Themes: Irony of Survival
Man’s struggles in the face of this elemental indifference are often marked by a grim irony. The oiler, the strongest of the group, drowns, but the sea leaves unclaimed the wounded captain and the cowardly cook.
Expert Q&A
How did you react when the correspondent survives but the oiler doesn't in "The Open Boat"?
A) When I realized that the oiler did not survive, I was very surprised, because he seemed to be the strongest of all the men. When I realized that he was dead, it did not take long for me to realize why. The oiler had rowed for a significant amount of time and had expended all his strength, so when the storm came up, he was unable to pull himself into the boat. He died a hero's death.
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