Stephen Crane  �The Open Boat�

significance of the title�openness of ocean, exposure to Nature; lack of barrier or wall between human and nature

you can�t artificially segregate yourself from Nature

Humanism: opposite of theism (belief in deity centered universe�deity reveals itself through divine revelation); focuses on human capacity for knowledge and reasoning (�proper study of mankind is man��Essay on Man by A. Pope)

Christian humanism�intelligent design

secular humanism�materialism (denial of spiritual realm, reliance upon sensory reception and human cognition/observation as defining �the real�)�logical positivism (scientific method is only road to truth/reality)

naturalism�everything can be explained by natural causes and laws through observation

Crane has scientific detached observation, very keen descriptions of sight/sounds/etc.

pathetic fallacy�imputing to inanimate objects feelings, cognizance, awareness,

learn about characters through observation (external�Show, not tell)�Crane shows crazy helplessness of situation through visual images such as the cook�s unbuttoned dangling vest�in the face of death, he responds with an ironic quip�laughing in face of danger

oiler�doing his duty

correspondent�hopeless?  existential moment?  why?  what�s the meaning of this terrible situation?  why is he here�i.e., in nature? foil to oiler (strength/hope/unthinking vs. despair/over-thinking

captain�despair, lost, injured

cook needs hope to survive and keep fighting (naivete)

correspondent�pessimistic, needs to know/face the worst

oiler�focused on present�realist/naturalist�not into imagining scenarios�human jabber of no use

Crane ends section I with no editorializing or exposition�no Victorian sentimentality�use of dialogue to carry the story

sea gulls represent the impenetrable nature of natural order�not subject to human understanding or reason

what brings out human connection�the basic need to survive�not some abstract philosophy about life or common religious beliefs�the ultimate brotherhood of man is based in naturalism

collective moment of realization�questioning the whole metaphysical/natural order of things�Fates (not God)�don�t blame God (fearful?) perhaps self-censorship of Crane?  �seven mad gods who rule the sea� to blame?  All these �gods� are fictional

the breakdown of human communication�man on shore waving his jacket�undermine humanism�language itself breaks down (sacrosanct ideas in humanism)

impressionistic writing�we see the impressions of the characters as they see/discover what�s happening

reaction to shark (beautiful to behold, but not horrific any longer having come face to face with the reality of nature/mortality�having lost human pretensions of human superiority)

enter into an acceptance of the world as it is�correspondent can no longer �think�

oiler dies �Billie��no justice, reason in universe, why does he die?

what does it mean to be an interpreters of the sea?  they understood nature as nature, not as a human construct or idea