Thursday, June 9, 2011
BLOG #1--The Old Man and the Sea, due July 14th by midnight
Often in literature, a character struggles against powerful forces or obstacles that have a significant effect on that character. In The Old Man and the Sea, identify a character who struggled against powerful forces and obstacles. Explain what these forces and obstacles were and how they affected the character. (Remember, that forces can be internal as well as external.)
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The Old Man and the Sea
ReplyDeleteJenn Nichols
One of the greatest forces that the main character in the story The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago, faced was a great marlin which he had a very hard time bringing in to kill. When he first caught it he was just excited to have a very big fish on the other end of the line because he hadn’t caught a fish in eighty-five days and it was huge. Then the fish started pulling his little boat though bringing him out to sea.
Santiago was not afraid though because he knew the sea and he wanted that fish. He didn’t try and pull him back for several reasons. One was that the marlin was so big, and he was pulling so hard, that the line was very tight and would have broken if he had tried pulling him in. The second reason was that every time the hook was pulled on it would get looser each time.
The great fish kept pulling him farther and farther out to sea. After several days of being dragged behind the fish Santiago felt like he had a great respect of the marlin. He didn’t feel worthy to kill him. Santiago knew that the only reason he was going to be able to kill the fish was because he was smarter than it.
Finally when the fish did start circling around the boat and he was able to kill it he felt sadness that such a great and beautiful creature had been killed, but he was glad that he had won such a battle against such a marvelous creature. Santiago had gotten to the point though, during the battle that he didn’t really care if it was him or the fish that died. He had that much respect for it. This was the greatest fish he had caught and he did it all by himself in his old age. It was a great accomplishment.
After Santiago had killed the marlin he strapped it to the side of the boat because it was so big it wouldn’t fit inside. The fish was bleeding from being stabbed when it was killed. This left a trail of blood behind them the whole way home. Sharks picked up the scent of the blood and followed them. They were the second great obstacle that the old man had to face in this story.
The sharks usually came in pairs and one would be eating some of the fish while the old man fought off or killed the other. He lost his spear and knife fighting the first few sharks off. After he lost his weapons he couldn’t fend off the sharks well. At that point they had eaten a good share of the marlin anyway. So he gave up fighting them because he couldn’t and there was no point. The great fish was gone.
Santiago was very upset about the sharks destroying the marlin because he had spent several days trying to get that beautiful fish which he had so much respect for and now the sharks just took it away like it was nothing. When the old man got back home and was taking to the boy he said “They beat me, Manolin. They truly beat me.”
I feel like one way this story can apply to in real life is that sometimes you work really hard for something that is just out of your reach, then you get it and it is taken away again.
Sometimes you can try and try to get something but it just out of reach because of certain situations you are in. This can happen in businesses; you try and try but don’t get that higher position, then if you do get it someone else sometimes takes that position you worked so hard for.
It also happens a lot in situations where someone was brought up in poverty. They do their best to get out of the ditch but they can never quite seem to get there. When they feel like they’re getting close to getting out they slip back in and loose what they had again. It all depends on what situations you are put into and how you handle them. You can win, or loose, or you can with then have what you won taken away from you.
The Old Man And The Sea
ReplyDeleteThere were several intense obstacles in The Old Man And The Sea that the main character, Santiago, had to face. There was one that I consider to be a big deal, but the author never really touched upon. It was the fact that Santiago thought of himself as unlucky. Some people might not believe in luck. They think that the only way to get what you want in this world is with hard work. But thinking of it from a fisherman’s point of view, luck would be a big part of your job. You work hard by getting up early and making sure your lines aren’t tangled. After that, fate sets in. Where are all the fish that day? Will they bite? Will the waves be rough?
Being unlucky wore Santiago down. He hadn’t caught a fish in eighty-five days. That’s why Manolin’s father wouldn’t let him fish with the old man anymore. He knew that because Santiago was unlucky, his son wouldn’t catch any fish. Poor Santiago was glad that the boy moved on and found success, but inside he was disappointed that he left him.
Being unlucky made Santiago a hard worker. Whenever he headed to his fishing boat he always knew that he had to work a lot harder than all of the other fishermen because they had luck on their side and he didn’t. In my personal opinion, being hardworking is a better quality than being lucky.
The other powerful force that Santiago struggled against was the giant fish that he eventually caught. He had a hard time bringing it into his boat because the fish was huge. He didn’t want to reel in the line because when he pulled too hard on the hook, the line would loosen.
In order for Santiago to kill the fish, he’d have to wait for it to get close enough to the boat and then he would stab it with his harpoon. Days passed and the marlin just dragged the old man’s boat deeper and deeper into the sea. After several days of making sure the fish didn’t get away, Santiago finally got a break. The marlin eventually got tired and started circling the old man’s boat until Santiago got a chance to stab and kill him. The old man felt bad for killing such a great creature. He put up a fight. He had a lot of respect for the fish.
The Old Man And The Sea (continued)..
ReplyDeleteEven though the marlin made Santiago fight for his life, it was worth it because the old man learned how to persevere. He never gave up even when time’s got tough. The old man never thought about quitting. He knew that if he gave up he would lose what could be possibly the greatest catch he’s ever had. He even stayed positive when his left hand cramped up. He kept battling for his life and the fish’s death.
