essay on the open boat

“The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane Essay

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Introduction

A short story by Stephen Crane called “The Open Boat” follows four men on a journey through the sea in an attempt to find help. The central characters, the correspondent, the captain, the oiler, and the cook, are all survivors of a shipwreck which left them stranded in the water in a small and flimsy dinghy. Each man has a distinct personality that can be classified into a certain stereotype. The characters of the story also have their differences in their attitude towards nature. The short story “The Open Boat” reveals the naturalistic ideas of the author and shows the attitude of different types of people towards nature.

The central character and narrator, the correspondent, is a man who comes to understand the indifference of nature. This person represents cynical people who prefer to observe and contemplate rather than participate in society’s activities. From the beginning of the novel, his thought process is highlighted as something that separates this character from others. Crane (1897) describes his thoughts by writing “the correspondent … watched the waves and wondered why he was there” (p. 6). His constant desire to find a reason for every situation leads him to believe that this shipwreck has a purpose (Marshall, 2016). Later, however, he loses hope and starts to see nature as cold as he thinks that “she was indifferent, flatly indifferent” (Crane, 1897, p. 40). His attitude towards nature changes from cynical but hopeful to disappointed and forlorn.

The captain, a calm and collected leader, does not ruminate about the philosophical questions and offers a more straightforward view. During the course of the novel, all his actions are not directed at helping himself as he is more interested in guiding others. His relationship with nature is also practical as he does not question its course or purpose. Readers do not have the opportunity to understand the captain’s thoughts, and the man does not say much apart from giving commands. However, it is clear that he tries to assess every situation realistically. He is not afraid of talking about death: “if we don’t all get ashore, I suppose you fellows know where to send news of my finish” (Crane, 1897, p. 20). Thus, he is not scared to accept this fate.

The third character, the cook, is the most optimistic and slightly naïve character who interprets nature’s changes as positive signs. For instance, his remark about the wind that states “bully good thing it’s an on-shore wind … If not, where would we be?” shows that he appreciates the good that happens even in the worst situations (Crane, 1897, p. 9). He is also the first to see possible signs of rescue. While he acts in the same way as the other men, he is more inclined to believe that nature may be kind.

The oiler, Billy, represents a type of a hardworking and physically-strong man who does not perceive nature as kind. He is not as optimistic as the cook, but also not as contemplative as the correspondent. He is close to the captain in his realistic views. However, while the captain mostly accepts his surroundings, the oiler can grow frustrated with them. For instance, he is pessimistic during the discussion about the weather, answering the cook: “Yes! If this wind holds!” and showing his anger (Crane, 1897, p. 10). He also comments on the birds being ugly. It is possible that he finds nature cruel and unjust.

The four men of the story “The Open Boat” present completely different points of view towards nature. While the cook is optimistic and enthusiastic and the captain sees nature for what it is, the oiler views his surroundings as harsh. The narrator, on the other hand, tries to look into the meaning of all events and thinks that nature is indifferent to all people.

Crane, S. (1897). The open boat . Web.

Marshall, K. (2016). The old weird. Modernism/Modernity , 23 (3), 631-649.

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IvyPanda. (2020, October 14). "The Open Boat" by Stephen Crane. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-open-boat-by-stephen-crane/

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IvyPanda . 2020. ""The Open Boat" by Stephen Crane." October 14, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-open-boat-by-stephen-crane/.

1. IvyPanda . ""The Open Boat" by Stephen Crane." October 14, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-open-boat-by-stephen-crane/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . ""The Open Boat" by Stephen Crane." October 14, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-open-boat-by-stephen-crane/.

The Open Boat

By stephen crane, the open boat study guide.

Stephen Crane 's " The Open Boat " is a short story about four men stranded in a small rowboat in rough seas after their ship capsizes. The men spend over thirty hours in the boat until they wash ashore only to discover that their strongest rower has drowned.

First published in February 1897, "The Open Boat" is based on Crane's personal experience. In January, Crane had gone to Cuba to report on the rebellion against the Spanish. On the way to the island, the SS Commodore hit a sandbar off the coast of Florida and capsized. Crane was originally reported dead, but he rowed to shore in a dinghy with three other men. He wrote a newspaper account of his experience only a few days after the incident called "Stephen Crane’s Own Story." The next month, he turned the experience into what would become one of the most anthologized short stories in the history of American literature.

The Open Boat Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Open Boat is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

the passage is mostly about?

This is mostly about how to handle challenges and hardships that are inevitable in life.

Who is wearing a life saving belt?

From the text:

The cook had tied a life-belt around himself in order to get even the warmth which this clumsy cork contrivance could donate, and he seemed almost stove-like when a rower, whose teeth invariably chattered wildly as soon as he ceased...

Summarize what happens in Part 2 and 3, and what is the mood of the men at the end of Part 3?

GradeSaver has complete summaries and analysis for each of the section mentioned above readily available in its study guide for the unit.

Study Guide for The Open Boat

The Open Boat study guide contains a biography of Stephen Crane, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Open Boat
• The Open Boat Summary
• Character List

Essays for The Open Boat

The Open Boat essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Open Boat by Stephen Crane.

• Stephen Crane’s "The Open Boat” as Existential Nightmare

Lesson Plan for The Open Boat

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to The Open Boat
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Open Boat Bibliography

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The Open Boat

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Humans vs. Nature

“The Open Boat” primarily centers on the dynamic between humankind and nature. Humankind is represented by the four men in the boat: the correspondent , the captain , the cook , and the oiler . The men try to prevail over nature, but nature clearly has full control over them. The story is careful to point out the way that nature’s control is not due to any particular concern or contempt for the men. Instead…

Suffering, Survival, Empathy, and Community

“The Open Boat” chronicles four men’s experience of being shipwrecked and forced to take to the open sea on a ten-foot lifeboat. Between battling massive waves, enduring crippling exhaustion, and contemplating the possibility of death, the men suffer greatly. The short story considers what comes out of such suffering, ultimately claiming that working hard and persevering through suffering does not guarantee survival (case in point: the oiler ). However, suffering can increase empathy among people…

Fate and Mortality

Stuck in a ten-foot lifeboat in the middle of the open sea, four shipwreck survivors—the captain , the cook , the correspondent , and the oiler —are forced to grapple with the concepts of fate and death, which now feel suddenly and alarmingly real to them. “The Open Boat” ultimately suggests that humans cannot change their fate, no matter how much they argue, curse, or shake their fists at the sky. In addition, the story…

Certainty and Uncertainty

Stephen Crane’s “The Open Boat” is deeply critical of the attitude of certainty. Using the experience of four shipwrecked men who are forced to endure the open sea on a ten-foot lifeboat, the short story asserts that very little in life—and in the narrative—is certain. In the story, the cook and the captain embody certainty and uncertainty, respectively. Together, the two characters illustrate how claiming certainty is unproductive and foolish, as well as why accepting…

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