The_Open_Boat

In “The Open Boat” the characters go through a long mentally and physically draining adventure. I cannot even fathom what being lost at sea must be like. The biggest adventure I have encountered was being lost an Albertson's when I was four years old. If I would not have been eyeing the ice cream so hard I would have seen my mother move on to the next aisle. I was lost for what seemed like eternity but in reality was only at ten minutes max. Being lost at sea for thirty hours I would imagine is a pretty overwhelming experience. There are several instances in “The Open Boat” that shows the multiple emotions the men felt. Among the feelings they felt hope, fear, anger, hopeless, and eventually happiness and sadness when they were saved. The first instance that I felt the men were hopeful was during the conversation between the cook and correspondent about the house of refuge. The cook was aware of a house of refuge north of the Mosquito Inlet Light, and informed the crew that “as soon as they see us, they'll come off in their boat and pick us up.” The correspondent disagreed that the house of refuge had any crews to save them. The cook was hopeful for the house of refuge to have crews. I am sure he was frightened to be stranded such an angry sea. The waves were already coming in their small boat one after the other The oiler ends the argument by telling them “we're not there yet.” The oiler gave hope to all of them. It was quite possible that it could have been a life-saving station rather than a house of refuge, but none of them would know until they reached near the Mosquito Inlet Light. As the boat was held in the reigns of the sea, “canton flannel gulls flew near and far” from the boat. The men were angry at these birds for they had freedom and they were secluded from their home. The oiler calls the bird an “ugly brute” as if the bird understands the meaning of the insult. The cook and correspondent also “swore darkly at the creature” while the captain keeps his calm knowing that if he participated with their name-calling games that it would have “capsized this freighted boat.” The captain knew someone had to remain positive in the light of the situation for them to survive and he took it upon himself to be that leader.