In Stephen Crane's naturalist story, the repetition of the term "sacred cheese" invokes the idea of unable to see the good in a situation attempting to find the good in a bad event running wearily in a circle or on a wheel seeming powerless and caught in a trap. This idea is in keeping with the theme of the story that humans are

In Stephen Crane's naturalist story, 'The Open Boat' the repetition of the term "sacred cheese" invokes the idea of seeming powerless and caught in a trap.

Sacred Cheese refers to the food that a hungry man sees and something or other prevents it to have that food. Similarly when the narrator's ship is destroyed, upon seeing the land in front of him he is in despair that he cannot reach that land. Therefore, there is something preventing them to save themselves from death.