The Open Boat: Author's Message And Themes Explored

The author's message in the short story 'The Open Boat' is that nature is indifferent to the plight of man. Crane makes it clear that nature is ultimately indifferent to the men's struggle to survive, and that the sea does not change at all; only the men's perception of the sea changes. The story also conveys a feeling of loneliness that comes from man's understanding that he is alone in the universe and insignificant in its workings.

Nature's indifference to man

Crane strengthens the idea that nature is indifferent to man by showing that it is as randomly helpful as it is hurtful.. For every malevolent whim that the men suffer, they experience an unexpected good turn in the form of a favourable wind or calm night.. The fact that the men almost seem to get assistance from nature destroys the notion of nature as an entirely hostile force. Nothing highlights this point so much as the correspondent's final rescue. Plowed to shore and saved by a freak wave, the correspondent must embrace the fact that the very thing that has put him in harm's way has saved him. This freak wave, however, may also be responsible for killing the much hardier oiler, a turn of events that demonstrates two ideas: nature is as much a harsh punisher as it is a benefactor, and nature does not act out of any motivation that can be understood in human terms.

Man's insignificance in the universe

The correspondent, who is the narrator of the story, is a cynical man who is initially cheerful and talkative in his descriptions of the physical pain he experiences. However, as the story progresses, he comes to the realisation that the universe is unconcerned with the outcome of their situation, and he becomes physically and spiritually weary. He decides that there is no higher purpose to surviving other than prolonging a life that is meaningless. This realisation is a direct result of the correspondent's understanding that he is alone in the universe and insignificant in its workings. The correspondent's new awareness of his insignificance is reflected in his description of the sea, which changes from a snarling, hissing, bucking bronco to a sea that merely "paces to and fro."

Society as meaning in a harsh world

In the short story, "The Open Boat", Crane sets up man's greatest invention, society, against what first seems to be a cruel, unrelenting nature. When faced with the savage, stormy sea, the men in the dinghy immediately band together because they recognize that society is the best defense against the chaos of nature. The men derive meaning from their fellowship, created to oppose nature, which they view as the force that seeks to undo them. Even when they become disheartened by the fact that nature shows no regard for them, they can still turn to one another. In creating society, they have created an obligation to one another that they must honor to survive. The narrator observes that the men's cooperation is "personal and heartfelt", which suggests that the men derive some spiritual satisfaction from the arrangement. Although they are shut out of the realm of cosmic importance, these men nevertheless construct something that is meaningful to them.

The indifference of nature

Nature is indifferent to the plight of man. Despite the narrator's humanistic and deistic characterisations of nature, Crane makes it clear that nature is ultimately indifferent to the plight of man, possessing no consciousness that we can understand. As the stranded men progress through the story, the reality of nature's lack of concern for them becomes increasingly clear. The narrator highlights this development by changing the way he describes the sea. Early in the story, the sea snarls, hisses, and bucks like a bronco; later, it merely "paces to and fro", no longer an actor in the men's drama. In reality, the sea does not change at all; only the men's perception of the sea changes. The unaltered activity of the gulls, clouds, and tides illustrates that nature does not behave any differently in light of the men's struggle to survive.

Man's understanding of pain

The correspondent's understanding of pain is that it is a necessary byproduct of his efforts to overcome nature, the willful enemy. He comes to value his suffering because it is nobly derived; in the earlier sections, the correspondent, whom the narrator says is cynical, is often cheerful and talkative in his descriptions of the physical pain he experiences. By the end of the story, however, the correspondent's new awareness that the universe is unconcerned with the situation's outcome makes him physically and spiritually weary. He decides that there is no higher purpose to surviving other than prolonging a life that is meaningless. His comment in section VII that the coldness of the water is simply "sad" underscores this despair. At this point, all sensations of pain and pleasure are merely physical and have no spiritual meaning.

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