The Men in the Storm: A Stephen Crane Story

The Men in the Storm

The Men in the Storm is a warm story by Stephen Crane relating to the struggles of homeless men against the cold, the elements, and hunger, while trying to keep a certain level of human dignity and optimism. Crane is best known for three short stories, The Open Boat, thought by many to be the best short story ever written, The Blue Hotel, and The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky. The Men in the Storm follows the storms and forces of nature Crane uses so well as in The Blue Hotel and The Open Boat. This story deserves to be right up there with the top three. As Simply says, this is not an NFL Power ranking, or a compare and contrast assignment. This is your opportunity to enjoy many of Crane's other illuminating and moving works.

The men are wandering during the day and now must seek rest for the night. They line up, pushing and shoving, to get into the magical place for warmth and comfort. A policeman joins them and rather gently keeps the peace while the men wait to be let in when the door opens for the night. When it finally opens, the men push and shove until, at the last moment, they are about to enter and each one regains a dignity, moment of self-worth, and happiness. Another remarkable Stephen Crane ending.