Literary Naturalism In Stephen Crane's The Open Boat

Mark Twain once said “Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first”. People feel as if the world owes them something because the odds have not been in their favor. How come we feel like we should be rewarded by the universe? Stephen Crane’s short story, “The Open Boat,” is based on a real-life incident in which the author experienced being stranded in the ocean. The short story is about four men from different classes who are left stranded near the coast of Florida. They experience suffering as the men begin to develop a relationship that would not have been there if the ship had not sunk. Throughout, their loss of hope grows, leading to their anger towards the universe. Many see it as an example of social darwinism, however it is more closely related to literary naturalism. This is a movement that applies scientific principles of objectivity and detachment to its study of human beings. Stephen Crane’s “The Open Boat” reveals the conflict between the men and nature.