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Four Men Confronted By Nature In Stephen Crane's The Open Boat

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Four Men Confronted By Nature: An analysis of Stephen cranes short story of” The Open Boat”. Four men are stranded in a dinghy off the coast of Florida in which they come face to face with the Nature’s indifference of men. The four men all have their own unique view, and personality when faced with this crisis. The story of “The Open Boat” is told through the eyes of The Correspondent accompanied by The Captain, The Cook, And the Oiler. As time passes and the men fight against natures raw power to survive some of the men say and do different things knowing that this could ultimately be the end of their lives. Stephen Crane uses many literary elements and themes during this story to help us understand Naturalism such as man’s insignificance in the universe, Personification, and symbols. Humans may believe we have the power to control everything in this world, but when it comes to nature that is the one thing that holds more power over us. When faced with danger what causes men to say or act the way they do? …show more content…

In section six we see the Correspondent start to accept and understand this harsh reality. the Correspondent says “When it occurs to a man that nature does not regard him as important . . . he at first wishes to throw bricks at the temple, and he hates deeply the fact that there are no bricks and no temples . . . . Thereafter he knows the pathos of his situation.” (350) Before the Correspondent says this he feel that the sea itself lacks the intelligence to realize his place in the universe and it can’t be governed. After the quote he realizes nature has no regard for him and he is the one who will be governed by nature. After this epiphany the narrator begins to give nature human like

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