The Oar
We're introduced to the oars in the fourth paragraph of the story:
It
was a thin little oar and it seemed often ready to snap. (1.4)
With this short little line, Crane manages to up
th...
The Shark
Sharks rarely represent anything good. If this story is anything like Moby Dick, or The Old Man and the Sea, a
shark might represent something like death or encroaching death. This story is
a littl...
The Windmill
We don't really have to do much work here, because Crane just comes out
and tells us what the windmill represents:
This tower was a giant, standing
with its back to the plight of the ants...
The Naked Guy on the Beach
So, after all that pessimism and doubt, a naked dude with a halo comes
and rescues the men from the beach. This guy has got to be an angel of some
sort, right? He's got a halo for
crying out loud....