What does it take to survive? In “The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane, there are only four men- an oiler, a captain, a cook, and a correspondent. They find themselves on a sunken ship off the coast of Florida trying to fight for their lives. The four men who get in the life boat after their ship sinks have to work together to survive.
The men try to navigate the giant ocean waves in a ten-foot skiff on the open ocean. The four men on the ship all have different strengths. “The cook bails out the boat while the oiler and correspondent take turns rowing the boat, and the injured captain lies in the bow spouting cynical remarks and brushing away the seagulls, but also provides much needed leadership” (Bouchard 1). This quote accurately shows how the men use their strengths to their advantage so they can come together to achieve their goals. In order to survive on the life boat, it is essential for the men to work together as a team. Without each man working to the best of his ability, surviving would not be an option. The captain, the oiler, the cook and the correspondent became very close friends after being stranded on the life boat together. “It would be difficult to describe the secure bond between
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This particular theme is unlike many; nevertheless, the giant ocean waves were a huge problem for the men in the tiny skiff. “The overwhelming theme of the story is the conflict between the men and the cold indifference of the sea. The sea, in fact, is a character in its own right, an elemental force, unmindful of the human stuggle to survive. The sea, as an analogue to nature, is cruel or sportive, taunting, menacing, or easeful, having no other motive but the exercise of its own power” (Fiorelli 3). The huge ocean waves are the men’s greatest obstacle. With the sea having a mind of its own, it is a true struggle for a human to survive. I completely agree with Fiorelli when he says that the ocean was their greatest