"The Open Boat" is an American story about sea life. Stephen Crane wrote the short story after enduring a shipwreck in 1895. In 1897, he used several fictional elements and his experiences to create a memorable tale about four men who battle the sea to stay alive. Each fictional element, such as point of view, is dependent on the others -- character, setting, plot and theme. Each is important in the final analysis.
In "The Open Boat," the narrator is an invisible character, the omniscient godhead. This character knows everything and sees everything. He can get into the head of any character. This narrator informs readers about events, facts and thoughts the other characters do not know. Crane's narrator, however, does not reveal too much. He allows readers to discover details through dialogue. For example, readers discover Billie's name through the captain's words. Readers also learn the difference between the lifesaving station and a house of refuge through a disagreement between the correspondent and the cook. Crane uses this technique to lend realism to the story.
Character
Crane's characters in "The Open Boat" are representations of certain types of men. For example, The captain is the leader; yet in this position, he is depressed and weakened. The correspondent is the educated observer, even though he is one of the two characters who strives to keep the boat afloat. The cook is the jovial, overweight follower. The oiler is the hard-worker. He is the second character who strives to keep the boat afloat. Despite all his labor, ironically, he is the only character to die.
The conflict, or plot, of "The Open Boat" is man versus nature. In the beginning, the readers witness the characters, full of anger that they are in this predicament, as they battle the ocean's power. Crane uses figurative language to describe the battle: It was "easier to steal eggs from under a hen than it was to change seats in the dingy" and "waves with a movement like carpets on a line in a gale." Later, to show the indifferent, uncaring attitude of the ocean, Crane says, "The wind slowly died away."
At first, the ocean is portrayed as a violent, wild entity that can pull the men under at any moment. Later the sea is seen as an opponent who cares little for the men's outcome. The men realize that to have a chance at survival, they must make it to shore. However, getting to the shore becomes a battle. The men constantly question what they see, and they become confused about the location of the rescue station.
Throughout the story, the characters' moods change from anger to optimism to doubt. As they change, they learn the cold fact of life: Man has little control over the situation he finds himself in. As the characters leave the boat and swim toward the shore, each character discovers he must struggle to the shore independent of the others. According to Crane, all the goodness in life means little in a world where man stands alone, suffering in his own despair and frustration.
