Naturalistic Nuances

Stephen Crane was born in 1871 in Newark, New Jersey to very religious parents. Crane began his career at the age of four and had already published many articles by sixteen. His naturalistic and impressionistic stories have been highly influential in American literature and have greatly affected such authors as Ernest Hemmingway. “The Open Boat” is one of Crane’s more widely known stories and was written based upon Crane’s own experience in a shipwreck. In 1897 the S.S. Commodore sank off the coast of Florida, where Crane and his shipmates sought survival in a small dinghy. After covering the Greek and Cuban conflicts, Crane died of tuberculosis at the age of twenty-eight.

The natural world is beautiful and magnificent, but it also harbors destructive power that rivals that of anything manmade. One theme of “The Open Boat” that particularly interested me was the conflict between man and nature. Throughout the story, the sailors fought to stay alive. To little avail, they attempted to make their way to a shore that seemed close enough to touch. Although neither force “wins” the conflict in the traditional sense, the experience of the sailors establishes a taciturn understanding between man and nature. The last line of the story states that the voice of the sea was brought to the shore and “[the sailors] felt as though they could be interpreters.” This experience gave them the insight to understand nature in its most raw form—a lesson that needs to be more widely learned in our own lives.

On the surface, this story appears nihilistic; however, as the story progresses it is clear that it is quite the opposite. Although in the face of extreme opposition, the four men create a sense of camaraderie that supports them in their pursuit to survive the destructive natural forces of the sea. Although there is no evidence of aid from God or a supernatural power—something that is apparent from the narrator’s many references to the “seven gods of the sea” that will let him drown—this story shows men helping each other and caring for one another in every way they can. This is first evident from the shifts taken by the men on the dinghy. Each man took his turn doing a physically taxing job and was, in turn, mercifully relieved by another. They all contributed and worked together—something that brought them a great sense of unity and love for one another. Furthermore, although the oiler dies, the end of the story does not leave the reader with a feeling of complete despair and sadness. The captain’s gesture for the rescuers to go after his crew and the citizens’ efforts to save the men at sea demonstrate brotherly love and selflessness that transcends even the destructive power that Crane so tirelessly described. In the end it is men who create compassion in a compassionless world—a theme that prevents this story from being one of hopelessness and destruction.

Click here to learn more about Stephen Crane.

Click here to learn more about "The Open Boat."

Click here to read "The Open Boat."

Please enjoy this man's awesome mustache. And his wise words about naturalism.