The fish also taught Santiago how wonderful sea creatures are and how they too will never give up. The old man had great respect for the fish. He even felt bad for it’s death.
I think that by killing the fish, Santiago also gained a lot of respect and value for himself. He found that even at an old age he could still defeat the fish all by himself without the boy’s help.
The last obstacle that the old man has is when the sharks swarm. The old man ties the fish to the side of the boat because it’s so big. Santiago paddles extra hard because the fish weighs the boat down. The marlin is still bleeding from the wound the old man inflicted upon it. It’s copper scent flows in the water. The sharks can smell it. Santiago does his best to fight off the beasts. But before he can kill the sharks they each take a huge bite out of his marlin leaving behind practically nothing for Santiago.
This is a tough situation for Santiago. But the sharks taught Santiago that you can’t always win. Sometimes bad things happen and there is nothing that you can do about it. You just need to keep your head high and know that even though things didn’t turn out exactly how you wanted them to, you did your best and the experience itself was a success.
Santiago’s fishing trip was a journey that he’ll carry everywhere with him as a memory. He may not have the giant marlin to sell and eat, but he knows that he had the ability to catch it. He knows how strong he is even at such an old age. That has to be a confidence builder for his self-esteem and his luck.
The Old Man and The Sea
ReplyDeleteErik Taylor
I chose to discuss the struggles of the main character, Santiago. Throughout this novel, Santiago struggles with the forces of nature and himself. The most obvious struggle in this book is Santiago’s physical battle against the giant marlin. Santiago, a fisherman who is quite advanced in age, had an unlucky streak of fishing. He hadn’t caught a fish in 84 days. On the 85th day he hooked an extremely large marlin, larger than any he had ever caught before. Santiago knew that he would have to tire the fish out before he could kill it, so he let the fish carry the boat along as it swam. The giant marlin carried Santiago and the boat for three days. During this time, Santiago also had to deal with keeping himself strong and awake. He caught tuna and dolphin to eat, and slowly drank from a bottle of water. On the morning of the third day the marlin was fully tired and began to circle Santiago’s skiff. By this point, the old man was in such a state of exhaustion that he was close to death. Santiago tried several times to turn the fish, which was eighteen feet long, even longer than the skiff. With his eyes hazing over and his body on the point of collapse, Santiago flipped the marlin with huge effort, and drove a harpoon into its heart. He had finally won the battle against the great marlin.
Defeating the marlin was not the last struggle that the old man had to face. He fought against sharks the whole way home, losing his harpoon and knife along with other equipment, and all the flesh of the marlin. When he finally returned home, the marlin was worthless in terms of money. Even though Santiago would not get paid for his struggle, the experience was priceless for him. It showed him that even thought he was an old man with little luck, he could still fight his own battles and win.
Santiago’s life seems to be one large struggle also. As a fisherman, Santiago loves what he does, even if he does not prosper much from it. He is constantly struggling with poverty and hunger. The old man worked and worked to receive very little. He kept his hope strong though, and showed that perseverance and will power can prove victorious in all struggles.
Emily Taylor
ReplyDeleteThe Old Man and the Sea
July 10, 2011
The main character, Santiago, struggles throughout the story. He goes through physical and emotional battles with himself and with the great fish. His poor lifestyle effects how rewarding or unrewarding his fishing is, and how he is viewed by others. He cannot afford to buy the best fishing equipment, therefore, he does not catch much, if any, fish.
Santiago is a poor old man who lives by himself in a shack made of leaves. He has no indoor plumbing, only owns one pair of clothes, and only eats when the boy brings him food. The little money he does have, is borrowed from others and is spent on fishing supplies. His sail was patched with flour sacks and although effective, did not do as well as others.
Santiago had an unlucky fishing streak. He went eighty-four days without catching a single fish. On the eighty-fifth day the old man set out to sea with high hopes that it was a lucky day and that he would catch a great fish. After catching a small albacore and using it as bait, Santiago hooked a large marlin, bigger than any other fish he had ever caught. He knew that this big of a fish would not give in so easily, and that he would have to tire it out before it could be caught. The fish brought the old man far out to sea. It carried Santiago and his boat for two days and two nights. During the time he was being pulled, the old man struggled to stay physically and emotionally strong. He knew that the battle was soon to come. He ate tuna and dolphin, and drank from a bottle of water to replenish himself when needed. On the third day, the marlin began to tire and started jumping out of the water, which weakened it. The old man knew that soon the fish would start circling and the true work would then begin.
The marlin circled for a while. After an hour the old man began to see black spots in his eyes. He was not worried about the spots, but he had already begun to feel faint and dizzy twice, and this he feared. Santiago battled with the urge of wanting to rest, he knew if he stopped now the fish could regain strength. Santiago tried desperately to turn the fish. By this time the old man had nearly exhausted himself to death. His eyesight was blurry, and he felt faint and sick. It took all Santiago had to flip the fish with one last burst of strength, and he drove the harpoon into the marlin, striking its heart. At last, Santiago had defeated the great fish.
