Why does the oiler die in the open boat

Asked by: Marijke Schmidmuller sports canoeing and kayaking Why does the Oiler die in the open boat? Last Updated: 18th May, Agostino Hanck Professional. What does the shark symbolize in the open boat?

The wave, sea and shark all represent nature in the text. The boat , on the other hand, represents mankind given mankind created the boat.

This sets the conflict in motion. The men are stranded in the boat , or dingy as the text calls it, upon the sea surrounded by waves and sea life. Suren Cayero Professional. Who is the hero in the open boat? For me the hero in "The open boat " is the oiler, Billy, because throughout the story he was the one who was realistic, the one who tried to held the members in the boat together, he never gave up, never losing sight of task at his hand, never arguing, only taking politely the command of the captain, rowing through the.

Anahit Scheurl Professional. Is the open boat naturalism or realism? Style and genre. Although autobiographical in nature, "The Open Boat " is a work of fiction; it is often considered a principal example of Naturalism , an offshoot of the Realist literary movement, in which scientific principles of objectivity and detachment are applied to the study of human characteristics.

Mayerlin Koutassova Explainer. Is the open boat a true story? As we told you last week, the story is based on true events. In eighteen ninety-six, Crane was traveling to Cuba as a news reporter.

Tiburcio Khelifa Explainer. How did the SS Commodore sink? The S. Commodore sank in a January gale off the northeast Florida coast in An ocean going steam tug built for the harbor tug work, the S.

Commodore finished her career attempting to run guns to Cuba. Mahieddine Raileanu Explainer. What is the point of view of the open boat?

The point of view in which Crane writes in The Open Boat is third-person limited omniscient. It specifies an external narrator who is witnessing the story from afar, either at a near distance or a remote one. The narrator is not a character in the story and does not participate in the story.

Well, one big difference is that he's the guy who dies. It could be that we keep hearing his name so we'll become attached to him; it makes him seem all the more human and makes him easier to relate to. When he finally does wash up on shore in the end, it's not just some oiler who dies; it's our buddy Billie.

Full disclosure: remember, Crane based his story on his own real life experience in a lifeboat. Apparently a guy named Billy Higgins really did drown as they tried to reach shore…naming the oiler after good ol' Billy Higgins might also be a way for Crane to memorialize him in print. Aside from his name, we don't know much about the oiler. He keeps to himself, and works hard while rowing the boat, diligently keeping the men safe from the waves. The correspondent tells us that, like the others, he hasn't eaten or slept in two days, but that unlike the others he also "worked double-watch in the engine-room of the ship" right before the ship sank 3.

Even then, he continues rowing, and rowing, and rowing, and although he keeps to himself, any time the correspondent tries to talk to him, the oiler never seems annoyed or anything of the sort; although "weary-faced," he "[smiles] in full sympathy" 3. The oiler is the strongest and therefore the most likely one to survive the ordeal.

Ironically, he is the only one who dies. This underscores the futility of his struggle against the indifferent forces of nature. The big question about the ending surrounds the death of Billie the oiler. Why does he die? In his final moments, he tries to defeat nature by strength while the others use logic and reason.

He also sort of abandons the others, too, leaving them floundering as he makes his way to shore. Crane contracted tuberculosis in his late 20s. Cora Howard Taylor nursed him while he wrote furiously in an attempt to pay off his debts. Skip to content Miscellaneous. February 9, Joe Ford.