Thematic Concerns in the Open Boat - Research Paper Example

English Literature 26 April Thematic Concerns in the Open Boat “The Open Boat” is a tale of four characters Billie the Oilier and three anonymous characters; the correspondent, the captain and the cook. Stephen Crane reiterates his existentialist take on life by using his characters as his mouthpiece. The story is set on a wrecked boat the dinghy where the four survivors after a major ship wreck struggle to keep afloat in order to stay alive and move towards shelter and security. Crane’s story provides the readers with a perfect blend of human suffering, their various behaviors and natures as well as the desolation that surrounds human beings. Although the dialect is simple and smooth flowing yet he captures essence of meaning and gives a close observation of the brutalities of the Mother Nature and human suffering. As Turchi and Baxter also states, ““The Open Boat” insists on moral truths. They are confounding moral truths and many readers will be frustrated that the wisdom of the work cannot be distilled, the themes stated plainly” (216). Some of the major thematic concerns that Stephen Crane incorporates in the story includes human bonding and relations, Man vs. Nature, unavailability of God and communication gaps. A common theme that recurs in most of Crane’s works is human bonding or relationships. It appears that the writer believes that in this world an individual cannot survive on his own as this world is an unfriendly place and human beings require some sort of weapon against the brutalities of nature and that weapon is an individual’s bonding with his fellow beings. This theme is excessively apparent from not only the setting of the story but also from the gradual plot progression. Crane creates a microcosm of mankind on the dinghy. Although initially the four survivors had nothing in common and there is a certain awkwardness that is observed amongst their behaviors yet it is observed that when they realize the unpredictability and the helplessness of their dire situation they form an unannounced brotherhood to survive the brutalities of Mother Nature. As it is also stated in the text as well, It would be difficult to describe the subtle brotherhood of men that was here established on the seas.... there was this comradeship that the correspondent, for instance, who had been taught to be cynical of men, knew even at the time was the best experience of his life (61). Dersch effectively encapsulates the situation of these characters by quoting Ross Muffin’s words when he says, “‘the characters are determined by forces beyond their control’ humans are presented as ‘higher-order animals fully subject to the forces of heredity and environment and life in general is an inescapable trap’” (4). Hence the characters find solace in one another and even though earlier they had communication barriers yet they overcome them and act as one another’s support and right hand in the hour of need. For example it is clear from the manner in which the captain, the cook, Billie and correspondent take turns at rowing the boat. Then again when the correspondent is up alone and he say his desire for someone else to be awake and find solace in another individual’s company is a proof that Crane believes that human bonding is essential for survival. Communication gap that engulfs human race is another important thematic concern that Crane reiterates in the story to further highlight the disjunct and chaos that surround human beings. The fact that the people on the shore believed the people on dinghy were mere fishermen and the hope in the four survivors that they will be rescued yet their constant observation saying that, “Funny they don’t see us” (Crane 64) creates an ironic situation. It is as if human beings exist in their individual bubbles where they tend to keep to themselves. However when finally they do realize that their fellow beings are in need they do stand up to help one another. This theme further stresses the lonely existence of man in this world. The most important example that highlights this fact is the poem that the correspondent remembers as it says in the text, “plainly saw the soldier ... was sorry for the soldier of the Legion who lay dying in Algiers” (Crane 72). The poem depicts the correspondent’s feeling of alienation where he believes that like the soldier who died in an alien land he too will die and leave this world as an insignificant and anonymous individual who fall victim to fate’s brutality. The story begins with the line, “none of them knew the color of the sky” (Crane 59). The opening sentence of the story is of grave importance as it sets the tone of the novel i.e. absence of God, which is a major aspect of existentialism as well as an integral theme of the story. Feast also states that this line literally means that, “they are too intent on staying afloat to notice heavens; figuratively, in this godless universe the men cannot look to the sky for help but must rely on their own muscles and wits, which, against elements, are little enough” (6). Furthermore the writer illustrates his existentialist perspective throughout the course of the story by using his characters as his spokesperson. For example, “During this dismal night, it may be remarked that a man would conclude that it was really the intention of the seven mad gods to drown him, despite the abominable injustice of it” (Crane 71). These lines show the height of disillusionment that has seeped in human beings where they are fighting against god for survival and human beings are like puppets for gods who can take their wrath out on them or make them suffer for their entertainment. Another major theme that is dealt with in this piece of literature includes Man vs. Nature. As it is also stated in the text, For it was certainly an abominable injustice to drown a man who had worked so hard, so hard.... When it occurs to a man that nature does not regard him as important, and that she feels she would not maim the universe by disposing of him, he at first wishes to throw bricks at the temple, and he hates deeply the fact that there are no bricks and no temples (Crane 71). This excerpt is a good example depicting naturalist strains in the story. As Bayless also states that, “Naturalism specifically tends to focus on the plight of humans in the face of larger forces, often society, but also the overwhelming indifferent forces of nature” (2). Through this theme Crane puts forth his belief that essentially nature is indifferent to the plight of human beings. The romantic idea of finding solace in Mother Nature I long dead and has been replaced by disillusionment, misery and suffering. The seagulls and the sea itself all depict the indifference of nature where nature is a harsh and brutal entity in thee life of human beings which is either present to create more trouble for mankind or is not effected by the pain human race suffers in their lives. It is also apparent from the lines where nature is personified as, “She did not seem cruel to him, nor beneficent, nor treacherous, nor wise. But she was indifferent, flatly indifferent” (Crane 74). Moreover the episode where the seagulls come and sit on the captain’s head and are not afraid from the consequences of going so near to human beings can be interpreted as Crane’s way of stating that for nature human beings are either insignificant or are inanimate objects rather than living breathing beings. Hence it is observed that Stephen Crane utilizes very simple language to put forth his believes and ideas although the essence of meaning and harsh realities that he highlights through his simple diction is phenomenal. Moreover his thematic concerns explore in detail ideas like existentialism and naturalism which helps the readers in understanding the reasons for the desolation and chaos which surrounds them. Works Cited Baxter, Charles and peter Turchi. Bringing the devil to his knees: the craft of fiction and The Writing Life. Michigan :Michigan University Press, 2001. Print. Bayless, Martha. Master Plots Fourth Edition. Massachusetts: Salem Press, 2010. Print. Crane, Stephen. The Open Boat and Other Stories. New York: Dover Publication Inc., 1993. Print. Dersch, Timo. Stephen Crane ?s "The Open Boat " - A Naturalistic Short Story: Fact Or Fiction. GRIN Verlag, 2010. Print. Feast, James. Critical Survey of Short Fiction. Massachusetts: Salem Press, 2001. Print. Read More