers to suggest their ideas within a piece of literature. This is found in most types of writing. Stephen Crane expresses this in his short story, The Open Boat. Through symbolism and allegory, it is demonstrated that humans live in a universe that is unconcerned with them. The characters in the story come face to face with this indifference and are nearly overcome by Nature’s lack of concern. This is established in the opening scenes, the â€Å"seven mad gods† and in theRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem The Open Boat 1433 Words   |  6 PagesThe Unidentified Tone in â€Å"The Open Boat† The tone most readers find in â€Å"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. â€Å"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 windRead MoreThe Open Boat By Stephen Crane1076 Words   |  5 PagesThe Open Boat Analysis The Open Boat is a wildly creative text. The author explores fiction and philosophy to achieve a balance of literature professionalism. The text is a masterpiece reality expressed through the creation of characters representatives of society and day to day living. Symbolic use of characters and human titles plays a key role in delivering the message of the author. Stephen Crane, the author exploits the power of harmony to establish a relationship where every individual isRead MoreThe Open Boat By Stephen Crane1197 Words   |  5 Pagesturn from the romantic view of the world to a more natural take of the universe. One of the better portrayals of this naturalistic view is Stephen Crane’s â€Å"The Open Boat† in which the short story exhibits the lives of four men cast out at sea after their steamer, the Commodore, sank and they were then forced to take refuge in a life boat. This story follows the men through the focalizing viewpoint of the correspondent and descriptiv ely as well as effectively portrays his psychologically changingRead MoreThe Open Boat by Stephen Crane980 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Open Boat† The relationship between man and nature Many stories talk about the idea of fate, the idea that no matter how much a person tries to survive, nature ultimately chooses the person’s path of life. The short story, â€Å"The Open Boat† by Stephen Crane illustrates the relationship between nature and man and how nature’s indifference towards man’s effort for survival. In this account, the narrator, Stephen Crane explains to the readers that no matter how hard one tries to fight nature inRead MoreThe Open Boat by Stephen Crane Essay1323 Words   |  6 PagesIn 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 dan gerous to try to take the boat in to land. InsteadRead More Stephen Cranes The Open Boat Essay1033 Words   |  5 PagesCranes The Open Boat 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