This was not the last of the old man’s battles. It was only an hour before the first shark hit him. Santiago defeated the shark, but not until it had taken a chunk out of the fish, and he knew that this was not the last shark to come. He battled five sharks before he could see the lights of the city, losing his harpoon and knife in the process. A pack of sharks came just before he reached home and all he had to defend them off with was a club, and the tiller. The sharks ate every last bit of good meat on the fish, and Santiago knew he was beaten now. He could do nothing more to save the great marlin.
Even though, Santiago knew he would not get a reward for the battle he went through, it showed him that his hard work could pay off. I think that this battle with the great marlin was symbolizing Santiago’s entire life. It was a symbol of how he had worked so hard and received very little for his efforts and did not expect anything in return. It showed how throughout everything he went through he still had hope and faith and that no matter what obstacles were thrown at him, he would make it through them.
There were many obstacles in The Old Man And The Sea that Santiago, the main character, had to deal with. Most of the obstacles he faced were external but there was one major obstacle that was internal. When reading this book I felt that Santiago thought little of himself. Multiple times in the story he referred to himself as unlucky. Even the young boy wasn’t allowed to fish with him because his parents thought that too. I usually don’t believe in luck but when I put myself in Santiago’s position I couldn’t stop myself from thinking the same thing. You can’t control the weather, or know where the fish are or even force them to bite.
ReplyDeleteThe second obstacle he faced was the huge fish he caught after 85 days of no luck. Only a good fisherman could succeed in killing the huge marlin. If he pulled the line too tight it would break, but if he didn’t pull it enough the fish could get away. He battled the marlin for days until the great fish started to show signs of becoming weak. It started to circle the boat. When this happened it allowed Santiago to club the fish until it died. I was so happy when I read this because I felt bad for the old man. Being a fisherman and not catching anything for 85 days must have been tough. I thought his struggles were over by this part of the book but as I read on I learned otherwise.
The huge marlin was too big to put on the boat. Instead Santiago tied him to the side and decided to tow it back to shore. It would be a long journey back to shore because the marlin had managed to drag the boat even further out to sea. Santiago was happy he killed the fish but he didn’t become cocky because he knew that the fight was far from over. The wounded fish left a trail of blood in the water and the old man knew sharks would be attacking soon. Over the next two days he fought off or killed many sharks, but as each shark came it seemed a piece of the marlin disappeared. By the time he got back to the shore only the skeleton of the huge fish remained. After all the hard work he put into this fish it was gone in the blink of an eye. I felt so bad for the old man and so did the young boy. When he found out Santiago was back he immediately went to take care of him. I learned from reading this book that life doesn’t always go as planned and when the unexpected happens you need to be prepared and try your best to get through it.
The Old Man and the Sea
ReplyDeleteIn the book, The Old Man and the Sea, the main character, Santiago, hooks a fish on one of his lines. The fish ends up taking him way out at sea. Santiago’s journey with the fish is basically one big obstacle for him. For 84 days Santiago had trouble catching fish. So much trouble that the young boy he is sailing with is told by his parents that he must fish with a different boat and people. Now the old man is sailing alone.
When Santiago is sailing he doesn't take any food, all he takes is a bottle of water. When he hooks the big fish, he ends up being out at sea for days with only one bottle of water. He has to keep his strength up in order to actually catch the giant fish. It's hard, but he manages to catch some tuna one day and a dolphin the next. Another difficulty of keeping his strength up is sleep. He manages to get a little sleep, but not much.
When the third day came, he could tell the fish was beginning to get tired. He saw the fish jumping out of the water and he knew the fish would start circling soon. When it does, the old man had started to see spots and he had become dizzy and felt faint. When the fish was close enough, Santiago used all of the energy he had left and he managed to kill the fish by piercing it's heart with his harpoon.
Unfortunately, Santiago's troubles were not over. It wasn't long after Santiago started to travel back to the island that the first shark had come after the big fish. He fought the shark off, but it took a big chunk of the fish with him. On his way back more sharks attacked him and he ended up losing his knife and his harpoon.
Eventually he made it back to the island, but he had lost the rest of the meat on the fish on the way.
Before Santiago caught the big fish, he hadn't caught a fish in 84 days. Santiago was an old man, but he had been a fisherman for most of his life and he simply thought of himself as unlucky. I do believe in luck, but I also believe in coincidence. Maybe if he had left ten minutes earlier or even later one day he might have caught fish. That's all I think was what was wrong with his situation. It was just coincidence.
In the book The Old Man and The Sea different characters faced different types of challenges. The main character Santiago was a fisherman that faced many struggles. He believes he was born to fish. He was in a battle with the economy trying to make a living as a fisherman. Santiago is a poor old man that hasn’t caught a fish in 84 days. He used to fish with a boy but because Santiago was so unlucky the boy’s parents put him onto a different boat that had more luck. The old man journeyed out by himself and encountered his biggest struggle. His main struggle of the book was a battle between Santiago and a very large marlin. The fish is about 1500 pounds and the old man has no chance in overpowering him. After fighting this large marlin for a few days Santiago gains a large amount of respect for the fish. The fish has not panicked and is just trying to tire out the old man the same that the old man is trying to do to him. In order to kill this fish Santiago will have to use his intelligence rather than his strength. As the days go on the old man gets pulled further out to see but he always stays calm. The old man faces many struggles, the physical battle with the fish being just one. I respect this old man tremendously. He knows that he can’t win unless he outsmarts the marlin. Knowing that the odds are against him he still doesn’t let up he always stays focused and ends up defeating the marlin. The old man is physically lame and he just sets sail for home, as he is sailing home he has a hard time staying awake. Santiago struggles against his senses, against nausea and against passing out. When the sharks come he still puts up a fight, being resourceful he kills them off for a while losing a piece of the marlin each time the sharks attack. Santiago wishes that he had never hooked the marlin. It was not worth it and with the sharks circling his life is now in danger. When he finally gets to shore there is nothing left to the fish except bones. The old man is still poor and struggling against the economy. I think his biggest problem in fishing is his lack of confidence due to the fact that he had not caught a fish in such a long time. I feel as if the big fish raised Santiago’s confidence and made him a better man. Santiago showed true perseverance throughout his experience with the marlin.
