Open Boat
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 “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. “The Open Boat” reflects Naturalistic ideas, the era in the late nineteenth century when American was growing rapidly and the individual felt unique and important (“Regionalism” 640). With technological breakthroughs of the Industrial Revolution, such as the first transcontinental railroad, new settlers arrived with a new vision of hope (“Regionalism” 643). Along with this new hope humankind began to believe they could both understand and dominate the forces of nature, “although, at the same time people continued to struggle despite their efforts; they could not escape fate”(“Regionalism” 640). Crane questions man’s self-confidence and underlines the concept that fate cannot be avoided. The idea of “survival of the fittest” arose during this era; the idea that the people at the top of society will prevail, a concept Crane directly opposes in “The Open Boat” (“Regionalism” 646). Scaggs 2Stephen Crane was a literary master who completed twelve volumes in only seven years. Crane could least be described as typical, he was a varied man who wrote in forms of realism, impressionism, and naturalism. “The Open Boat” was based off Crane’s own experiences of being shipwrecked off the coast of Florida (Crane: Study Guide). Due to this relevance, Crane uses third person omniscient point of view to depict the realistic, life-threatening ordeal that captures the
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 “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. “The Open Boat” reflects Naturalistic ideas, the era in the late nineteenth century when American was growing rapidly and the individual felt unique and important (“Regionalism” 640). With technological breakthroughs of the Industrial Revolution, such as the first transcontinental railroad, new settlers arrived with a new vision of hope (“Regionalism” 643). Along with this new hope humankind began to believe they could both understand and dominate the forces of nature, “although, at the same time people continued to struggle despite their efforts; they could not escape fate”(“Regionalism” 640). Crane questions man’s self-confidence and underlines the concept that fate cannot be avoided. The idea of “survival of the fittest” arose during this era; the idea that the people at the top of society will prevail, a concept Crane directly opposes in “The Open Boat” (“Regionalism” 646). Scaggs 2Stephen Crane was a literary master who completed twelve volumes in only seven years. Crane could least be described as typical, he was a varied man who wrote in forms of realism, impressionism, and naturalism. “The Open Boat” was based off Crane’s own experiences of being shipwrecked off the coast of Florida (Crane: Study Guide). Due to this relevance, Crane uses third person omniscient point of view to depict the realistic, life-threatening ordeal that captures the