Question

Describe the setting of the short story “The Open Boat.” How does Stephen Crane accentuate the setting in his story? What is his purpose in drawing attention to the setting?

Answer 1

In “The Open Boat” four men are stranded in a small dinghy in the middle of the ocean, their ship had been previously destroyed. Crane added to the scene by mentioning how the men can die at any moment. Out of the four men, the oiler and the correspondent have to row nonstop in order to survive and the cook has to scoop water out of the boat. Crane also made it clear the dinghy was filling with water rapidly with the consistent waves and the paddles the dinghy had were unreliable. These features of the story add onto the mention of how the men can die at any moment throughout the story. The main point of the short story is that at the mercy of nature, people are no match. They can try to overpower nature but will not succeed.

Step-by-step explanation:

Plato (not copied from the sample answer)

Answer 2

In the story, four men are cramped together in a small dinghy after the ship that they are traveling on has capsized. The men are at the mercy of the ocean. Stephen Crane accentuates this setting by mentioning that the men could be killed at any moment. The cook is forced to bail water out of the dinghy, while the oiler and the correspondent must row continuously to survive. Crane constantly mentions the ever-present chance of death the four men face by noting the never-ending waves, the water continuously filling the boat, and the flimsy paddles that could snap at any time. Stephen Crane’s purpose in drawing attention to the setting is to show the reader how people are helpless when at nature’s mercy. The saying “time and tide wait for no man” is true. People may try to conquer nature, but ultimately, all they do is survive nature. That is because nature is relentless and all-powerful. It doesn’t stop to judge the plight of a person and limit the force it exerts on that person.