Humans often tend to see itself as being somehow more important in the grand scheme of the Universe. We speak of "fate" as if we were put here for a reason. We have our religions, which often serve as an engine to drive our lives and to derive meaning from them, but why do we think of ourselves in such an arrogant fashion? Does the Universe really care about us humans? Would the Universe stop if we were suddenly pulled away and disappeared forever, never to be seen again? In the short story, "The Open Boat," Stephen Crane shows us a universe that is totally unconcerned with the affairs of humans; it is an indifferent universe in which mankind has to struggle to survive and be a part of this world. The characters in the story come face to face …show more content…
This story is a model of naturalism because of its pessimistic portrayal of life as the characters are left to surmise to the will of external forces such as the sea; and nature assumes the role of an indifferent force rather than an entity. In one of the finest short stories in the language, Crane relies on tone and imagery to portray the many heartless indifferences of nature. The opening line of the story, “None of them knew the color of the sky,” establishes an immediate overwhelming bleakness to the world, a world that is emotionally void of the value of color (1768). While Crane describes the dismal sea as gray and colorless, the hopeful picture of the unattainable land is painted in green. He also states that the sea snarls, hisses, and bucks like a bronco; later, it merely “paces to and fro,” no longer an actor in the men’s drama. In reality, the sea does not change at all; only the men’s perception of the sea does. The men stranded on the boat are undoubtedly at the mercy of the godlike entity that is indifferent to their survival. Crane does not describe the men as heroic survivors either, but adopts a more distanced tone when describing each character. They work hard to ensure their own, almost random, survival emphasizing that free will is not enough and chance plays a monumental role in one’s life. These attributes are best demonstrated by the oiler's death; his strength alone does not provide him immunity to the obstacles they face or the violence of
The author shows the reader the sea just as the sailor does as death, but more than death
...He is still anchored to his past and transmits the message that one makes their own choices and should be satisfied with their lives. Moreover, the story shows that one should not be extremely rigid and refuse to change their beliefs and that people should be willing to adapt to new customs in order to prevent isolation. Lastly, reader is able to understand that sacrifice is an important part of life and that nothing can be achieved without it. Boats are often used as symbols to represent a journey through life, and like a captain of a boat which is setting sail, the narrator feels that his journey is only just beginning and realizes that everyone is in charge of their own life. Despite the wind that can sometimes blow feverishly and the waves that may slow the journey, the boat should not change its course and is ultimately responsible for completing its voyage.
... is also clear that the white heron represents the true beauty of the region, while it is elusive and not able to be seen by even an experienced ornithologist, it is seen by Sylvia. The spotting of the white heron by Sylvia is Jewett’s way of expressing that true beauty of a region is only discoverable by those who are so familiar with the region that they can appreciate every aspect of nature’s beauty and once every foot of ground is known, only then can one appreciate the true beauty of the region and in this case that beauty is represented by the white heron. Jewett’s A White Heron is an excellent example of local color literature because it represents everything local color literature should. It contains characters and dialect specific to the region of Maine (Mrs. Tilley) as well as excellent descriptions of the topography of Maine and the beauty of the region.
“The Found Boat” by Alice Munro is a story about five teenagers that learn to explore and have a sense of freedom after finding a boat washed ashore after a flood. The boat becomes a common ground used between the characters to become closer friends and explore things in the world around them. This boat that they find gives these kids a new found form of freedom and they embrace that.
When you look up the sky all you see is a blue sky or maybe a moon and stars, but Consolations makes the audience think twice. What if the biggest problems we all have weren’t even a deal in another universe? What if the universe we live in is just one out of all the other universes we leave out? Now look up
There are four men stranded on a boat who are introduced in the beginning of the story. The cook, the oiler, the correspondent, and the captain are all on a boat that "a man ought to have a bath tub larger than" (360). As the men fight the crest of each wave they encounter, it is obvious that this is a desperate situation. Showing their powerlessness the narrator describes a group of birds as sitting ."..comfortably in groups, and they were envied by some in the dinghy, for the wrath of the sea was no more to them than it was to a covey of prairie chickens a thousand miles inland" (363). Even though the men are in grave danger, the sun rises and sets and a shark even swims by but seems to have no need for the men in the boat. The men even believe that the waves are harsh on them and want to capsize the boat. The narrator explains that "[the waves were] nervously anxious to do something effective in the way of swamping boats" (361). Even though it is obvious that the ocean always has waves, it is hard fo...
