Question

Read the following passage from the beginning of Stephen Crane's 1897 story "The Open Boat."

In the passage, four men are stranded at sea in a small lifeboat after their ship sinks:
None of them knew the color of the sky. Their eyes glanced level, and were fastened
upon the waves that swept toward them. These waves were of the hue of slate,
save for the tops, which were of foaming white, and all of the men knew the colors
of the sea. The horizon narrowed and widened, and dipped and rose, and at all
times its edge was jagged with waves that seemed thrust up in points like rocks.
Many a man ought to have a bath-tub larger than the boat which here rode upon the
sea. These waves were most wrongfully and barbarously abrupt and tall, and each
froth-top was a problem in small boat navigation... The injured captain, lying in the
bow, was at this time buried in that profound dejection and indifference which
comes, temporarily at least, to even the bravest and most enduring when, willy-nilly,
the firm fails, the army loses, the ship goes down. The mind of the master of a
vessel is rooted deep in the timbers of her, though he command for a day or a
decade; and this captain had on him the stern impression of a scene in the grays of
dawn of seven turned faces, and later a stump of a topmast with a white ball on it,
that slashed to and fro at the waves, went low and lower, and down. Thereafter
there was something strange in his voice. Although steady, it was deep with
mourning, and of a quality beyond oration or tears.
Make a prediction. Based on the passage, what themes, or central ideas, do you think will be
developed in the story? Describe at least two. Then explain why you think these themes will be
developed. Be sure to use specific details from the passage to support your ideas.

Answer 1

The passage from Stephen Crane's 'The Open Boat' suggests themes of the indifference of nature and human fragility through vivid descriptions of the relentless sea and the characters' dire situation.

Step-by-step explanation:

Based on the passage from Stephen Crane's 'The Open Boat', two central themes likely to be developed in the story are the indifference of nature and the fragility of human existence. The description of the waves and the sea's relentless motion, which pays no mind to the men's dire situation, strongly indicates the natural world's indifference. This is further exemplified by the mention of how the sea and the sky, during dawn, are painted with beautiful colors, oblivious to the men's struggle. Furthermore, the comparison of their small boat to a bathtub and the captain's profound dejection reflect the human fragility in the face of vast and indifferent natural forces. The sense of hopelessness is accentuated when considering how the natural world does not pause amidst their struggle; it carries on unaltered and unconcerned.