Oiler Character Analysis in The Open Boat

The oiler (that is, someone who oils machinery in a ship’s engine room) is a quiet, tired man named Billie who rides on the lifeboat with his fellow survivors: the captain, the correspondent, and the cook. Throughout the story, the oiler takes turns rowing with the correspondent and speaks very little, save for echoing the captain’s instructions or making the occasional short comment. He is the most exhausted of the four men, having worked a double shift of challenging physical labor in the ship’s engine room just before the Commodore sank. Despite his fatigue, he is strong, empathetic, and always willing to relieve the correspondent from his rowing shift. In the end, the oiler is the only one who drowns. He is found face-down in shallow waters by the life-saving man. The oiler is also the only character with a name, further differentiating him from the others.

Oiler Quotes in The Open Boat

The The Open Boat quotes below are all either spoken by Oiler or refer to Oiler. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

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. But 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 iron-bound degree than may be common.

Related Characters: Oiler, Cook, Captain, Correspondent

Explanation and Analysis:

In this passage, the narrator is discussing the emotional bond that has formed between the four men on the lifeboat. Although the narrator is third-person limited—and thus only has insight into the correspondent’s inner life—the narrator somehow knows that all of the men feel connected to one another even though no one vocalizes it. This may suggest that the narrative style momentarily shifts from third-person limited to simply third-person omniscient, briefly giving the narrator insight into all of the men’s thoughts and feelings. However, it is likely that the narrator is instead giving into one of the same tendencies that Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat.

If I am going to be drowned—if I am going to be drowned—if I am going to be drowned, why, in the name of the seven mad gods who rule the sea, was I allowed to come thus far and contemplate sand and trees? Was I brought here merely to have my nose dragged away as I way about to nibble the sacred cheese of life?

Related Characters: Correspondent, Captain, Cook, Oiler

Related Literary Devices:

Explanation and Analysis:

The narrator is recounting the thrice-repeated exclamation that the men say, regarding their disbelief and being allowed to come so close to shore only to potentially drown. The passage is rich with religious language and references. The men call upon the “seven mad gods who rule the sea,” which feels like a nod toward Greek or Roman mythology. Despite having a devout Methodist father, Stephen Crane rejected religion, so it makes sense that the men call up “seven mad gods” rather than a monotheistic God. The idea that the gods are “mad” also points to Crane’s difficulty with religion. While Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit

If this old ninny-woman, Fate, cannot do better than this, she should be deprived of the management of men’s fortunes. She is an old hen who knows not her intention. If she has decided to drown me, why did she not do it at the beginning and save me all this trouble? The whole affair is absurd… But no, she cannot mean to drown me. She dare not drown me. She cannot drown me. Not after all this work.

Related Characters: Captain, Cook, Oiler, Correspondent

Related Literary Devices:

Explanation and Analysis:

The narrator is explaining what the four men in the lifeboat feel about fate—that fate may as well be an elderly, out-of-touch woman who haphazardly decides the outcomes of mortals’ lives. One of the primary tenets of American naturalism is determinism—the belief that humans have no control over their fate. This is similar to the concept of predestination in Christian theology, particularly Calvinism, which argues that each person’s outcome (that is, whether they are destined for heaven or hell) is decided upon by God ahead of time. Given his own antireligious worldview, Crane keeps the idea of predestination but makes Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et

For it was certainly an abominable injustice to drown a man who had worked so hard, so hard. The man felt it would be a crime most unnatural. Other people had drowned at sea since galleys swarmed with painted sails, but still—

Related Characters: Captain, Cook, Oiler, Correspondent

Related Literary Devices:

Explanation and Analysis:

In this passage, the narrator explains the way the four men on the lifeboat feel that it is unjust for the universe to allow them to drown after they’ve worked so hard and can now see the shore. This passage shows the way that the men still try to use logic against the forces of fate and the universe by assuming that their hard work and suffering should earn their survival. The men try to project their own ideas about justice upon nature and fate, accusing the universe of planning to commit “a crime most unnatural” and “an abominable injustice.” Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessita

When it occurs to a man that nature does not regard him as important…he at first wishes to throw bricks at the temple, and he hates deeply the fact that there are no bricks and no temples. Any visible expression of nature would surely be pelleted with his jeers.

Related Characters: Captain, Oiler, Correspondent, Cook

Explanation and Analysis:

Here, the narrator explains how a man feels once he comes to terms with nature’s indifference to him. On the surface, the passage affirms that humans are entirely insignificant to nature—one of the foundational ideas of American naturalism and an important idea throughout the course of “The Open Boat.” The narrator asserts that humans are so insignificant in nature’s eyes, that even humankind’s most pointed criticism and sharpest anger toward nature is meaningless. Plus, humans have no real way to express their frustrations to anger, since there is no “visible expression of nature” like a “temple” for humans to throw Dolorem et

Afterward he saw his companions in the sea. The oiler was ahead in the race. He was swimming strongly and rapidly.

