Summary Of The Open Boat
“The Open Boat” is told in such a unique way that some may say it does not even possess a traditional plot. Reason being the the author Stephen crane experienced the story first hand. The story of the shipwrecked crew of the Commodore is in no way fiction by any means. The blunt situation is summarized as “Each of the men in the dinghy are faced with the likelihood of his own death. While they row and wait to be rescued, the realization sets in that they are largely helpless in the face of nature's awesome power” (author’s last name page#). Ultimately the men have a irrefutable decision before them, row the dinghy. The alternative being to give up and wait or death to inevitably come knocking. Though the author experienced the story himself, he interestingly narrates the story from a third person perspective. It appears that Crane is
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denoted as the correspondent based on our access to the thoughts of the Correspondent. The thoughts of the correspondent are the readers only access to the possible feelings of the crew excluding context clues. Cranes experience is described as “an exploration of human behavior under extreme circumstances and the maturation of man from isolated and indifferent to compassionate and an integral part of society.” With these decisions Crane emerges a wiser man with a new view on the struggle for human existence.
Symbolism is apparent throughout the story in shapes such as the Oar the men use to paddle, the shark, and strangely the windmill. The paddle for instance most obviously represents hope and persistence that the men will eventually find civilization. Often appearing ready to snap, it represents the small portion of hope that the men continue to have even as the silver lining appears to have disappeared. The sharks seem to represent the stakes at hand, if the men do not exert the effort they are sure to die. “Throughout the tale natural elements are described as both beautiful and terrible. The ocean, the seagulls, and even a shark in the distance are portrayed as dangerous while also possessing an elegance and beauty that suggests their role in a larger design.” Even the symbol that represents the greatest attempt to discommode the men is depicted as more than just an inconvenience through the words of Crane. The sharks are described with respect, seeing them for their beauty and evolutionary excellence. Appearing only a few times the sharks appear to humble the men while encouraging them to focus on the task at hand. Stephen Crane revealed that the windmill and its seeming insignificance represented “This tower was a giant, standing with its back to the plight of the ants. It represented in a degree, to the correspondent, the serenity of nature amid the struggles of the individual—nature in the wind, and nature in the vision of men. She did not seem cruel to him, nor beneficent, nor treacherous, nor wise. But she was indifferent, flatly indifferent.” This quote refers to “mother nature” and her lack of sympathy for the most unfortunate individuals. Nature does not mind inconveniencing the men regardless of their situation.
The setting of the story is along the coast of florida formerly named the “mosquito inlet” The fact that the shore remained in visibility of the men's ship reveals how close rescue must have seemed despite the task's difficulty.
The setting is historically known for its vast array of sunken ships along the ocean floor. “Critics regard the central themes of "The Open Boat" to be man's eternal struggle against nature, the fragility of human existence, the struggle for survival, and the power of community.”, The presence of the story along the rough coast of florida enhances the difficulty of the trek to survival that lies ahead of the men. The setting creates an ominous, almost hopeless mood throughout the story in which the perseverance of the crew members is key for survival. “Although at the story's end the surviving characters look out to sea presuming that they understand it, Crane suggests that no one interpretation is adequate to explain the incomprehensibility of existence.” One weak link would have meant sure mortality for all of the crew; luckily the surviving crew all brought diverse skills to the
table.
Crane keeps the reader perplexed by alternating various writing tones along the course of the story. For much of the story crane remains a serious narrator, focused on reality and the task at hand. This is evident in sections such as “These waves were most wrongfully and barbarously abrupt and tall, and each froth-top was a problem in small boat navigation.” Crane speaks of the challenges he faces in dealing with the morbid waves while staying focused on the task at hand. However he works in sarcasm in pieces that keep the reader entertained continuously. “Certain critics have suggested that Crane’s use of irony reveals the unease he felt at producing works of art within a culture that celebrated masculinity and shared a general distrust of literature and language.” Evidently, Cranes use of irony was not a literary technique he felt necessary in order to communicate his mindset to the reader effectively, the real reason actually being his insecurity with expressing the story in an artistic manner in a world in which he may be ridiculed for expressing his true anecdote in his own true voice. “A singular disadvantage of the sea lies in the fact that after successfully surmounting one wave you discover that there is another behind it just as important and just as nervously anxious to do something effective in the way of swamping boats.” Here, crane points out the irony of overcoming one wave when behind it hides another wave looking to accomplish what the first wave could not. Crane is conscious of the challenge that he has taken on but appears to push this negativity into the back of his mind. By doing so he can remain optimistic and prevent the disastrous effects that would emerge if he were to lose hope in the crew's survival. Just one person in the group losing hope could easily spread to the entire crew like a plague. Despite this the simultaneously understands this and collectively elect to ignore this harsh fact.
Finally when land is in sight the men are so exhausted from their journey they are slightly reluctant to make the final push to shore. “This circumstance constitutes the story's primary irony and may signify that the assertion of will—whether demonstrated in having a name or in making a heroic effort to swim to shore—is useless in the face of an oblivious universe.” The Oiler “Billie” was the only one of the characters to die in this final push for civilization. The irony of this may be that Billie would have been considered the most optimistic of all the men, never losing sight of their objective. Crane describes billie as an obedient shipman, always treating the others with respect and admiration. This is not a fictional story, however it seems Billie symbolizes the concept of “ignorance is bliss”. He is by all means a follower, and in doing so it appears as though Billie never learned to think for himself. The nights before the crew reached land, Billie worked for 2 days straight. In doing so he did not have the energy to reach the beach. This idea of unmatched respect for his superiors is best represented in the quote “The heroism of the individuals in the story comes from their grim determination and human camaraderie in trying to overcome their situation. Crane creates a kind of collective consciousness for the crew by alternating the perspective from which the story is told, which includes each of the crew members as well as the vantage point of an objective observer.”. This technique allows the audience to understand the crew as a whole giving an opportunity to characterize the crew members as individuals.
denoted as the correspondent based on our access to the thoughts of the Correspondent. The thoughts of the correspondent are the readers only access to the possible feelings of the crew excluding context clues. Cranes experience is described as “an exploration of human behavior under extreme circumstances and the maturation of man from isolated and indifferent to compassionate and an integral part of society.” With these decisions Crane emerges a wiser man with a new view on the struggle for human existence.
