"English Sem" is a two-semester course for 1 high school credit and an opportunity for six college credits open to seniors.
First semester covers readings from exploration and colonial days to the Civil War. Second semester encompasses authors from the Civil War to the present. Students are required to do college-level writing and literary interpretation throughout the year.
"When it came night, the white waves paced to and fro in the moonlight, and the wind brought the sound of the great sea's voice to the men on shore, and they felt that they could then be interpreters" (358). The men that have experienced the apathy of nature and have experienced the struggle of survival and they are now able to understand the way of the sea and that of nature.
"A singular disadvantage of the sea lies in the fact that after successfully surmounting one wave you discover that there is another behind it just as inmportant and just as nervously anxious to do something effective in the way of the swamping boats" (342). This passage could be similar to life, in that the stuggles and obstacles are always coming. There is no end to the hardships of life that can make one wish to lack enthusiasm. Nature sure through them for a loop. The crew on the open boat did go though the unending waves and made them realize the value of life.
On page 355 there is a explanation of what the morning light looked like, "The morning appeared finally, in its splendor, with a sky of pure blue, and the sunlight flamed on the tips of the waves." This shows evidence that those who experienced the apathy of nature can truly understand it because the men have been in nature for while now on this very small boat. Before this the men were on a larger ship and never truly experienced anything like this. The morning experience that they had gave them a new hope that they might get off the small boat. They truly understand that nature can control how you feel. They were hopeless at night because they couldn't see anything, but now that they have light and can see they have a newly found hope.
To add on to your example the author began the story with, "None of them knew the color of the sky." (pg 341) This adds to your example proving that because they were subject to nature saw how pure the blues were in the sky, they finally able to understand it.
"Now, however, [the poem] quaintly came to him as a human, living thing. It was no longer merely a picture of a few throes in the breast of a poet, meanwhile drinking tea and warming his feet at the grate; it was an actuality-stern, mournful, and fine" (354). The correspondent is finally able visualize the poem (pg 353) about the soldier of the Legion dying in Algiers. Now that the correspondent has experienced death up-close, he feels more sorrow towards the poem.
In the beginning of the story it says "None of them knew the color of the sky" (341). No one could appreciate the color, things were grey and white usually. As the story went on a little they used more vivid colors like emerald green, pink, and gold to name a few. They used these colors to show the color reflecting off of the water after they have been on the life boat for a while and when they get onto the land.
Gray is an apathetic, impartial color. Maybe Crane uses it so frequently to connect to the idea that "nature simply is" and does not intentionally sway in a particular direction to help or harm humans.
At the beginning of the story they were just four guys on a little boat. Toward the end they got closer and closer. In addition, they, together, began to see the beauty of nature. There were more and more colors and vivid descriptions as the story went on. In order to truly appreciate nature, you have to be void of all of it for a while. Being out at sea, there are no colors; simply the sea. When they finally see land again they realize how many colors there are and how great it is to see different things.
"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 hates deeply the fact that there are no bricks and no temples. Any visible expression of nature would surely be pelleted with his jeers. Then, if there be no tangible thing to hoot he feels, perhaps, the desire to confront a personification and indulge in pleas, bowed to one knee, and with hands supplicant, saying "Yes, but I love myself" (353) Those who have faced the heartless truth about nature, knowing that it can dispose of a person at any time without little side effect, and still can bow to one knee to respect it have a true understanding of nature.
At first, the men have no interest in the natural part of their situation: "...the whole thing would doubtlessly have been picturesque. But the men in the boat had no time to see it..."(342/343) Later on, when land was nearing towards the end, the men seemed very calm and collected when they were at the breaking point of life and death. "There were no hurried words, no pallor, no plain agitation. The men simply looked at the shore." (356) This directly shows how the comfort level of the men with the sea and how they have experienced the worst so at this moment they had nothing to fear that they haven't been fearing already.
"When it came night, the white waves paced to and fro in the moonlight, and the wind brought the sound of the great sea's voice to the men on shore, and they felt that they could then be interpreters" (358). The men that have experienced the apathy of nature and have experienced the struggle of survival and they are now able to understand the way of the sea and that of nature.
ReplyDelete"A singular disadvantage of the sea lies in the fact that after successfully surmounting one wave you discover that there is another behind it just as inmportant and just as nervously anxious to do something effective in the way of the swamping boats" (342). This passage could be similar to life, in that the stuggles and obstacles are always coming. There is no end to the hardships of life that can make one wish to lack enthusiasm. Nature sure through them for a loop. The crew on the open boat did go though the unending waves and made them realize the value of life.
ReplyDeleteOn page 355 there is a explanation of what the morning light looked like, "The morning appeared finally, in its splendor, with a sky of pure blue, and the sunlight flamed on the tips of the waves." This shows evidence that those who experienced the apathy of nature can truly understand it because the men have been in nature for while now on this very small boat. Before this the men were on a larger ship and never truly experienced anything like this. The morning experience that they had gave them a new hope that they might get off the small boat. They truly understand that nature can control how you feel. They were hopeless at night because they couldn't see anything, but now that they have light and can see they have a newly found hope.
ReplyDeleteTo add on to your example the author began the story with, "None of them knew the color of the sky." (pg 341) This adds to your example proving that because they were subject to nature saw how pure the blues were in the sky, they finally able to understand it.
Delete"Now, however, [the poem] quaintly came to him as a human, living thing. It was no longer merely a picture of a few throes in the breast of a poet, meanwhile drinking tea and warming his feet at the grate; it was an actuality-stern, mournful, and fine" (354). The correspondent is finally able visualize the poem (pg 353) about the soldier of the Legion dying in Algiers. Now that the correspondent has experienced death up-close, he feels more sorrow towards the poem.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the story it says "None of them knew the color of the sky" (341). No one could appreciate the color, things were grey and white usually. As the story went on a little they used more vivid colors like emerald green, pink, and gold to name a few. They used these colors to show the color reflecting off of the water after they have been on the life boat for a while and when they get onto the land.
ReplyDeleteYes, at the beginning of the story and through most of it, grey is the predominating color.
ReplyDeleteGray is an apathetic, impartial color. Maybe Crane uses it so frequently to connect to the idea that "nature simply is" and does not intentionally sway in a particular direction to help or harm humans.
DeleteAt the beginning of the story they were just four guys on a little boat. Toward the end they got closer and closer. In addition, they, together, began to see the beauty of nature. There were more and more colors and vivid descriptions as the story went on. In order to truly appreciate nature, you have to be void of all of it for a while. Being out at sea, there are no colors; simply the sea. When they finally see land again they realize how many colors there are and how great it is to see different things.
ReplyDelete"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 hates deeply the fact that there are no bricks and no temples. Any visible expression of nature would surely be pelleted with his jeers. Then, if there be no tangible thing to hoot he feels, perhaps, the desire to confront a personification and indulge in pleas, bowed to one knee, and with hands supplicant, saying "Yes, but I love myself" (353) Those who have faced the heartless truth about nature, knowing that it can dispose of a person at any time without little side effect, and still can bow to one knee to respect it have a true understanding of nature.
ReplyDeleteAt first, the men have no interest in the natural part of their situation: "...the whole thing would doubtlessly have been picturesque. But the men in the boat had no time to see it..."(342/343) Later on, when land was nearing towards the end, the men seemed very calm and collected when they were at the breaking point of life and death. "There were no hurried words, no pallor, no plain agitation. The men simply looked at the shore." (356) This directly shows how the comfort level of the men with the sea and how they have experienced the worst so at this moment they had nothing to fear that they haven't been fearing already.
ReplyDelete