What Crane Could Sea

Melissa McMahon

Journal on Crane's "Open Boat"

February 12, 2009

"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 they could then be interpreters." (1016)

This line, which concludes Crane's "The Open Boat," sums up perfectly the feelings that were no doubt coursing through the survivor's mind. Feelings of relief, loss, sadness, and a greater understanding of the frailty of human life and the vastness we simple little beings exist in. Crane's idea that the men could now interpret the ocean's voice is a stunning addition to the story. You almost feel the heaviness in the men's hearts as they gaze out over the sea they now know all too well. It was where they almost lost their lives, where Billie died, and where they came to terms with their mortality.

Crane has always been gifted with his words. In his Civil War short story, he wrote: "As he gazed around him the youth felt a flash of astonishment at the blue, pure sky and the sun gleamings on the trees and fields. It was surprising that Nature had gone tranquilly on with her golden process in the midst of so much devilment." --(from Ch. 5, The Red Badge of Courage) Crane seems to often use descriptions of the sky, or the heavens, as an almost metaphor for mortality. In both stories, men come face to face with their own deaths, and Crane illustrates the emotions that would follow that with keen skill. His use of color and of nature richly tie his stories together- and he leaves the reader with hefty themes and ideas to ponder over.

Although Crane did not live through the Civil war, he did experience a shipwreck much like the one he writes about in "Open Boat." It seems a bit odd that he makes himself a character in the story- one wonders why he wouldn't assume the role of a narrator himself. I think that Crane's experience was terrifyingly poignant for him- and in order for him to share the story with others, he felt it necessary to take a step back or two and tell it from a distance. While we will never know Crane's true intentions with this story, it remains one of his most talked about and studied pieces today. Whether its the Civil War, a prostitute on the streets, or a boat full of men just fighting for their lives- Crane is equally present in his very large way. His vision was legendary, and his soul lives on.