Symbolism is apparent throughout the story in shapes such as the Oar the men use to paddle, the shark, and strangely the windmill. The paddle for instance most obviously represents hope and persistence that the men will eventually find civilization. Often appearing ready to snap, it represents the small portion of hope that the men continue to have even as the silver lining appears to have disappeared. The sharks seem to represent the stakes at hand, if the men do not exert the effort they are sure to die. “Throughout the tale natural elements are described as both beautiful and terrible. The ocean, the seagulls, and even a shark in the distance are portrayed as dangerous while also possessing an elegance and beauty that suggests their role in a larger design.” Even the symbol that represents the greatest attempt to discommode the men is depicted as more than just an inconvenience through the words of Crane. The sharks are described with respect, seeing them for their beauty and evolutionary excellence. Appearing only a few times the sharks appear to humble the men while encouraging them to focus on the task at hand. Stephen Crane revealed that the windmill and its seeming insignificance represented “This tower was a giant, standing with its back to the plight of the ants. It represented in a degree, to the correspondent, the serenity of nature amid the struggles of the individual—nature in the wind, and nature in the vision of men. She did not seem cruel to him, nor beneficent, nor treacherous, nor wise. But she was indifferent, flatly indifferent.” This quote refers to “mother nature” and her lack of sympathy for the most unfortunate individuals. Nature does not mind inconveniencing the men regardless of their situation.
The setting of the story is along the coast of florida formerly named the “mosquito inlet” The fact that the shore remained in visibility of the men's ship reveals how close rescue must have seemed despite the task's difficulty.
The setting is historically known for its vast array of sunken ships along the ocean floor. “Critics regard the central themes of "The Open Boat" to be man's eternal struggle against nature, the fragility of human existence, the struggle for survival, and the power of community.”, The presence of the story along the rough coast of florida enhances the difficulty of the trek to survival that lies ahead of the men. The setting creates an ominous, almost hopeless mood throughout the story in which the perseverance of the crew members is key for survival. “Although at the story's end the surviving characters look out to sea presuming that they understand it, Crane suggests that no one interpretation is adequate to explain the incomprehensibility of existence.” One weak link would have meant sure mortality for all of the crew; luckily the surviving crew all brought diverse skills to the
table.
Crane keeps the reader perplexed by alternating various writing tones along the course of the story. For much of the story crane remains a serious narrator, focused on reality and the task at hand. This is evident in sections such as “These waves were most wrongfully and barbarously abrupt and tall, and each froth-top was a problem in small boat navigation.” Crane speaks of the challenges he faces in dealing with the morbid waves while staying focused on the task at hand. However he works in sarcasm in pieces that keep the reader entertained continuously. “Certain critics have suggested that Crane’s use of irony reveals the unease he felt at producing works of art within a culture that celebrated masculinity and shared a general distrust of literature and language.” Evidently, Cranes use of irony was not a literary technique he felt necessary in order to communicate his mindset to the reader effectively, the real reason actually being his insecurity with expressing the story in an artistic manner in a world in which he may be ridiculed for expressing his true anecdote in his own true voice. “A singular disadvantage of the sea lies in the fact that after successfully surmounting one wave you discover that there is another behind it just as important and just as nervously anxious to do something effective in the way of swamping boats.” Here, crane points out the irony of overcoming one wave when behind it hides another wave looking to accomplish what the first wave could not. Crane is conscious of the challenge that he has taken on but appears to push this negativity into the back of his mind. By doing so he can remain optimistic and prevent the disastrous effects that would emerge if he were to lose hope in the crew's survival. Just one person in the group losing hope could easily spread to the entire crew like a plague. Despite this the simultaneously understands this and collectively elect to ignore this harsh fact.
Finally when land is in sight the men are so exhausted from their journey they are slightly reluctant to make the final push to shore. “This circumstance constitutes the story's primary irony and may signify that the assertion of will—whether demonstrated in having a name or in making a heroic effort to swim to shore—is useless in the face of an oblivious universe.” The Oiler “Billie” was the only one of the characters to die in this final push for civilization. The irony of this may be that Billie would have been considered the most optimistic of all the men, never losing sight of their objective. Crane describes billie as an obedient shipman, always treating the others with respect and admiration. This is not a fictional story, however it seems Billie symbolizes the concept of “ignorance is bliss”. He is by all means a follower, and in doing so it appears as though Billie never learned to think for himself. The nights before the crew reached land, Billie worked for 2 days straight. In doing so he did not have the energy to reach the beach. This idea of unmatched respect for his superiors is best represented in the quote “The heroism of the individuals in the story comes from their grim determination and human camaraderie in trying to overcome their situation. Crane creates a kind of collective consciousness for the crew by alternating the perspective from which the story is told, which includes each of the crew members as well as the vantage point of an objective observer.”. This technique allows the audience to understand the crew as a whole giving an opportunity to characterize the crew members as individuals.