Based on the contextual information provided about author Stephen Crane and the last sentence of the excerpt from his short story "The Open Boat," the likely theme reflected is:
Nature is indifferent to humans.
Explanation:
1. In the last sentence of the excerpt from "The Open Boat," the author describes nature as "dull of the tender emotions of the hearth." This implies that nature is devoid of human-like emotions and does not consider or care about the struggles and experiences of humans.
2. This depiction of nature as indifferent to humans aligns with the theme of nature's indifference, which is a common theme in Stephen Crane's works.
3. The other options provided in the question, such as "Nature is cruel to the unfortunate," "Only the strongest survive," "Only the smartest survive," and "Only the lucky survive," do not directly resonate with the idea of nature's indifference portrayed in the excerpt.
Therefore, based on the information given and the tone of the excerpt, the most fitting theme reflected is that "Nature is indifferent to humans."
