Stephen Crane – Thoughts on the Katrina Tragedy

If Stephen Crane were alive today, I think he would have a lot to say about Hurricane Katrina and the resulting devastation and tragedy. Crane worked as a journalist so it would be natural that he would take an interest in the major news stories of the day, but he would be very interested in the Katrina story because of his interest in stories involving man versus nature. In our lifetime, this is certainly one of the most compelling stories of the power of nature and man’s struggles against its overwhelming force. I think Crane would write about the folly of the government leaders who thought that they could protect a city located below sea level and in a heavy hurricane prone area. He would see this as an example of men thinking they can tame nature. As he implied in “The Open Boat”, nature can be fought but cannot be tamed. He also might blame the victims for their poor decision to stay in harm’s way when everyone was calling for evacuation. I also sure that he would express some sympathy for those who could not leave and had to rely on the government to provide for their protection. The government’s pathetic response would have drawn his criticism as well. When the sailors in “The Open Boat” expressed their anger at the people on shore who appeared not to come to their aid, Crane was expressing his belief that people have an obligation to provide help even if the victim has behaved recklessly. I think Crane would have joined the people who criticized the government officials who did not live up to their responsibilities.  Because Crane also wrote in a realistic manner, I’m sure his stories about Katrina would contain very graphic descriptions of what happened. As he did in “The Red Badge of Courage”, he would not be afraid to describe the situation in very harsh way. He would want his readers to understand how awful the conditions in New Orleans were. If he interviewed any of the victims, he would be sure to use their dialect and make the reader feel they were right there in the middle of the story. Finally, he would also express his doubts about those who prayed for the victims. He did not believe that God would provide the needed aid but that man must rely upon himself to get through the tough times. I think he would conclude that people should be angry with themselves for their poor choices, for tempting nature and for their lack of help for the victims of Katrina.