ReplyDeleteIn the story, The Old Man and the Sea, the main character Santiago has many obstacles and forces that he must overcome throughout the story. These obstacles start when he has fished for eighty-four days straight and has not caught one fish. On the eighty-fifth day Santiago, the old man, hooks a marlin. Santiago knows that this fish is one of the biggest fish ever and that he must catch it. Santiago is an experienced fisherman and knows that he must gain the respect of the fish and to do so he must tire the fish out. He claims that when bringing in a large fish you must tire them out first before pulling them in. When Santiago did not have any lime or salt to put on the fish that he had caught to eat, he said that next time he would make sure he had a lot of supplies. Many times throughout the story Santiago mentions that he wished that the boy were there to do things that he could not do. He also said that he wished that the boy was there to see him bring in such a big fish. This was a mental and social error for him, as he did not think before he left about what he should bring.
ReplyDeleteThe fish was so large that it pulled the skiff, so Santiago held the line in his hands and the line stretched out across his shoulder and back. Whenever the fish started to jump, it pulled tight on the line and cut into Santiago’s hands. This was the first time he faced a physical struggle. Later on he was still letting the marlin pull him through the ocean and his left hand began to cramp. At this point in the book he realized that pulling in the fish wouldn’t be very easy on his body and started to struggle physically. Days and nights went by and on the third day he was having a hard time to stay awake and eat. He caught dolphin and tuna to eat while he held on to the other line with the large marlin.
Santiago then realized that the marlin was starting to circle the skiff and he knew that to kill the marlin he must flip the marlin upside down and then stab it with the harpoon. He struggled to flip the marlin because by this time he is exhausted and his eyes are almost shut. He then managed to flip the marlin, pick up the harpoon, and drive it deep into the marlins heart. A mental struggle happened here when he said time after time he needed to keep his mind clear, but he started to deteriorate. When he was on his way back to Havana he encountered sharks that where following the blood trail of the great fish. The sharks were too fast for the old man to kill off before the next one came and took another bite out of the great marlin. He was physically exhausted, needed sleep, and was very hungry and he could not fight the sharks off anymore. The sharks ate the fish to the b0ne. His last struggle was when he was carrying the mast and sail back to his shack. He had to stop more than 5 times to sit and take a break before reaching his shack because he was exhausted. The old man, Santiago, had to overcome many struggles that he faced while pulling in the great fish, which was the biggest event that he struggled the most with.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe character Santiago had many struggles that effected him all throughout the book.Though most of the struggles that he went through were physical struggles, he had some emotional struggles too.
ReplyDeleteThe old man, Santiago, was very poor. His lack of money effected his fishing because he did not have enough money to buy supplies or even food to keep himself strong and healthy.He had to rely on the boy to provide him with food. He had an eighty-four day streak of not catching any fish. This had to be a struggle because it effects your confidence and makes you question your luck. The streak also prevented the boy from fishing with him because his parents believed that he was unlucky. The boy was a lot of help to the old man since he was much younger he was stronger so it was sad for both of them when he wasn’t allowed to go with the old man anymore.
When he went out to sea on the eighty-fifth day he hooked a very big fish., which was a marlin. He battled with the big fish for three days straight. because it was so big that he could not pull it in without breaking the line. During those three days he had to fish for his food since he did not bring any on the boat with him. He had to deal with one of his hands cramping up so much that he could not even move it for a while. On the third day he had to flip the big fish that was even larger that the skiff and then he had to stab it with the harpoon. Also during the time he was being pulled by the fish he had gained a lot of respect for the fish and thought of the fish as a brother. That made it harder for him to kill the fish.
Although he had won the battle with the fish he still had a lot more obstacles to overcome on the way home. Many sharks attacked the marlin that was attached to the side of the skiff. He had to fight off the sharks with close to no weapons, which made it even harder. It was hard for him to stay awake the whole way home since he had not slept well in a few days.
By the time he got back to shore the fish had been completely destroyed and all that was left was the skeleton. I think that losing the entire fish must have been one of the biggest struggles for Santiago to overcome because after all of his hard work he didn’t get much in return.
