What are some examples of Naturalism in Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat"?
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The prevailing ideas in Naturalism include a belief that human beings are natural creatures and, thus, are subject to the same laws of nature that all creatures are—there is nothing special about us, from nature's perspective. Further, there is no divine being looking out for us, protecting us, or answering our prayers. Finally, the only real hope we have of being looked out for or protected is in our relationships with one another. Nature doesn't care about us, and God will not intercede for us, but we can find some comfort in our relationships with each other.
We see the lack of concern or care that nature has for us when the men are in the dinghy. The ocean does what the ocean does, regardless of the men's presence. The narrator says, "These waves were most wrongfully and barbarously abrupt and tall, and each froth-top was a problem in small boat navigation." The tiny boat is bounced all over the place by the relentless waves, jostling the men inside, and the waves are as "jagged"...
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