Question

How is “The Open Boat” structured? How does this structure affect the pacing of the text?

Answer 1

Answer:

"The Open Boat" is structured in seven sections, each with a different point of view on the four men’s predicament: being stranded at sea on a small boat. The men are initially angry about their plight, and then they grow to feel empathy for one another. Stephen Crane initially uses long sentences to set a slow pace to the story. These long sentences are reflective of the long arduous journey that the men face in the small boat, trying to survive every incoming wave. This pace is most evident in the sixth section of the story where the correspondent is awake and alone in thought while the other three crewmates are asleep. In the last section, the pace quickens, and Crane uses shorter sentences. These short sentences coincide with the frantic attempts of the men to reach the shore.

Explanation:

Answer 2

In "The Open Boat," we learn about the struggles of four men who end up in a lifeboat after their ship sinks. The way the story progresses allows us to learn about each man, although we are only allowed full access into the mind of the correspondent. However, through his thoughts and observations, we learn much about what the characters think of life, and more importantly, of death. The setting does not change significantly, nor do the characters. Therefore, the pacing of the text is simply determined by the path that the thoughts and actions of the characters, and in particular those of the correspondent, follow. When the narrator think of the universe, and the indifference it shows to humans, the pacing becomes faster. Similarly, the pacing becomes slower when the narrator is more content with his life. The pacing of the poem contributes to the development of its meaning.