The character in the story that experienced the most difficulties and obstacles would be the old man. Not only did he venture in to the sea by himself, but after catching the largest fish he had ever encountered, the old man successfully reeled in, and killed the great fish. While attempting to capture the fish the old man was cut and battered. He fought through this however and overcame the pain. When Santiago finally killed the fish it was too large to fit in the skiff and he had to tie the creature on one side of the boat. Because the old man harpooned the fish the sharks could easily smell the blood and sought out the source. The old man was faced with several sharks that he killed as well. The old man did as much as he could to keep the sharks off of the fish but there were too many and he was too weak. In the end the old man made it to the port but the sharks had eaten most of the fish. The old man prevailed through weariness and made it to his house for a long needed sleep. The old man showed all of the other fisherman and the boy that he had it in him to catch one great fish before he was through. The old man overcame his weaknesses and all other’s doubts, and I believe that is what he set out to do.
ReplyDeleteThe Old Man and the Sea
ReplyDeleteRandi Duguay
Unlucky, courageous, hopeful, smart, daring, low self-esteem, and strong. Are all words that you can use to describe Santiago, the main character in The Old Man and the Sea. He was the character that I thought struggled the most through out this novel.
I would say Santiago is unlucky since he has gone eighty-four days without catching a fish. He doesn’t have a lot of money, which means he doesn’t have the best equipment to catch fish. That might be a reason why he is unlucky. I would also say that his lucky changes through out this novel. He went eighty-four days with out catching a fish but on the eighty-fifth day he caught the biggest fish of his life.
Courageous is the next word I used to describe him. Santiago went out in the ocean with very little supplies, and the supplies that he did have were not in good shape. He went out there at his age by himself. Then knowing that the fish was huge, he still did not give up.
Hopeful, Santiago was very hopeful as he set out into the sea that he would catch a fish. Once he was caught the fish he was hopeful that he would be able to bring it back to shore. It was very important that Santiago never lost his hope. If he did he wouldn’t have had anything left.
You could use smart in different ways when describing him. He was smart when knowing what to do and when to do it while being in the ocean. He was smart with knowing when to eat and when to save his food and water. He knew how to kill the fish and sharks, he knew how to protect himself. But Santiago wasn’t just smart about fishing and survival knowledge. He also knew a lot about baseball.
Santiago was very daring. To go out fishing with the supplies that he had and letting the sigh pull him out to sea. Not having much food or water, he still continued on and never gave up. Then once catching the fish and killing it on the way back in he fought of many sharks.
He had very low self- esteem, he thought down on him self a lot. Also he would think that he wasn’t good enough to do things. He was always hoping that he had better things, if he would have done things differently. He never really had confidence in himself.
You can use strong in two different ways, he was physically and mentally strong. He was physically strong by being able to hold the line, being able to defend himself from all the sharks and fish that he killed. He wasn’t always physically strong, when he hadn’t eat very much he felt weak, his hand cramped up, and he felt very dizzy. Then going through all the physical pain with all the cuts in his arms and back. He was mentally strong by being able to go eighty-four days with out catching a fish but still believing that he can catch one. Also being in the middle of the sea by himself and he didn’t go crazy. He talked to himself some but that was because he was lonely. Then also when getting back to shore and all the meat had be bitten off by the sharks he didn’t become extremely mad. He was upset but was able to handle his emotions.
Santiago set out to sea in hopes of catching a fish. He did catch one that was huge. He had to wait for the fish to start circling in order to be able to kill it. Once it started circling he knew he had a lot more problems coming. He had to kill many sharks, while he was exhausted. After killing all the sharks he made it back into shore. He ended up falling asleep almost immediately.
Having many other difficult situations that he had to overcome like breaking his knife, going with little food and water, the stress on his body, loneliness, not being able to sleep well. Santiago learned a lot from this and it also changed his attitude towards fishing. He now knows that he can catch the fish. He also now has a lot of respect towards the fish. Santiago also knows that anything he puts his mind to he can accomplish it.
The Old Man
ReplyDeleteAnd The Sea
Scottie Hall
In the book The Old Man and The Sea the main character Santiago had many struggles. Santiago was a very unlucky man, he had gone without a fish for eighty-four days. The Old Man used to fish with a boy but since he was unlucky the boy's parents moved him to another boat that tended to have more luck. The boy was very unhappy when he parents moved him, because he loved the Old Man no matter how unlucky he was. THe Old Man always thought that he was a great fisherman and that he was born to do so. Many people in the town thought otherwise due to his streak of not catching a fish. Not catching a fish wasn't his only struggle though. The Old Man was very poor and couldn't afford to buy good supplies for fishing. He lived in an old shack without a mattress just the box spring. At night he would spread newspaper over the springs to make it more comfortable. The Old Man relied on the boy to get him food and coffee every morning.
On the eighty-fifth day Santiago set out to break his streak. Santiago was going to row way out so he could catch the big one. When he got way out he saw some flying fish and a dolphin. At this point the old man was very excited.Then the old man got put into a patch of poisinous weeds and he was very upset. THen he saw the bird start to circle again and he hollored with excitement. Then he caught a ten pound Albacore and used it as bait to catch the big one. Then his line dippped down so he pulled on it and felt nothing then the weight came. It was 100 fathoms down a marlin was eating at the sardines. The Old Man got excited and started to yell to the marlin to eat the sardines and get hooked. Then he hooked him and the fish started to carry him. THis was a big struggle because the fish just went on and on and the Old Man had all he could do to just hold on. On the third day at sea the Old Man finally got the fish to circle. The fish circled for awhile then he finally got close enough to harpoon him. The Old Man got a clean shot and killed the big fish.
