Nature vs. "The Open Boat"
             The billowing waves are enormous for the tiny little boat that is the home to four men and their ultimate destiny. Nature, being a true defiant adversary to the four men, creates a dynamic series of events. In Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat" a relationship with nature and its effects on the main characters change when they depend upon it for survival.
             Stephen Crane's story depicts the relationship between individuals and nature. The captain says, "If I am going to be drowned-if I am going to be drowned-if I am going to be drowned, why, in the name of the seven mad gods who rule the sea, was I allowed to come thus far and contemplate sand and tree?" His statement makes nature seem indifferent. Nature does not care who or what humanities are, humans are under its control no matter what. The relationship between the captain, a courageous leader; the oiler, a model citizen; the correspondent, a business man; and the cook, an ordinary man, together make them equal, all aiming for the same goal, to survive the savage sea. The men work as a team and rely on themselves to survive. Despite that nature tries to decide their fate in some way. This is displayed in the quote, "In the shallows, face downward, lay the oiler. His forehead touched sand that was periodically, between each wave, clear of the sea." Displaying incredible determination while struggling to survive, nature proves too powerful for one's own fate!
             Next, nature reminds the four men that nothing can overpower it. Using his personal experience, Stephen Crane gave his characters life that is governed by forces beyond their control, much like his own experience in a sinking ship. The violent waves constantly creating barriers that test their strength and determination. Strong currents along the shoreline finally take its toll and weaken them not only physically but also mentally. "The corr...