The short story “The Open Boat” by author Stephen Crane, tells the tale of four unlucky men that become stranded at sea in a small lifeboat after they are forced to abandon their steamship. The survivors were composed of an oiler, a cook, a captain and a correspondent. At first the men focus on keeping the lifeboat afloat as they wait for someone to come and rescue them. However, soon the gravity of the situation hits the men and they realize that they are on their own, so the four men then decide to band together and rely on one another to survive and break free from their oceanic death trap that nature nonchalantly created. The story focuses on displaying how nature and life in general is a struggle and a trap, the story also displays nature
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The crew believes that they are in some sort of trap because it seems like nature is constantly against them. “These waves were of the hue of slate, save for the tops, which were of foaming white, and all of the men knew the colors of the sea. The horizon narrowed and widened, and dipped and rose, and at all times its edge was jagged with waves that seemed thrust up in points like rocks” (Sec. I) . This quote is an example of how nature is an incredible struggle because the men are struggling to overcome these huge and dangerous waves that nature presented them with. This quote also serves as an example of a “trap” because the waves are keeping the men in check by acting as a barrier and preventing them from reaching the coveted shore. Not only did the men encounter physical struggles but, mental ones as well. “To express any particular optimism at this time they felt to be childish and stupid, but they all doubtless possessed this sense of the situation in their mind”(Sec. II). This quote tells us that the men don’t want to express optimism or hope because they think its pointless as they are trapped and will never be able to escape, However, this way of thinking only makes the situation worse because they are holding themselves back and only making it harder to escape the
The crew believes that they are in some sort of trap because it seems like nature is constantly against them. “These waves were of the hue of slate, save for the tops, which were of foaming white, and all of the men knew the colors of the sea. The horizon narrowed and widened, and dipped and rose, and at all times its edge was jagged with waves that seemed thrust up in points like rocks” (Sec. I) . This quote is an example of how nature is an incredible struggle because the men are struggling to overcome these huge and dangerous waves that nature presented them with. This quote also serves as an example of a “trap” because the waves are keeping the men in check by acting as a barrier and preventing them from reaching the coveted shore. Not only did the men encounter physical struggles but, mental ones as well. “To express any particular optimism at this time they felt to be childish and stupid, but they all doubtless possessed this sense of the situation in their mind”(Sec. II). This quote tells us that the men don’t want to express optimism or hope because they think its pointless as they are trapped and will never be able to escape, However, this way of thinking only makes the situation worse because they are holding themselves back and only making it harder to escape the