Now his next struggle was to get the fish tied up to stay next to the boat so he could go home. After a few hours he got the fish tied up like he wanted it to. THen came his next problem, the sharks. When the first shark came the Old Man used his harpoon to kill him but he still got a good junk of the fish. All that day sharks came to the smell of the fish a they took chunk after chunk. When Santiago finally got home it was dark and the big fish was mangled due to the sharks. The Old Man grabbed the mast and his other supplies and walked up the road to go home. The next morning he saw the fish and all that was left was the tail and the head. Santiago was very upset but he knew whatever he put his mind to he could do. He struggled a lot but he showed much strength by not giving up on the fish. Nexst time he goes out he knows he should be more prepared and to bring the boy with him.
The Old Man And The Sea
ReplyDeleteAdam Gettle
In The Old Man And The Sea, by Ernest Hemingway, I’ve identified Santiago, the main character as one who struggled against powerful forces and obstacles that had a significant effect on him. Santiago faces many challenges that which I believe reflect and evolve from three major obstacles and powerful forces.
The first obstacle is the old age of Santiago which simply brings along the fact that he must work harder to overcome his old age. This obstacle brings about the forces of pain as well as the old man facing the feelings of sickness too. The one thing that has hurt Santiago all his life was the early sun. He said that it is painful in the morning but feels more force of it in the evening, yet at one point he could look straight into it without seeing blackness. Next, he faces a gash above the eye, a cut on his right hand and then a cramped hand. The gash above his eye was not much but the cut on one hand and the cramp in the other made his fishing work much harder. One time the old man made a statement that “it is better to be light-headed than to lose your strength from nausea.” In response to this he was indecisive in whether to eat some dolphin or not, and coming to an agreement with himself, saved the dolphin for an emergency and ate the other flying fish instead, for nourishment.
The next obstacle is the more obvious struggle that Santiago faced which is the battle with the huge marlin. Santiago’s focus and strength came at the time of his fight with the marlin when he was constantly watching the actions of the fish but also his line in the water. Most of the time the old man would hold the line steady on his shoulders or back. At one point the old man began to pull the line in steadily and gently where he used both his hands in a swinging motion and tried to do the pulling as much as he could with his body and his legs. His old legs and shoulders pivoted with the swinging of the pulling.
Continued....
ReplyDeleteI believe that this is a mental battle because after reading of all the detailed and very descriptive things that Santiago did, from preparing the bait, to fighting the large marlin, I thought to myself that he must have thought through every detail and was very smart. Yet he knew that he had to be positive, stay focused and not rush anything because one bad decision and he would lose his prize marlin.
However, the old man had to try hard to keep a positive self-talk to block out the force of discouragement between his confused mind and the frustration with the marlin. To keep this from happening, at one point, the old man had said to himself, “Clear up, head” and then once again “Clear up.”
The second part of this physical battle and fight with the marlin is successfully bringing back to shore his prize marlin. Unfortunately, Santiago was unable to bring back his marlin in one piece because as the force of nature goes and the order of the food chain other beasts of the ocean must eat too. On Santiago’s journey back to the shore he fought off more than six sharks, plus another pack of fish another night, which by then he knew the fight was useless considering his strength left and the limited supplies he had for any option to use something as a weapon. By the time the old man had reached the shore there was nothing left of the eighteen-foot marlin but the carcass.
The last major obstacle Santiago had to overcome is absence of the boy during his quest for the big fish and fight with the marlin. The boy had fished with the old man for the first forty-days but because the old man and the boy had caught not one fish those forty days, the boy's parents losing hope and patience told him that the old man was salao. This meant the worst form of unlucky. So the boy obeying his parents left the old man, for a successful crew. Repeatedly throughout Santiago’s fishing trip he kept wishing the boy was there to help him.
I believe this is a book of determination, self-confidence and a captivating book of continual life struggles, that some we may be able to control and others which may be beyond our own understanding.
I believe that Santiago is the character that works through the most struggle and adversity. He is what most consider to be too old and past his prime, yet there is a certain aura around him that demands respect. He has had great success fishing but hasnt caught anything recently. He is long overdue for one last big score so to speak.
ReplyDeleteWe learn in the beginning of the book that the old man has gone eighty-four days without catching a single fish. It is on the eighty-fifth day that he hooks the marlin. It is by far the biggest fish he has ever seen and he bound and determined to catch it. As soon as he hooks the marlin, he realizes what a strong and magnificent fish the marlin is. He gains a great respect for the marlin.
Once he hooks the marlin, what I consider to be the greatest struggle of the novel begins. Santiago must bring in the massive fish he has hooked. He tries to pull in some line but the fish counters him and swims out farther, dragging the old man with him. The old man soon realizes that this fish is too strong and smart and that he cannot just be dragged in. Thus the stalemate begins.
The fish is a powerful animal and Santiago knows this. I think that this is why Santiago begins his effort to tire out the fish. To me this is a perfect example of how wise and knowledgable Santiago is. He knows that the fish is too strong for him to bring in so he relies on his patience and it pays off.
