The Meekness of Man
Man believes that he is in control of his life and the world around him. But Naturalism and nature both have another idea about the amount of control man has. According to the views of Naturalism, man is in submission to nature and nature has no care whatsoever about what happens to him, and that man’s goal in life is to survive. Stephen Crane portrays these ideas in his novel The Open Boat with his carefully chosen rhetorical devices, diction choices, and syntax. His Naturalistic view sends four men onto a journey in which every action is determined by the sea and nature surrounding them. In The Open Boat, Stephen Crane uses different rhetorical devices, diction choices, and syntax to express the Naturalistic view that …show more content…
He describes the sea “like white flames” (Crane 32) which swarmed onto the boat. This simile emphasizes how nature is untamable by man just as the flames of a fire are difficult for a man to control. This simile presents an immense amount of power to nature which creates the idea that nature is violent, unmanageable, unforgiving. This supports the Naturalist view that nature is indifferent towards man. Crane describes the captain and his chuckle as “express[ing} humor, contempt, tragedy, all in one” (31). He combines climax and asyndeton in this sentence to foreshadow the end of the story. “Tragedy” portends how in the end one of the men does not survive, and survival is key to the view of the Naturalists. This man was swallowed by the sea around him and overtaken by nature. By using asyndeton the sense of unity is emphasized as the nouns are not separated from one another but rather they are all together, all in one. Stephen Crane’s use of simile, climax, and asyndeton help him communicate his idea that man is inferior to …show more content…
He describes the men as “the babes of the sea” (41). This metaphor shows the weakness and dependency the men have upon the sea around them. Nature has forced these men who were dependent on each other to become coddled by the sea. This metaphor backs the Naturalistic belief that man has no control over what happens to them, they are completely reliant on the world around them, specifically the sea. Crane’s choice to use the words “wild colt” (34) and using those to compare the wild ride the men are on also shows the uncontrollability of their situation and lives. A colt is extremely hard to conquer and adding the adjective “wild” creates this animal which is nearly impossible to tame. Crane has created a situation where the men cannot and are not in control. A wild colt has a mind of its own just like the sea, neither can be tamed, neither can be controlled, and the men are just along for the ride. The diction choices of “wild colt” and the metaphor help Crane describe how nature treats
Man believes that he is in control of his life and the world around him. But Naturalism and nature both have another idea about the amount of control man has. According to the views of Naturalism, man is in submission to nature and nature has no care whatsoever about what happens to him, and that man’s goal in life is to survive. Stephen Crane portrays these ideas in his novel The Open Boat with his carefully chosen rhetorical devices, diction choices, and syntax. His Naturalistic view sends four men onto a journey in which every action is determined by the sea and nature surrounding them. In The Open Boat, Stephen Crane uses different rhetorical devices, diction choices, and syntax to express the Naturalistic view that …show more content…
He describes the sea “like white flames” (Crane 32) which swarmed onto the boat. This simile emphasizes how nature is untamable by man just as the flames of a fire are difficult for a man to control. This simile presents an immense amount of power to nature which creates the idea that nature is violent, unmanageable, unforgiving. This supports the Naturalist view that nature is indifferent towards man. Crane describes the captain and his chuckle as “express[ing} humor, contempt, tragedy, all in one” (31). He combines climax and asyndeton in this sentence to foreshadow the end of the story. “Tragedy” portends how in the end one of the men does not survive, and survival is key to the view of the Naturalists. This man was swallowed by the sea around him and overtaken by nature. By using asyndeton the sense of unity is emphasized as the nouns are not separated from one another but rather they are all together, all in one. Stephen Crane’s use of simile, climax, and asyndeton help him communicate his idea that man is inferior to …show more content…
He describes the men as “the babes of the sea” (41). This metaphor shows the weakness and dependency the men have upon the sea around them. Nature has forced these men who were dependent on each other to become coddled by the sea. This metaphor backs the Naturalistic belief that man has no control over what happens to them, they are completely reliant on the world around them, specifically the sea. Crane’s choice to use the words “wild colt” (34) and using those to compare the wild ride the men are on also shows the uncontrollability of their situation and lives. A colt is extremely hard to conquer and adding the adjective “wild” creates this animal which is nearly impossible to tame. Crane has created a situation where the men cannot and are not in control. A wild colt has a mind of its own just like the sea, neither can be tamed, neither can be controlled, and the men are just along for the ride. The diction choices of “wild colt” and the metaphor help Crane describe how nature treats