Related Characters: Oiler, Correspondent

Explanation and Analysis:

Here, the narrator is explaining what the correspondent sees once he comes up for air after jumping off the lifeboat. This moment clearly separates the oiler from the rest of the “companions.” The oiler is spatially separated, as his strong swimming has put him “ahead” of the others. However, implied in the passage is the sense that the oiler’s swimming ahead of the other men means that he is splintering off from the group and thus severing their brotherhood, since survival is suddenly a “race” and no longer a team effort. The oiler, Billie, is also the only named character Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque o

Oiler Character Timeline in The Open Boat

The timeline below shows where the character Oiler appears in The Open Boat. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Suffering, Survival, Empathy, and Community Theme Icon

...is the cook, who is in charge of bailing water out of the lifeboat. The oiler (that is, a person who oils machinery in a ship’s engine room) steers the boat... (full context)

The captain tells Billie, the oiler, to keep the lifeboat headed south. The lifeboat is compared to a “bucking bronco” for... (full context)

...refuge” doesn’t have a crew, just emergency supplies. As the cook and correspondent argue, the oiler says it doesn’t matter, considering that they aren’t even there yet. The cook says maybe... (full context)

...an on-shore wind, stating that without it, the men wouldn’t have chance. The correspondent and oiler agree, but the captain laughs and says with “humor, contempt, and tragedy,” “Do you think... (full context)

The oiler, the cook, and the correspondent feel optimistic but don’t voice it, because they feel that... (full context)

...captain can’t wave it away for fear of capsizing the boat in the process. The oiler tells the bird that it looks like it was carved crudely by hand, and all... (full context)

The oiler and the correspondent continue taking turns rowing. Switching places on the tiny lifeboat without capsizing... (full context)

...men’s progress toward shore. The lighthouse in the distance appears larger and larger, and the oiler turns his head frequently to look at it. Land finally comes into view, though it... (full context)

...boat speed through the water. The small lifeboat struggles over the “impetuous” waves as the oiler or the correspondent take the oars again. (full context)

...excitement. The narrator notes that “for these reasons, and for others” the correspondent and the oiler dislike their task of rowing. The correspondent thinks it’s absurd that people row boats for... (full context)

The captain reminds the correspondent and the oiler to preserve their strength in case they are forced to swim. The captain sees a... (full context)

The waves near shore are too powerful for the boat, so the oiler rows back to deeper waters. The waves make a “preparatory and long growl” as one... (full context)

The narrator repeats the rowing pattern: “the oiler rowed, and then the correspondent rowed. Then the oiler rowed.” All the men’s backs ache,... (full context)

...shore because “he seemed so damned cheerful.” Meanwhile, the narrator repeats the rowing pattern: “the oiler rowed, and then the correspondent rowed, and then the oiler rowed.” A single star appears... (full context)

...“subdued growl of a crest,” the night is quiet. Half-awake, the cook sleepily asks the oiler what his favorite flavor of pie is. (full context)

The oiler and the correspondent chastise the cook for tempting them with the thought of food, while... (full context)

The correspondent looks at the oiler and the cook huddled together in the bottom of the boat as they sleep, and... (full context)

...the correspondent admits that he wishes he knew the captain had been awake, too. The oiler takes over the rowing, and the correspondent immediately falls asleep—only to be woken up, seemingly... (full context)

Later that evening, the captain instructs the oiler and the correspondent to sleep while the cook watches over the boat. He tells the... (full context)

...much as shows him a picture of oars. Soon after, he switches again with the oiler. (full context)

...the violent waves, filling with water faster than the cook can bail it out. The oiler prepares the men to jump at the next wave. The correspondent grabs a lifebelt from... (full context)

...the water, while the captain holds onto the overturned boat with his uninjured hand. The oiler is “ahead in the race,” quickly and powerfully swimming to shore. (full context)

...points, and the correspondent tells him, “Go.” In the shallow water of the shore, the oiler is face down, as waves periodically crash over his body and then retreat. (full context)

...people bearing blankets, coffee, clothing, “and all the remedies sacred to their minds.” For the oiler, whose body is carried onto dry land, the shore offers nothing more than “the sinister... (full context)

Oiler Character Analysis

Oiler Quotes in The Open Boat

Part III Quotes

Part IV Quotes

Part VI Quotes

Part VII Quotes

Oiler Character Timeline in The Open Boat