The Tragic Theater of Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat" Stephen Crane was a master of using strong language to evoke images. His unique use of imagery is seen in his life-
based shipwreck tale called "The Open Boat." This story of four men who try to row a dinghy to land after surviving a
shipwreck is so full of vibrant images that the story comes off as a mini-play: the theater of the open boat. (He was a
literary contemporary of Theodore Dreiser.)
Crane himself is aware of the theater of the open boat. Soon after establishing the setting, plot situation, and
characters, Crane writes, "Viewed from a balcony, the whole thing would doubtlessly have been weirdly picturesque. But
the men in the boat had no time to see it, and if they had had leisure there were other things to occupy their minds."
The captain even senses the theatrical aspect the situation. Crane writes, "Then the captain, in the bow, chuckled in a
way that expressed humor, contempt, tragedy, all in one. 'Do you think we've got much of a show, now, boys? said he"
(Chapter 2)
If "The Open Boat" is a play, then it no doubt is a tragedy, despite what the captain thinks. Crane opens this tragedy
as follows: "NONE of them knew the color of the sky. Their eyes glanced level, and were fastened upon the waves that
swept toward them. These waves were of the hue of slate, save for the tops, which were of foaming white, and all of the
men knew the colors of the sea. The horizon narrowed and widened, and dipped and rose, and at all times its edge was
jagged with waves that seemed thrust up in points like rocks."
As if that's not enough to set the stage, Crane adds one of his downright bizarre descriptions. "These waves were
most wrongfully and barbarously abrupt and tall, and each froth-top was a problem in small boat navigation." This
shows the tragic situation,