Fellowship and brotherhood, hugely imbedded in the story, definitely foreshadow what is to transpire in the end. Only the oiler goes at this journey alone because he is secure in his own strength. He is the strongest swimmer, which is terribly ironic, he charges toward land full speed, and he drowns. Each of the other three has “grasped tightly to his person, a part of the boat, a relic of their fellowship." The captain calls to the correspondent by name, asking him to rejoin the group: "Come to the boat! Come to the boat!" As he rejoins the group, trusting not himself but his fellows, the correspondent receives help from the sea and is flung toward the shore. The other three make it to shore, even the captain who was injured and the cook who comically paddled to shore with a life ring around him. It is evident that the men all need each other, both mentally and physically. Without one another, it would be inevitable that each one of the characters would not have been able to survive. “It would be difficult to describe the subtle brotherhood of men that was here established on the seas. No one said that it was so. No one mentioned it. However, it dwelt in the boat, and each man felt it warm him.” They were a captain, an oiler, a cook, and a correspondent, and they were friends, friends in a more curiously bound degree than may be common if they were off the boat. The correspondent, upon seeing the shark, did not wish to be alone. He wished “one of his companions to awaken by chance and keep him company with it.” It seems that this goes on throughout the entire story; each of the men feeling afraid and lonely through it all and then having that feeling of comfort through each other’s company.

After fleshing out this short story, we find many themes that scream out at us. These themes were presented by Stephen Crane to be very apparent, so that no one could miss the lessons and morals. The biggest battle that these men had was their very obvious battle with nature, and coming to terms with nature’s indifference. Also there was a battle raging within each one of these men that could have brought

Some topics in this essay:
Stephen Crane, quickly realize, stephen crane, pg 1704, short story, human spirit, drowned drowned,