Question

Stephen Crane, "The Open Boat" – Which of the following does the man that they see on shore–standing on the steps of the omnibus–do?

1) He waves a flag cheerfully at the men because he thinks that they are fishermen.
2) He waves his hands in the air to signal the men to head north away from the rocks.
3) He belongs to the search party and runs to tell his squad about the lifeboat.
4) He waves his coat, but the men don't understand what he means to tell them.

Answer 1

In "The Open Boat," the man on shore waving his coat is misunderstood by the men in the boat, aligning with the theme of miscommunication and nature's indifference in the story.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat," the individual the men see on the shore does not clearly communicate with the men in the boat. Despite this, the men in the dinghy misinterpret the man's actions, thinking he is waving his coat cheerfully at them and perhaps mistaking them for fishermen or signaling them in some indiscernible manner. The options provided suggest different interpretations of the man's actions, but the text aligns most closely with option 4: He waves his coat, but the men don't understand what he means to tell them. This reflects the theme of miscommunication and the insignificance of individual human efforts against the indifference of nature, which is a central idea in Naturalist literature.