The Open Boat

A detailed Summary of The Open Boat

The boat was going down in the cold Florida waters. The crew had to jump. The captain, the cook, the oiler, Billie, and the correspondent all piled into a little boat about the size of a large desk. They needed to get through the rough surf to get to mainland and their safety. They knew the boat would disintegrate if they took it in but they didn't have much of a choice; there was nobody at their rescue.

The correspondent went through much physical, mental, and emotional hardships during his long swim to the beach. He was already worn down from his previous days out in the water. This made the trip much harder for him.

The correspondent was mentally beat. The skies were playing with his emotions. The day of the long swim, he awoke to a morning of "splendor, with a sky of pure blue, and the sunlight flamed on the tips of the waves." This gave him a sense of calmness that would turn out to be anguish or aggravation. There was also a lookout tower that to his

inconvenience was not being used. He wonders to himself "if none ever ascended the tall wind-tower, and if they never looked seaward." He goes on to say that the tower

The beating that the correspondent received was a hard one to handle. He was tossed among the waves and physically drained. His emotional state was also harmed especially when the current caught him and he began asking himself, "Can it be possible?" Besides the current harming his mental state, it also effected him emotionally. It was a sort of panic when he was being dragged away. His long journey to the shore came up positive in the end however. The current didn't get him and neither did fatigue. He had survived the Open Boat.

represented "the serenity of nature amid the struggles of the individual."

physically to pursue the dry land. The current was once again pulling at him. But just as soon as he had been flung forward, he had help. It was a villager. A man that was "naked, naked as a tree in the winter, but a halo was about his head, and he shone like a saint." He helped the correspondent in his efforts to get to shore but was soon told to "Go" because not far from there, the oiler lay face down in the water. Assuming that the man was assisting the oiler, he laid himself down for he was too weak physically, mentally,

Some common words found in the essay are:
, St Martins, weak physically,

Approximate Word count = 767
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

join now Save Paper

Saved Paper

Save your papers so you can locate them quickly!

Newest Essays

Testimonials

"Thank You So Much!!! You have saved me once again!!!"
Jack M.
"With so many papers to chose from, I was able to get ideas to help me with all of my classes. Thank You!"
Brian P.
"I've used this site for the last 3 years to help me come up with ideas for my papers."
Sara J.
"I use this site every week to help me write my own papers!"
Rachel W.
"I love this site!!!"
Marie N.

The Open Boat

Related Essays

Professional Essays

Saved Paper

Newest Essays

Testimonials