Vocabulary
Before you begin reading "The Open Boat" by Stephen Crane, there are a few boating terms you should know.
A dinghy is a small boat, powered by sail or oars, designed as a lifeboat on a small ship. The word is spelled dingey in Crane's story because of the London publication.
High seas is a term used to describe rough, open sea where the coast may be at a long distance or not visible at all.
An oiler is an engine room worker on a ship whose job is to keep mechanical parts oiled so they do not go rusty at sea.
Yawls is a type of sailboat.
To signal is to indicate something using hands, a flag, a fire, lights, or flares with the intention of seeking help from somebody else.
The gunwale is the upper edge of the side of a vessel.
The floundering of a ship means it is sinking.
Some of Crane's word choice may be hard to read due to the denotation and possibly the connotation. Remember, a word's denotation is its literal dictionary definition. A word's connotation is what emotion the word evokes in its reader. The connotation can be either positive or negative.
Denotation
Dejection: depressed
Uncanny: beyond what is natural
Sinister: the impression something evil will happen
Emphatic: forceful
Motley: assorted apperance of character
Cynical: distrustful of human sincerity
Apropos: at the right time
Diabolical: belonging to evil
Aberrations: departure from what is normal or acceptable
Pallor: an unhealthy pale apperance
Subdued: quiet or depressed
Acquiesced: accept reluctantly
Opprobrious: expressing scorn or criticism
Vocabulary
All of these words share a common connotation. Did you notice? They all imply a negative tone.
Part of Crane's realistic style addressed a tone and mood that would obviously have been present on the boat.
As you read his short story, remember that this is a fictional account based on his own experiences just a week before.
Notice the following literary elements throughout the work: point of view, imagery, and figurative language.
Conversation with Text
A dialectical journal is a type of journal that allows you to have a conversation with the text you are reading. The journal is meant to help you develop a better understanding of the selection that you are reading. Use your journal to reflect on your personal responses, to record your ideas about the theme, to prepare for essays or tests, or to gather textual evidence for your essay.
To begin, choose passages that stand out to you as you are reading. Record them in your dialectical journal. Then provide questions, comments, and/or explanations. Look for quotes in your text that seem significant, powerful, or confusing to you. For example, you may choose
- an effective literary device,
- a personal connection,
- an important symbol to theme,
- a confusing vocabulary word or passage, or
- an important setting, event, or character.
Responding to the passage you have selected is easy. You just need to be specific and detailed. Some sentence leads could include the following:
Why did...
Who is...
This setting reminds me of...
This character reminds me of...because...
If I were (character), at this point, I would...
What would happen if...Now, I understand...This idea/event seems to be important because...
The language makes me feel the author is...
When the author does..., it creates a... tone that...The details create / show...
The...is compared to a ...and it really makes me see how...
The symbolizes...and it...(the effect)
With the..., the author creates an image of...that...
You must label your responses using the following codes:
- (Q) Question - ask about something in the passage that is unclear
- (C) Connect - make a connection to your life, the world, or another text
- (P) Predict - anticipate what will occur based on what's in the passage
- (CL) Clarify - answer earlier questions or confirm/disaffirm a prediction
- (R) Reflect - think deeply about what the passage means in a broad sense - not just to the characters in the story/author of the article. What conclusions can you draw about the world, about human nature, or just the way things work?
- (E) Evaluate - make a judgment about what the author is trying to say
Lord of the Flies
This example is from Lord of the Flies by William Golding.
Textual Evidence
"A stain in the darkness, a stain that was Jack, detached itself and began to draw away. 'Allright. So long.' The stain vanished. Another took its place."
Thought
This metaphor compares Jack to a stain, to something that mars, contaminates, and spoils. Since darkness is mentioned, it makes me think that Ralph sees Jack as evil. Biblical allusions are all over the place in Lord of the Files, and this makes me think the reference to darkness also shows that Jack represents sin and the dark side of human nature. Jack being a stain, I completely understand but who or what is the other stain? The entire next paragraph is about Roger. Is Roger a stain too?
Code
Reflection, Question
The Open Boat
Read "The Open Boat."
You may listen to it as well.
Give yourself plenty of time to read and listen to the story. You will have an open dialogue with this text.
The Steps of Plot
The exposition describes the setting and characters. What is the setting in Crane’s story?
Answer: Four people, the cook, the oiler, the correspondent, and the injured captain, are introduced in the setting of the story. The readers know the characters are in a lifeboat in the ocean because of rich descriptions like "None of them knew the color of the sky. Their eyes glanced level, and were fastened upon the waves that swept toward them."
The inciting incident is an essential plot element because this is where an event occurs that is life changing; it complicates the story. When do you think the inciting incident occurs in the story?
Answer: Four people, the cook, the oiler, the correspondent, and the injured captain, are introduced in the setting of the story. The readers know the characters are in a lifeboat in the ocean because of rich descriptions like "None of them knew the color of the sky. Their eyes glanced level, and were fastened upon the waves that swept toward them."
The rising action is where the conflict gets more exciting and the story builds around this struggle.
What is the rising action in the story?
Answer: The rising action occurs when the men try to row the boat to the shore. "'Take her easy, now, boys,' said the captain. 'Don't spend yourselves. If we have to run a surf you'll need all your strength, because we'll sure have to swim for it. Take your time.'"
The climax is the moment of greatest excitement or tension in the story. Where is the climax?
Answer: The climax is when the men jump off the boat into the water as the boat overturns. "The little boat, drunken with this weight of water, reeled and snuggled deeper into the sea. 'Bail her out, cook! Bail her out,' said the captain. 'All right, captain,' said the cook."
The falling action is where the events happen as a result of the climax, and the reader knows that the story will soon end. Where is the falling action in the story?
Answer: The falling action occurs when the men swim to shore. "He was swimming strongly and rapidly."
The resolution is where the character(s) solves the main problem or conflict, or someone solves it for him or her. What is the resolution?
Answer: The resolution is when the correspondent, cook, and captain are rescued, but realize that the oiler has drowned. "In the shallows, face downward, lay the oiler. His forehead touched sand that was periodically, between each wave, clear of the sea."
The denouement (pronounced day-noo-moh) is a French word literally meaning the end. All loose-ends are tied and resolved by the characters or explained by the author. At what point is the denouement?
Answer: The denouement of the story happens as the dead oilier is carried onto land. The other three men finally understand the power of the sea and how lucky they are to be alive. "The welcome of the land to the men from the sea was warm and generous, but a still and dripping shape was carried slowly up the beach, and the land's welcome for it could only be the different and sinister hospitality of the grave."