Question

Which parts of this excerpt from Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat" describe the narrator's opinion of the sea as a hostile entity?

A singular disadvantage of the sea lies in the fact that after successfully surmounting one wave you discover that there is another behind it just as important and just as nervously anxious to do something effective in the way of swamping boats. In a ten-foot dinghy one can get an idea of the resources of the sea in the line of waves that is not probable to the average experience, which is never at sea in a dinghy. As each salty wall of water approachedit shut all else from the view of the men in the boat, and it was not difficult to imagine that this particular wave was the final outburst of the ocean the last effort of the grim water.

Answer 1

The narrator of 'The Open Boat' sees the sea as hostile, as evident in descriptions of relentless waves that threaten to swamp the boat, likening the situation to navigating threats, and portraying the sea's indifference to their struggle.

Step-by-step explanation:

The parts of the excerpt from Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat" that describe the sea as a hostile entity include descriptions of the sea's relentless waves and their effect on the small dinghy. Phrases like "nervously anxious to do something effective in the way of swamping boats" and "each froth-top was a problem in small boat navigation" contribute to the depiction of the sea's hostility. Moreover, the analogy of the waves being "like rocks" and the sea's indifference toward the men's plight add to the interpretation of the sea as menacing and relentless.

Answer 2

The part of this excerpt from Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat" describe the narrator's opinion of the sea as a hostile entity is "that there is another behind it just as important and just as nervously anxious to do something effective".