The story's tone is bleak and reflective. The story begins by emphasizing the characters’ lack of knowledge and the smallness of their boat. This description sets up the men as underdogs who have little hope. Throughout the story, the sea is characterized as empty, and thoughts of death are pervasive. The men fear drowning and in vain plead with the universe to give them mercy.
Even though the cook, as the one optimist in the boat, is hopeful of survival, the story constantly shows his hope to be misguided. The cook states that they will reach a house of refuge or life-saving station and be rescued, but when the men arrive where the life-saving station supposedly is, it seems deserted. Thus, the cook’s optimism falls through.
The story also uses names sparingly to make the tone seem bleaker. All the men are referred to by their professions. This choice seems impersonal, as if the narrator is reducing the men to their uses instead of regarding them as fully-rounded characters. The only one given a name, and thus humanity, is The Oiler (Billie), who ends up dying. His having a name, and thus being marked with more importance, makes his death seem all the more unjust to the reader.
Even though there are moments of tenderness in the story, that tenderness is contrasted with the indifference of the world. The world seems to become more uncaring in contrast to the sweet brotherhood that exists between the men inside the boat. In other words, the gentleness serves to make the tone darker by contrast.
