What makes Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat" good li
Uploaded by JimmyKudo on Feb 07, 2006
What makes a short story a good piece of literature? A good story should be "descriptive." Description refers to the detail a writer uses to convey vivid mental images in readers' minds about the people, places and things in the story. The short story "The Open Boat" is an interesting story which is very detailed. It shows things such as sensory detail, figurative imagery, metaphors, similes, and personification. A good story has good descriptive detail, although the writer is must be careful to select the right detail that will illuminate the point of the story for the reader, which is exactly what Stephen Crane has done. “The Open Boat” has a sense of naturalism, which makes it a good piece of literature. This story made sense, had a flow, and was easy to read. In addition, a story has to have a sense of irony throughout the story to make it a good piece of literature. Stephen Crane’s “The Open Boat” is descriptive, has a sense of cosmic irony, and has a sense of naturalism, which make it a good piece of literature.
Stephen Crane uses descriptive adjectives. As the readers approach the opening of the story, the author introduces them to an animated setting by being highly descriptive. The author employs a wide range of personifications, motifs, and a descriptive style of writing to paint vivid imageries within the reader’s mind. The sea that lay ahead of the crew was described as a “broad stretch of lowly coast”. To vivificate the setting even more, the sea was illustrated as “dunes topped with dark vegetation”. Crane also personifies the behaviors of the turbulent sea. Moreover, the surf was “thunderous and mighty”. It’s obviously stated that no mercy will be granted among the passengers.
Furthermore, the story also has a sense of cosmic irony. In "The Open Boat," Crane's theme, cosmic irony, is illustrated through the use of symbols for isolation,
insignificance, and indifference. Three specific examples of cosmic irony symbolism used by Crane are, the power of the ocean against the insignificance of the boat, the sea against the universe, and the little boat in a vast sea from the people on the shore. The indifference aspect of cosmic irony is where things serve no purpose, and there is truly no care for anyone or anything. In "The Open Boat," the power of the ocean against the insignificance of the...