On the third day, Santiago's persistence and patience pays off hand he brings in the marlin and hooks it along side the boat. Then beginsd the second major hurdle thar Santiago must face. He must navigate back home whilst still protecting the fish. This task proves itself almost immpossible. On the voyage home the old man confronts multiple sharks each trying to get a free meal. Santiago's harpoon proves its worth but he loses it protecting his ever valuable fish. Then comes some improvisation when he lashes his knife to an oar, arming himself again. His efforts seem futile though as more sharks come and mutilate his fish further.
Once home, Santiago drags in his boat and heads straight to his shack. Here he sleeps until he is awoken by the boy Mandolin. By this time word of the marlin has spread throughout the village. Santiago did it, he caught the big fish he was due for.
This story ends in a peculiar way. Normally when a character struggles, he is relieved afterward. This is not so in Santiago's case. He catches the fish only to have it destroyed. I find this unusual.
The Old Man and the Sea
ReplyDeleteJenn Nichols
One of the greatest forces that the main character in the story The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago, faced was a great marlin which he had a very hard time bringing in to kill. He was excited because he hadn’t caught a fish in eighty-five days. Then the fish started to pull him out to sea.
Santiago was not afraid though because he knew the sea and he wanted that fish. He didn’t try and pull him back for several reasons. One was that the marlin was so big, and he was pulling so hard, that the line was very tight and would have broken if he had tried pulling him in. The second reason was that every time the hook was pulled on it would get looser each time.
The great fish kept pulling him farther and farther out to sea. After several days of being dragged behind the fish Santiago felt like he had a great respect of the marlin. He didn’t feel worthy to kill him. Santiago knew that the only reason he was going to be able to kill the fish was because he was smarter than it.
Finally when the fish did start circling around the boat and he was able to kill it he felt sadness that such a great and beautiful creature had been killed, but he was glad that he had won such a battle against such a marvelous creature. This was the greatest fish he had caught and he did it all by himself in his old age. It was a great accomplishment.
After Santiago had killed the marlin he strapped it to the side of the boat because it was so big it wouldn’t fit inside. When he did this his second struggle began. The fish was bleeding from being stabbed when it was killed. This left a trail of blood behind them the whole way home. Sharks picked up the scent of the blood and followed them.
He lost his spear and knife fighting the first few sharks off. After he lost his weapons he couldn’t fend off the sharks well. At that point they had eaten a good share of the marlin anyway. So he gave up fighting them because he couldn’t and there was no point. The great fish was gone.
Santiago was very upset about the sharks destroying the marlin because he had spent several days trying to get that beautiful fish which he had so much respect for and now the sharks just took it away like it was nothing. When the old man got back home and was taking to the boy he said “They beat me, Manolin. They truly beat me.”
Throughout the whole book Santiago’s life was a kind of struggle in and of itself. He was very poor because he was a fisherman who hadn’t been catching fish in almost three months. He was looked down upon by others because of this. He lived in a tiny house with almost no food to eat. His only enjoyments were fishing, the boy Manolin, and reading the newspaper to keep track of what was going on that baseball season.
After all of this Santiago still stayed true to what he loved. He had never given up on that fish and he loved the boy. He didn’t let him being looked down upon discourage him. This story shows you can win, or loose, or you can with then have what you won taken away from you. But don’t give up on what you have.
The Old Man and The Sea
ReplyDeletePaige Butterfield
After reading this book I believe that the old man, Santiago, is the character who faces powerful forces and obstacles. In his youth years he was very lucky, especially when it came to the one thing that he loved the most. Fishing. At his side he had a boy who adored him dearly. Manolin, the boy, fished with the old man for his own family. Life was good and the fish was plentiful. Then, Santiago hit the end of the road. His luck seemed to run out. He wasn't catching any fish. Soon the other fisherman began to feel sorry for him. The boy was forced to fish with a different boat that was more lucky. Santiago became poor and old, but his passion and drive for fishing never faded. He went out everyday to fish and came back every night with nothing. Yet, he still fished. He went through, what some people might call a dramatic change in his life. However, that is not how Santiago chose to see it. He went without fish for eighty-four days and on the eighty-fifth day, he was lucky. He caught his one huge fish that he had been waiting for and the fish unexpectedly took him for the ride of his life.
Santiago battled the biggest marlin he had ever seen. The marlin was big enough to drag his boat out to sea and that's exactly what it did. Even though Santiago was being pulled out into the vast blue ocean and even though he lost sight of the land, he was never afraid at all. Of course, he had no choice but to let the marlin have its way. If Santiago put any strain on the line, he was afraid that it would break or that the marlin would dive deeper and the old man would be in for it. He was pulled for days without much to eat and no sleep. The whole time he was being pulled farther out to sea he wished that the Manolin was with him so that he would have someone to talk to and to help him hold the line. After some time, he started to feel sorry for the giant marlin. Then the day came when the fish circled the Santiago's boat and was his. Being unable to fit the fish the boat, he had to improvise and tie it to the side so it floated in the water.
