THE OPEN BOAT

BY STEPHEN CRANE
• “The Open Boat" is a short story written by American
author Stephen Crane (1871–1900). First published in
1897, it was based on Crane's experience of surviving a
shipwreck off the coast of Florida earlier that year while
traveling to Cuba to work as a newspaper correspondent.
Crane was stranded at sea for thirty hours when his ship,
the SS Commodore, sank after hitting a sandbar.

• Originally written as a personal account, Crane

subsequently adapted his report into narrative form, and
the resulting short story "The Open Boat" was published
in Scribner's Magazine. The story is told from the point of
view of an anonymous correspondent, with Crane as the
implied author, the action closely resembles the author's
experiences after the shipwreck.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

In 1897, author and journalist Stephen Crane was en route to cover a

brewing revolt against Spanish rule in Cuba, when the ship he was on, the SS
Commodore, sank off the coast of Florida, after a leak began in the boiler
room, and as a result of malfunctioning water pumps, the ship came to a
standstill about 16 miles (26 km) from Mosquito Inlet (now called Ponce de
León Inlet). Crane escaped in a small dinghy with several crewmen, and they
eventually sighted and steered for the Mosquito Inlet Light. Crane used this
experience in his short story "The Open Boat".
PLOT SUMMARY
• In "The Open Boat," four men are stranded in the open ocean. One of them
knows of a lifesaving station on Mosquito Island Inlet. After days of rowing,
they finally reach the island, but only three of them make it to shore safely.
• Four men (a cook, a captain, an oiler, and a correspondent) are forced to flee
in the open boat when their ship sinks. The captain is injured, and the three
others must row to safety.
• The cook tells them of a safe haven on Mosquito Island Inlet. They spend days
rowing to the island, guided by the lighthouse on its shore, but when they
reach it, the inhabitants immediately understand that they need rescuing.
• During a harrowing journey to shore, the oiler dies in the rough waters. All
the other men live and feel that they've learned a lesson about survival.
SETTING

• At the sea, in a small dinghy (or life boat), just off the coast of
Northern Florida, within close proximity to the Mosquito Inlet.

• The story happens around the late 1890’s based on the time in
which the story was written by the author.
CHARACTERS
• The Correspondent -  A reporter and the central character of the story. The
correspondent is presumably young and able-bodied, given that he shares
rowing duties with the oiler. He is pleasantly surprised to find his heart
warmed by the brotherhood that he and the crew have formed in the boat.
Several times, the correspondent curses nature and the gods who rule the
sea and wonders whether he is really meant to drown.

• The Captain -  The captain of the ship, injured when the ship floods. The
captain is calm and quiet, talking for the most part only to give directions and
lead the crew to shore. The captain commands complete authority, and
although he does not take part in keeping the dinghy afloat, he bears the full
responsibility of getting everyone to safety. He is always alert and cool-
headed, even when it looks as though he might be sleeping.
CHARACTERS
• The Cook - the ship’s cook who maintains a positive, outlook on the
men’s rescue. The cook is the first to suggest the presence of a lifesaving
station and cannot help but turn his mind to the simple pleasures of
living on land. Although he is not fit enough to help with the rowing, the
cook makes himself useful by bailing water.

• The Oiler (Billie) -  The only refugee from the ship to die in the final
attempt at reaching land. Before the ship sank, the oiler worked a
double watch in the engine room, and he is most likely to be exhausted
in the dinghy. The oiler is staunch, obedient to the captain, and
generous and polite to the correspondent whenever he is asked to row.
The oiler also seems to be the most realistic of the men, never losing
sight of the task at hand or the slim chance they have of surviving.
POINT OF VIEW

The story is told in the Third Person Omniscient

point of view, with the author jumping from
character to character.
THEMES

The themes for the story include:

• SURVIVAL/MAN VS. NATURE

• NATURE’S INDIFFERENCE TO MAN
• MEANING OF LIFE
SURFACE ANALYSIS
DEEPER ANALYSIS
REFERENCES
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Open_Boat
• http://www.sparknotes.com/short-stories/the-open-boat/themes.html
• http://www.shmoop.com/the-open-boat/summary.html
• https://www.enotes.com/topics/open-boat