Stephen Crane Analytical Essay by serendipity

This paper looks at the work of Stephen Crane, a writer from the latter half of the 19th century. In particular, it discusses how many of his short stories involved an ironic twist or unexpected positioning of two events. It compares two of these stories, "The Open Boat" and "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky", in order to evaluate Crane's mastery in the use of irony. It examines how, in "The Open Boat," the irony is evident throughout the story, while in "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky," it is in the last 100 words; instead of the new bride witnessing the horrible death of her new groom, her presence brings a completely unexpected peace between the two men. It shows how, in one case, the irony is of cosmic proportions, and in the other, gentle and humorous, demonstrating Crane's great range of skill in the use of literary devices.