The hardest working member of the crew, he went from operating the boiler room on the sunken ship to rowing on the dingey following the captain’s orders precisely. The oiler simply did what had to be done to get back ashore. However, his death demonstrates how nature has no favorites. Even though he never complained about the cruelty/unfairness of nature, he was still the one to face death. “Afterwards he saw his companions in the sea. The oiler was ahead of the race” (Crane 30). Nature was able to break the false illusion of brotherhood that had formed between the crew (the sharing of the cigars) once the dingey approached the shore and flipped. At that moment, it became every man for themselves and the oiler was on top of his game. This indifference of nature to man specifically toward the oiler since he was most likely the least deserving of punishment of the crew is why Crane’s view of naturalism is illustrated in solely his
“The Open Boat” was written by Stephen Crane in 1897. This is an extremely powerful short story fictionalized by one of Crane’s own experiences out at sea. He is able to use what has happened to him, and spice it up to turn his story into a fictional account everyone can relate to. The reasons this story is so powerful is because of the literary devices Crane uses throughout the story, especially symbolism. In “The Open Boat,” Crane uses the four main characters, the dinghy, the waves, and the sea-weed as symbols to produce a microcosm of society.
In fact, the daily life of human beings is at the mercy of the uncontrollable waves of the sea; while, at the same time, the essential part of reality remains unknown to feeble, helpless humans. The human voyage into life is feeble, vulnerable, and uncontrollable. Since the crew on a dangerous sea without hope are depicted as "the babes of the sea", it can be inferred that we are likely to be ignorant strangers in the universe. In addition to the dangers we face, we also have to overcome the new challenges of the waves in the daily life. These waves are "most wrongfully and barbarously abrupt and tall", requiring "a new leap, and a leap."
Stephen Crane’s short story, “The Open Boat” speaks directly to Jack London’s own story, “To Build A Fire” in their applications of naturalism and views on humanity. Both writers are pessimistic in their views of humanity and are acutely aware of the natural world. The representations of their characters show humans who believe that they are strong and can ably survive, but these characters many times overestimate themselves which can lead to an understanding of their own mortality as they face down death.
In "The Open Boat," nature shows us that men cannot control their future, and that it controls everything. This is the theme of the poem and nature. Naturalist themes conquer in Stephen Crane's, "The Open Boat." Crane writes his poems with great importance, and for naturalist writers he has to be one of the best. Crane shows us in his works on what naturalism does and how
The struggle for survival by mankind can be found in many different settings. It can be seen on a battlefield, a hospital room or at sea as related in “The Open Boat”, written in 1897 by Stephen Crane. The story is based on his actual experiences when he survived the sinking of the SS Commodore off the coast of Florida in early 1897. “The Open Boat” is Stephen Crane’s account of life and death at sea told through the use of themes and devices to emphasize the indifference of nature to man’s struggles and the development of mankind’s compassion.
The Star by H. G. Wells is a story about the near destruction of the human race, but more than that, it is a story about the selfishness of the human race. During this story, people have the chance to see many world changing events that could even effect the very construction of our solar system, but they don’t care. They are too busy living their lives and dealing with daily problems that something like the destruction of a planet is overshadowed by what is for dinner tonight. A great example of this apathetic attitude, is shown soon after the star’s first appearance.
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 decides that they must try to take the lifeboat as close to shore as possible and then be ready to swim when the surf inevitably turns the boat over and throws the men into the cold sea. As they get closer to land a big wave comes and all the men are thrown into the sea. The lifeboat turns over and the four men must swim into shore. There are rescuers waiting on shore who help the men out of the water. Strangely, as the cook, captain and correspondent reach the shore safely and are helped out of the water, they discover that, somehow, the oiler has drowned after being smashed in the surf by a huge wave. (255-270) “The Open Boat’s” main theme deals with a character’s seemingly insignificant life struggle against nature’s indifference. Crane expresses this theme through a suspenseful tone, creative point of view, and a mix of irony.
Nature is often a focal point for many author’s works, whether it is expressed through lyrics, short stories, or poetry. Authors are given a cornucopia of pictures and descriptions of nature’s splendor that they can reproduce through words. It is because of this that more often than not a reader is faced with multiple approaches and descriptions to the way nature is portrayed. Some authors tend to look at nature from a deeper and personal observation as in William Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”, while other authors tend to focus on a more religious beauty within nature as show in Gerard Manley Hopkins “Pied Beauty”, suggesting to the reader that while to each their own there is always a beauty to be found in nature and nature’s beauty can be uplifting for the human spirit both on a visual and spiritual level.