The Open Boat Themes

There's little doubt the relationship between humans and the world around them is central to the "The Open Boat." The story starts with the line, "None of them knew the color of the sky," and the l...

Although the term "existentialism" would not be widely used until the mid-twentieth century (you can check out Shmoop's take on Mr. Existentialist, Jean-Paul Sartre, here), the philosophy was fores...

There is a definite "us against them" vibe going on in "The Open Boat." The "us" is the four men on the boat, while the "them" is everyone and everything else: the ocean, the birds, the shark, and...

The possibility of death hangs over this story like a cold, wet towel. After all, there can't be many situations where one would be more aware of their own mortality than while lost at sea in a tin...

Maybe this goes without saying, but the four men in the boat work really hard just to try to survive. Even though they admit they're all pretty tired, nobody ever gives up. They each have their own...

This theme is sort of a red herring. The narrator seems really focused on strength and skill. For example, the oiler is strong, the shark is strong, and the ocean is strong. The correspondent is su...