The Arrogance of Man in Stephen Crane’s Short Story, The...

The Arrogance of Man The Man vs Nature conflict is a common literary element used in adventure stories and stories of survival. It is when the main character(s) of a story are in conflict with an animal or a force of nature. In Stephen Crane’s short story, â€Å"The Open Boat,† the man vs nature conflict is present throughout the entire course of the story. The end of the story presented a controversial topic left open for discussion; who was the victor of the conflict, man or nature? A normal read though of the story would leave one with the impression that man was the winner of the conflict. However, a close analytical reading of the text would actually suggest that it was nature who was the true victor in the end. A close examination of certain aspects of the story such as the scenes with the seagull and shark, the violent seas throughout the entirety of the story, and the correspondent’s thoughts at end will reveal the true victor being nature rather than man . First, however, a short summary of the story itself is required for a full understanding of the analyses. Stephen Crane’s story â€Å"The Open Boat† starts off with four strangers stranded in the middle of the ocean after their ship unexpectedly sank. The four men, a correspondent, a cook, an oiler, and the ship’s captain, struggle hopelessly just to keep their bathtub sized dinghy afloat in the rough seas off the coast of Florida. The four men must bond and work together as any wrong move would result I their smallShow MoreRelatedA Comparison of Jack London and Stephen Crane.1481 Words   |  6 PagesComparison of Jack London and Stephen Crane. Jack London and Stephen Crane were both well-known literary naturalists who died at relatively early ages. Despite having lived such a short life, Jack London lived a full life. He has achieved wide popularity abroad, with his work being translated into more than fifty languages, as well as having written fifty literary works in eighteen years. His stories in the naturalistic mode still continue to influence writers today. Stephen Crane was also an accomplishedRead MoreA Comparative Analysis of the Writings of Jack London and Stephen Crane2444 Words   |  10 PagesLondon always held death at bay just by the slimmest of margins. His stories seemed to be about adventure and winning the struggle against the wilderness, but in the background the reaper was always present. Stephen Crane was another that battled death in his writing because he seemed to want to know how he would handle it. This paper compares the writings of Jack London and Stephen Crane as they explore the subject of m ortality. Short Biography It must first be noted that the two writers were veryRead More Analyses of Short Stories Essay examples4756 Words   |  20 PagesAnalyses of Short Stories Nathaniel Hawthorne, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† Goodman Brown was not asleep in this short story. As I read, I believed that Goodman did indeed meet the devil in the forest. If he had indeed dreamt about the trip he was sent on and meeting the devil, I think his nervousness would have been described in more detail then it was. Concentrating more on the anxiety he was feeling would have led the reader to believe that the events were not real. I also saw this story as an