John Milton once stated "The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make a heaven of hell, or a hell of heaven". John Milton is asserting that the mind can take view points and illusions and create a different world of perception. The stories "The Open Boat" and "Silent Snow, Secret Snow" use characterization and point of view to illustrate the accuracy of Milton's quote.

In the story "The Open Boat" by Stephen Crane, characters stranded at sea are introduced as tired, weary men who want nothing more but to see land. At one point in the story the men believe that they see land and people on the island waving back to them. No man is completely sure of what he sees but the men allow their minds to create images. One character believes he sees a life saving boat while another character sees a...