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
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