Ray Bradbury said that he used to read his short stories at girls’ houses. You can imagine what a girl would think if you read her a story rather than slap her. Bradbury, while speaking in a humorous way, understands that short stories have power. They can create an alternative reality. Unfortunately, they are underrated compared to a novel. This is because they contain less information, have fewer pages, and less detail. The length of a story does not affect the message it conveys or its style. Reader’s reactions determine the essence of any story, no matter how long it is. Writers must use the most important elements in story telling to get the audience’s attention. These include setting, character, and theme. Stephen Crane’s story “The Open Boat”, however, reveals these three elements with a chillingly real perspective.

The historical facts about the setting and the context of the story are not only important for the context, but also because they create an authentic, disturbing reality. This story is based on a true incident that occurred in Stephen Crane’s career and life. Crane was a war journalist who traveled around the world to cover war-related events. Crane’s role in this account and in this short story is to report an incident of gunrunning by Cuban rebels to the United States just before the Spanish-American War broke out in 1898. A shipwreck diverts his attention. This information is invaluable, especially when you consider the context that the story provides. When describing the condition of water, the narrator is only hinting at the physical context. He states, “The water off the Florida coast was very cold in January. It was even colder than what he expected.” (356). It is easy to overlook a simple detail in a story that has been so long. This situation becomes more real when you understand this one detail. This story is true. Florida is a real place. It’s on our fifth-grade maps. Florida is the actual place where Crane set off to Cuba, intending to spend 30 hours in an unknowing dinghy. Deep-sea diving is dangerous if you are not prepared. Crane wrote in a report on the sinking, “The Commodore’s whistle had been blown, and the only voice of despair and mortality was that whistle” (Fact and Fiction). 43). Crane is describing a true event in the first-person perspective. This fact, which is a reality, creates an urgency that changes the tone of the story. This is because panic can lead to disaster. This story is based on real historical characters who were also fighting for their life, and united by a “subtle Brotherhood”. These counterparts add a scary element of reality to the story. In truth, Crane represents the correspondent. The cook represents the actual cook for the Commodore. This four-person crew is a real group of people, with real families, jobs and identities. According to Crane’s article in the newspaper, both Murphy & Higgins are men of exceptional character. Crane’s article would have revealed “the splendid manhood of these two men” if he had told the whole story. 72). Murphy and Higgins came close to death on the dinghy. As we’ve already said, deep sea swimming isn’t something to laugh at. Two honorable lives are also not a matter for laughter. Unfortunately, one life ends with the narrative. The short story does mention Higgins, but Crane’s newspaper article mentions the fact that he died. In the story, Crane mentions that “the oiler was lying face down,” but his newspaper article says that “Billy Higgins was lying with his head on sand which was free of water” (358). 73). The story ends with the reader having hope but then the account of history crushes that hope. This is because, although the characters were not deserving of such suffering, the historical account makes it seem even more horrifying.

This short story has a frightening theme, and the history of it adds to the fear. The struggle of man to find his purpose in the world is one of the main themes in this story. This “purpose” is something that almost all human beings have, do, or are going to ask themselves. The narrator struggles with this too. He repeats the quote throughout the story: If I’m going to drown, why was it that I came so far to contemplate trees and sand? This phrase, if not understood in context of Crane’s life purpose and his trip in particular, may lead to pity for Crane and misinterpretation. The reader might think that the narrator’s upset is due to the idea of death. But the story is much more complex than that. Crane, a historian and Commodore passenger, has a specific purpose. He was on his way to Cuba to record an important historical moment. He was supporting the cause of rebels. He was willing to help others. His purpose was instantly taken from him in an apparently random series of circumstances. Crane’s constant doubt about his existence is a result of the depth of Crane’s purpose. Losing your purpose can be depressing, but it is also a reality. Even without the shipwreck, it’s difficult to find a purpose in your life.

The cumulative effect of Crane’s writing is impressive: images, characters and setting details are all contained within just a few pages. Lessons, themes, themes, etc., can also be found. Readers can feel almost as if they are interacting with the characters even without having any personal knowledge. When the reader explores the historical context of the story, he is presented with a different, scarier perspective. These elements, including the plot, characters, and themes are all constantly at work to create an unsettling story.