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Suspense In The Open Boat

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Stephen Crane: “The Open Boat” Being stranded at sea in a small boat is a frightening thought. The Open Boat by Stephen Crane is a short story that will have the reader in suspense, wondering what will happen next. The Open Boat takes place in a small boat on the open sea, with four men working together to survive. These four men fight their way through rough tides, hunger and thirst. ”These waves were most wrongfully and barbarously abrupt and tall, and each froth-top was a problem in a small-boat navigation”(Crane 195). The crew consisted of the injured captain, a cook, Billie the oiler and Crane the correspondent. Sadly not all the crewmembers survive these excruciating hours in the sea with no food, warmth, and only a jug of water. It was shocking to hear that Billie does not make it ashore, especially after working so hard to get them there. Billie would take turns with the correspondent rowing the boat with very little sleep “They sat together in the same seat, and each rowed an oar. Then the oiler …show more content…

This is to give a vivid imagination to the reader. At the end of the story the narrator makes some vivid similes such as “The third wave moved forward, huge, furious, implacable. It fairly swallowed the dinghy, and almost simultaneously the men tumbled into the sea”(212). Here he is speaking of the waves as if they were human by stating they are “furious” and “fairly swallowed the dinghy”. Once rescued the narrator describes the night as follows: “When it came night, the white waves paced to and fro in the moonlight, and the wind brought the sound of the great sea’s voice to the men on the shore, and they felt that they could then be interpreters.” (213). The narrator once again speaks of the sea as if it were human. Stating the “waves paced to and fro” and “the great sea’s voice”, he gives the sea life and a voice. Having figures of speech such as these gives the story life and a vivid

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