An introduction to the story

1. The Open Boat – Stephen Crane
L.O. understanding theme / language /
perspective

2. A bit about the author
• Stephen Crane (November 1, 1871 – June 5,
1900) was an American poet, novelist, and short
story writer.
• Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable
works in the Realist tradition as well as early
examples of American Naturalism and
Impressionism. He is recognized by modern critics
as one of the most innovative writers of his
generation.

3. Where does ‘The Open Boat’ fit? &
WHY?
• Literary realism, in contrast to idealism, attempts to represent
familiar things as they are. Realist authors chose to depict
everyday and banal activities and experiences, instead of
using a romanticized or similarly stylized presentation.
• Naturalism is a literary movement that emphasizes
observation and the scientific method in the fictional portrayal
of reality.
• Impressionism focuses on a particular character's perception
of events. The edges of reality are blurred by choosing points
of view that lie outside the norm.

4. The story in context
• En route to Cuba, Crane's vessel the SS
Commodore sank off the coast of Florida,
leaving him and others adrift for 30 hours
in a dinghy. Crane described this ordeal in
"The Open Boat".
• So we’re reading a story that is based on
a true story and has autobiographical
elements!

5. Did you understand the story – let’s
quickly check a summary
As the story opens, four men: a cook, a
correspondent, an oiler and a captain, are in a lifeboat
in stormy seas. They are off the coast of Florida, just
after their ship has sunk. Soon, they spot the light of a
lighthouse somewhere in the distance, so they know
they are near land. Although they can eventually see
the shore, the waves are so big that it is too dangerous
to try to take the boat in to land. The waves will destroy
the lifeboat and possibly crash hard on the men in the
surf, maybe killing them.
•.

6. People on the shore see the lifeboat and try to signal to the
men to come in, but the sea is just too rough. The four men
in the boat hope that the people on land will send a bigger
boat out to rescue them, but that does not happen.
Instead, the men are forced to take the boat further out to
sea, where the waves are not quite as big and dangerous.
They spend a total of two nights in the lifeboat and take
turns rowing and then resting. They are not sure if they will
survive and they have exchanged addresses in case any
of them should die.

7. On the morning after their second night, the men are weak
and no fishing boat has come to rescue them. The captain
decides that they must try to take the lifeboat as close to
shore as possible and then be ready to swim when the surf
inevitably turns the boat over and throws the men into the
cold sea. This is exactly what happens. As they get closer
to land, the waves get bigger and bigger. Just as they
expect, a big wave comes and all the men are thrown into
the sea. The lifeboat turns over and the four men must
swim into shore. There are rescuers waiting on shore who
help the men out of the water.

8. Strangely, as the cook, captain and correspondent
reach the shore safely and are helped out of the water,
they discover that, somehow, the oiler, the strongest
man and best swimmer, has drowned after being
smashed in the surf by a huge wave. As night comes,
the men still hear the pounding of the waves on the
shore — the voice of the sea. Now, they understand
the power of the sea, and how easily it can claim even
the strongest man’s life.

9. The effect of the language in the
opening scene of the story
‘NONE of them knew the color of the sky. Their
eyes glanced level, and were fastened upon the
waves that swept toward 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.’

10. Answer these questions about
the opening scene
• What does it mean that "None of them knew the color
of the sky"? What kind of mood does this set for the
story?
• What type(s) of conflict is presented at the beginning
of "The Open Boat"?
• What kind of story does this opening suggest will
unfold?
• What does this opening make you feel as a reader?
What kind of imagery does the scene present?

11. Characters in the boat
• Who do we meet?
• What’s our initial impression?
• What’s our idea about them at the end?
• Quote the passages / lines that help us
gain a clearer picture of these characters.

12. Perspective
• What point of view did Crane choose for his
story? 1st
/ 3rd
/ omniscient / limited?
• How would this story be different if it were
narrated via first person point of view?
• Does the narrator describe the characters'
thoughts and emotions? How does he do so—
with certainty or speculatively?

13. The characters in the story
• Does the narrator focus on any one
character more or less? In what way do
some characters have more significance
than others?
• Why emphasize the correspondent over
any of the other characters? What is the
significance in this choice?

14. Emotions evoked in the story
• Read the first part of section II of the story (through to "The
cook was bailing.") The captain has just expressed his
pessimistic view of their situation:’ Then the captain, in the
bow, chuckled in a way that expressed humor, contempt,
tragedy, all in one. "Do you think we've got much of a show,
now, boys?" said he.’
• While the captain manages to rally his remaining crew, his
statement reveals the range of emotions written into the
story.
• Considering the captain's words above, how is the next
paragraph humorous, contemptuous, and tragic, all in one?

15. Mixed emotions in this scene
• Humorous: the humor of the bird landing on the
captain's head, and the captain's breathing easier "on
account of his hair"
• Contemptuous: the seeming indignity of a bird on the
captain's head, and the contempt nature seems to show
for the crew of the dinghy.
• Tragic: The gruesome and ominous feelings shared by
the other crew-members gives the paragraph a tragic
air, as though some doom was just foreshadowed

16. Task (individually)
• Look for at least one other scene where
mixed emotions are evoked by the author.
• Explain WHAT happens and HOW it is
described and, as a result, WHICH
emotions we are feeling.

17. Plenary
• Do you think Crane is trying to teach or
show us something?
• If so, what and how?
• If not, what do you think the purpose of the
story was?