The Open Boat by Stephen Crane - Book Report/Review Example

The setting in which the whole scenario takes place is important to describe the whole theme of the story and Stephen Crane does exactly the same to make the readers experience the intensity of the situation taking place. One may question about the link between its themes and the strong emphasis on explaining the actual settings in detail. And if the setting in the story is closely analyzed it can be said that the setting of the story has a close relation with the theme of the story. This paper would further explain how the setting, as represented by Crane, was important to do justice with its themes.

The writer describes the setting in the start in a descriptive way (some writers call it an animated presentation of the setting). Crane described the sea in the very beginning of the novel as "broad stretch of lowly coast" (line 4). To explain the setting more closely he explains the sea as "dunes topped with dark vegetation" (line 5). He also describes the movement of ironic waves and the mercilessness of waves and winds for the crew. Crane does not change the actual course of setting because he thinks that the setting of the incident has a great link with the event.

He does not make the story look more sensational and thrilling by adding up more threatening occurrences but reveals how it actually was. His setting reveals the helplessness of human race before the natural occurrences. He portrays an open boat drifting on the merciless sea and men being helpless and powerless before nature. He adds many symbols in his story to strengthen the setting in order to convey the helplessness of the people on the boat. He used nature as a symbol many times throughout his novel for instance by the sea, the weather (cold), the blowing wind and the shark which is seen around the boat every now and then.

The use of these symbols let the reader imagine the threatening position of the men who are helpless and are at the mercy of nature to reach the coast and expect help from someone. It can be said that Crane easily provides a message to the readers that human beings may solve the differences with each other either by fighting, discussions or mental power but they are not able to fight against fate, fortune and nature. In the late nineteenth century, Americans started to believe that they can triumph over everything either natural or manmade.

To show them the reality and to take them out of this fantasy Crane shared his experience with the readers. It was one of his major themes to let the people realize the irony of nature and the limitations of human power. Crane perfectly and marvelously exposed this theme by showing the continuous powerlessness of men on the boat. He conveys that the men can die any moment by a single wave, thunder, drowning or simply by hunger. Crane writes about one of the narrators who gets angry when realizes that he may be drown any moment and is dependent on the mercy of natural powers.

Crane writes of the character: "He thought: 'Am I going to drown Can it be possible Can it be possible Can it be possible' Perhaps an individual must consider his own death to be the final phenomenon of nature." This quote clearly strikes the pride of a person and lets the nature prevail over the human powers.The language used by Crane is very impressive and reflective that the reader clearly understands what would have happened at that time. The reader views the whole scene through