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The Open Boat Compare And Contrast Essay

863 Words4 Pages

In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth in his sovereignty [2]. Mother Nature was a part of this creation and continues to afflict man with its unpredictability and inconsistency to this day. Humans can control many things on Earth, yet cannot control Mother Nature nor their lifespan. Combining these two variables, the stories of “The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane and “Jonah” in the Bible inspired by God emerge. In this essay I argue that when man is confronted by Mother Nature, the only way man can find stability in an otherwise unstable phenomena is by submitting to God. In “The Open Boat” the narrator tells the story of four men that are struggling with a storm in the middle of the sea. Later, they expect to survive by arriving on an island that comes into view. To their surprise, the land was empty and there was no one to help them so they re- boarded …show more content…

The imagery of these stories makes us feel the fear of facing a phenomena in nature. It seems like fiction, but is based on actual and factual experiences. The Bible was written by man, but directed by the Holy Spirit. “The Open Boat” is considered fiction, but is based on a true life experience when Stephen Crane traveling from the United States to Cuba in 1896. In other words, both these stories are based on actual men that realized the sovereignty of God and called out to Him in their affliction. The difference in their responses from God reflected the attitude in which they called out to him. Jonas submitted himself while Stephen fell slightly short of blatantly demanding God’s intervention. Demanding and submitting are obviously two very different approached. Thus, as I have said earlier when man is confronted by Mother Nature, the only way that man can find stability in an otherwise unstable environment is by submitting to God and recognizing his

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