The Open Boat

The oiler (also known as Billie) dying at the end of the story is an example of situational irony. His character is physically strong, so when all the men have to swim to the shore lest they drown, he is far ahead of the others. The reader would naturally expect for the most physically fit and most hardworking character to survive. He is even the only one to have a name, which is a symbol of humanity. The name may be taken as a sign of importance, a mark that suggests the named character is less likely to die and more likely to succeed than the unnamed characters. 

Crane uses dramatic irony to demonstrate the randomness of fate and the occasional irrationality of optimism. At first, the men rejoice when they see a lighthouse in the distance, for they believe that it contains people capable of saving them. They even celebrate by sharing cigars. However, their rescue is not as expedient as they hoped it would be. The men do not see any signs of life at the lighthouse, nor does any ship come out to help them. 

The four men make bitter comments about the lighthouse residents' eyesight, not realizing the real kicker—that the lighthouse is empty:

It is fair to say here that there was not a lifesaving station within twenty miles in either direction; but the men did not know this fact, and in consequence they made dark and opprobrious remarks concerning the eyesight of the nation’s lifesavers. Four scowling men sat in the dinghy and surpassed records in the invention of epithets.

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