"The Open Boat"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses Stephen Crane's short story "The Open Boat." The paper particularly explores how the characters in Crane's book utilized limited technology to combat nature and save themselves from certain death. The paper discusses the resourcefulness of the characters in the various parts of the story to describe the role of technology in the plot.

From the Paper:

"After a close reading of Stephen Crane's harrowing and character-driven tale of men battling against the forces of mother nature, the reader may at first not even notice these few examples of technology vs. nature in the narrative. Perhaps this represents Crane's way of relating to the reader that when people find themselves in extraordinary situations, in this case being stranded in a dinghy in the open sea, technology can often save the day and make the difference between life and death, even when this technology is limited to a pair of oars, an "overcoat sail", a bath towel flag and a piece of discarded lifebelt, objects that made it possible for the characters to master the natural world."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bernardo, Karen. "Stephen Crane's 'The Open Boat." Storybites. Internet. 2006. Retrieved from http://www.storybites.com/Craneboat.htm.
• Crane, Stephen. The Open Boat and Other Stories. New York: Dover Publications, 1993.
• Stallman, R.W. Stephen Crane: A Critical Biography. Ames, IA: Iowa State University Press, 1972.

More papers on "The Open Boat":

• Essay # 90753 : "Stephen Crane's 'The Open Boat'"
• Comparison Essay # 27143 : "The Open Boat" and "The Man with a Flower in his Mouth"
• Book Review # 93376 : "The Open Boat"
• Analytical Essay # 9310 : "The Open Boat"

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