The fact that none of the men knew the color of the sky shows just how bleak, how confusing and how terrifying conditions on the open boat are. Their entire world has become reduced to the gray of the ocean and the whiteness of the foamy waves, with nothing in between.
Their monochromatic world is indicative of their state of mind, which is one of extreme stress. Having been forced into the open boat by the sinking of their ship, the captain has been injured. He, of course, would have had far more knowledge of seafaring than his companions, who were a cook, an oiler and a correspondent. However, thanks to the captain's injuries, it is up to the other three to do the rowing through the endless waves.
The monotony described in this first paragraph could, as the men well knew, be broken by a storm at any time....
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
The fear that they would have felt as "the line between the water and sky narrowed and widened" is made palpable by this detailed description of the colors they can see.
The use of the color gray in this first paragraph is a powerful indicator of the hopelessness that the men would have been feeling. Of all the colors on the spectrum, it is commonly felt that grey is the most morose and bleak. In the context of this first paragraph, it can be argued that gray is the color of despair.
As the very first line of the story tells us, none of the men know the color of the sky. That's because their eyes are fixed upon the waves. The men are in trouble, drifting idly on the ocean without any immediate hope of rescue. The seas are choppy, and the men know that at any moment they could be hit by a crashing wave generated by a violent storm.
The color gray is significant here as it reflects the men's grave situation. The outlook for the men is very bleak, to say the least, with little sign of hope or expectation for survival. During their ordeal, the men have come to know the color of the sea very well. That's because their eyes are fixated upon the ocean, wary as they are of the slightest rise in the waves.
This means, in symbolic terms, that they are obsessed with lower things, with the desperate fight for survival. They aren't looking upwards, either literally or figuratively, as they have no realistic hope of survival. And so they don't know the color of the sky. Under the circumstances, this no longer matters, as the men are too preoccupied with the existential question of their own mortality.
The first paragraph of the story goes a long way toward setting the mood for the text. There is something sad about the statement that none of the men "knew the color of the sky." It is as if there is nothing more in the world than what one can see before oneself, no chance of a higher power or redemption, second chances, or even purpose. The waves are the color of "slate," a dark and oppressive gray; this color feels impenetrable and heavy, like the stone for which it is named. Further, the narrator says that
The horizon narrowed and widened, and dipped and rose, and at all times its edge was jagged with waves that seemed thrust up in points like rocks.
This description of the horizon changing uncontrollably and unpredictably contributes to the idea that life is both uncontrollable and unpredictable. Further, the negative connotation of a word like "jagged" and the description of the water that looks like pointed and dangerous rocks, adds to the unknowability of a world where water can seem like sharp stone. The mood is heavy and menacing, as though there is always some danger awaiting on the horizon, a horizon that is ever-changing.
How is the first paragraph of "The Open Boat" important to the entire story?
The Open Boat’s first paragraph is relevant to the rest of the story because of its foreboding imagery. In four short sentences, Crane introduces an ominous setting for the story and places uncertainty over his character’s fates.
None of them knew the color of the sky. Their eyes glanced level and were fastened upon the waves that swept towards them.
It is immediately clear that the titular boat’s occupants are in a perilous situation, and they know it. So fixated are they on the waves crashing toward them that they remain oblivious even to the color of the sky.
The horizon narrowed and widened, and dipped, and rose, and at all times its edge was jagged with waves that seemed thrust up in points like rocks.
The boat these sailors find themselves trapped in is rocking so violently up and down that the horizon is constantly coming in and out of focus when it is visible. Adding to the harrowing scene are the threatening waves that remind the boat's occupants of the obstacles all around them. The final quote is how the first paragraph concludes and hints at how the rest of the story will play out.