海上扁舟
The Open Boat
The image of a small boat floating on the ferocious sea haunted me for a long time. The small boat is just like a tiny toy when compared with the vast sea which is like a giant monster. The four are at the mercy of the sea, hopeless and desperate. Although the novel is notable for its use of imagery, irony, symbolism, and the exploration of such themes as survival and solidarity, I’d like to discuss the conflict between man and nature, nature’s difference and man’ position in the universe.
The story scrutinizes the position of man, who has been isolated not only from society, but also from God and nature. The struggle between man and the natural world is the most apparent theme in the work. From the very beginning of the story, the author presents us a picture of the four men and the sea. “None of them knew the color of the sky. Their eyes glanced level, and were fastened upon the waves that swept toward them. These waves were of the hue of slate, save for the tops, which were of foaming white, and all of the men knew the colors of the sea.”Through the description, we can see the hopelessness of the four men when facing the “the hue of slate”“foaming white”sea. On the turbulent sea, whose＂waves were most wrongfully and barbarously abrupt and tall＂，they are in a
small boat , which is only as big as a bath-tub, making a striking comparison .Confronted with such a hopeless situation, “their eyes glanced level, and were fastened upon the waves that swept toward them”. Nature is so cruel and indifferent that the physical strength of man is stretched to its limits. The author writes that “the coldness of water was sad; it was tragic” and “the wind had a voice as it came over the waves, and it was sadder than the end.”Here the author regards the coldness of water as “tragic”and the voice of wind as “sad”, through the two adjectives, we can imagine the harsh condition, which already affects people’s minds.
The scenery seems so unemotional, even the beautiful scene seems so sad and gloomy. “The sun swung steadily up the sky, and they knew it was broad day because the color of the sea changed from slate to emerald-green, streaked with amber lights, and the foam was like tumbling snow." Through the author’ description, we can see that the sea is very picturesque. But as to them, on the contrary, it just shows the indifference and coldness of nature. Nature doesn't care man's fate, it is just what it should be. The author also describes gulls. Gull is also a part of nature. They also share the same basic feature of nature: indifference. "They came very close and stared at the men with black bead-like eyes. At these times they were uncanny and sinister in their unblinking scrutiny”. The gulls seem so ugly and
evil, which is a ominous sign, telling us that the story is doomed to be a tragic one—the oiler's death. So the author’ description of the beautiful scenery reflects nature’ indifference from an ironic aspect. Nature is very cold, whether the human beings like or not, it just comes and goes. Men have to accept it without option.
When all hopes fail, they have no choice but to turn to God:” If I am going to be drowned-- if I am going to be drowned--if I am going to be drowned, why, in the name of the seven mad gods who rule the sea, was I allowed to come thus far and contemplate sand and trees? Was I brought here merely to have my nose dragged away as I was about to nibble the sacred cheese of life? It is preposterous. If this old ninny-woman, Fate, cannot do better than this, she should be deprived of the management of men's fortunes. She is an old hen who knows not her intention. If she has decided to drown me, why did she not do it in the beginning and save me all this trouble? The whole affair is absurd.... But no, she cannot mean to drown me. She dare not drown me. She cannot drown me. Not after all this work." the correspondent begins to question God, distrust God and blame God. He compares Fate to a "old ninny-woman”, from intangible to tangible. Through this metaphor, we can feel the stronger desire of being helped. They desperately long for help from someone, especially who masters their fate. But again and again, fate gives
them a cold shoulder. When he loses confidence in God, he becomes frantic “But no, she cannot mean to drown me. She dare not drown me. She cannot drown me".
When the correspondent finds it useless to blame God for its misfortunes, musing"When it occurs to a man that nature does not regard him as important, and that she feels she would not maim the universe by disposing of him, he at first wishes to throw bricks at the temple, and he hates deeply that there are no bricks and no temples.” Here we can see that the correspondent starts to contemplate humans’ existence and its position in the universe. Man is so tiny in the universe that he is only something which almost means nothing to the whole world.
From hopeful to hopeless, from optimistic to pessimistic, the correspondent gives nature a new judgmen t–"the serenity of nature amid the struggles of the individual—nature in the wind, and nature in the vision of men. She did not seem cruel to him, or beneficent, or treacherous, or wise. But she was indifferent, flatly indifferent”. He finally realizes the true feature of nature--"She did not seem cruel to him, or beneficent, or treacherous, or wise. But she was indifferent, flatly indifferent". Nature isn't hostile or ambivalent, but indifferent without feeling. So although Billie is very strong and industrious, he is doomed to die under nature' rule. “Survival of the fittest" is
nature's way of developing. Though it is cruel and inhumane, we have to face it bravely like the four men.
Nature is indifferent since the very beginning of time, like flood, drought and earthquake .There is no winner in the war between man and nature. Nature's indifference can deprive lives of people, but people's spirit can make them transcend nature. Although nature is the master of people, we can also be the master of ourselves, like Billie, even at the cost of death.