Santiago's trip home was no pick-nick either. He battled a sore body, tiredness and sharks. He fought and fought the sharks with what weapons and what strength he had left. Unfortunately, when he finally reached home his prize was lost. He faced many difficult challenges and obstacles in the trip that the marlin took him on. He dealt with loneliness, pain, new discoveries, and the sometimes unwanted creatures of the ocean. What I found interesting was when Santiago got home all he wanted to do was rest, read about baseball and have the boy by his side. He no longer cared about his destroyed prize, that he had been waiting so long for.
The character I chose to talk about in this novel is Santiago. Santiago is the main character of the book and goes through many physical and mental challenges throughout the novel. Some of the challenges he faced he accomplished the task by simply being persistent and would just absolutely not give up. For example, Santiago’s biggest struggle was when he decided to go on his 85th day of fishing. The other 84 days he spent fishing were complete failures, he had not caught a single fish during any of those 84 days. Although his luck changed for the better on the 85th day when he hooked a large marlin. When the fish jumped from the water he knew it was the largest fish he had ever hooked. Being the wise fisherman he is, Santiago battled with the fish, although the fish was stronger and had an advantage on Santiago’s old age. I had a feeling Santiago knew deep inside that he could not win this battle, but it was courage and faith that helped him through the challenge. Although Santiago’s bad luck streak returned when hordes of sharks attacked his Marlin eventually reducing it to a meatless skeletal corpse. Making all his efforts for nothing. This brings me to the next challenge Santiago faced. Can you imagine being on a boat for three whole days fighting a huge marlin that is towing your boat around the ocean while you have a cut hand, and barely anything to eat but raw fish that you have to catch. Honestly, I don’t think I would be able to do that. But Santiago is a mentally stable wise man that can. Imagine the physiological effects of being isolated with no one to talk to, and you are in a constant struggle the whole time. Santiago eventually resorts to having conversations with birds that land on his boat. The other way he keeps his head on his shoulders is by talking about baseball and reminiscing on memories of him and Manolin. I would look up to Santiago if he were a real person, because of the fact that he would not give up on himself no matter how dim the situation seemed. He represents courage and faith, and those are the most important traits people need to succeed. And although Santiago didn’t, In the eyes of the reader, he did.
ReplyDeleteTara Williams
ReplyDeleteThe Old Man and the Sea
In the book, The Old Man and the Sea, the main character, Santiago, goes through several obstacles of difficulty throughout the story. One of which drove me crazy while reading was that he was claimed by himself and others to be unlucky. Santiago never stopped though. The knowledge that he was unlucky was always sitting there, but he still pushed on. Every morning he would get ready and head out to see what the sea held in its hands. In this book it shows that if you keep going at it, someday you will get what you were waiting for.
Another belief about the unlucky factor is that it caused him to lose his fishing partner, Manolin. Manolin is the young boy that helps Santiago keep some faith in the story through thought. Manolin was not allowed to fish with the old man since he hadn’t caught a single fish in eighty-five days. The boys father forced him to move to a luckier boat. Even though the Old Man was struggling, the boy still loved him and wanted to fish on his boat. The old man loved the boy too, but knew that fishing with another boat would bring Manolin more luck.
One day Santiago was out on a good current, but there was a very powerful force that had the old man struggling. That force was being brought on by the giant marlin that he hooked. He may have the fish on his line, but it wasn’t that easy. The trick to this whole thing was that he couldn’t simply pull on the line for it could break letting the catch get away. The only way he would have the chance to kill it would be to let it get close enough to harpoon. To get close enough to do so would depend on the great fish.
Santiago is so respectful of everything including the fish. He admired the fish for bringing on such a tough fight. Days upon days passed and through hunger and pain he still kept on with so much heart. He knew that if he gave up on what could have been the greatest catch of his life he would always kick himself for it. He also had thoughts of the boy and wanting him to be proud with all he went through.
Being drawn deeper and deeper into the sea he was so tired and it was clear he wasn’t the only one. The fish began to swim in circles around the boat. As the Marlin circled, Santiago was able to bring the line in more and more with every revolution. When the fish was close enough Santiago stabbed him with the harpoon. Santiago was proud of himself, yet he felt sorry for killing such a magnificent creature. The fish had taught him so much in such little time. Santiago would often times refer to the fish as his brother knowing that fish too will fight on as much as humans will.
ReplyDeleteWhen Santiago began his travel back home he knew the fight wasn’t over. The last obstacle was drawn from the blood of the Marlin. The old man knew it was no time for rest. The fish was tied close enough to the boat to hit off some of the unwanted visitors, sharks. They were coming in groups. The old man was already paddling so hard because of the weight from the fish, but now he has to stop to fight. They all swam by ripping off pieces of the fish one by one. The old man killed them, but it hardly mattered anymore. Almost all of the fish was taken leaving mostly bone for the old man.
The old man was disappointed, but knew that it was a lesson well learned. You can work so hard for something, but don’t forget that it can easily be taken from you. You just can’t go down without a fight. Also, even if things don’t turn out the way you planned, be thankful for all that you learned from the experience. Knowing this the old man continued home to rest. When the boat and what was left of the fish were dragged up on the beach everyone was in awe. The boy found out the old man was back and what had happened and he started to cry. He immediately went to Santiago’s shack and waited for him to awaken.
Santiago had made it though. He went through so much and now all he has is a story. A story he shared with the young boy he cares for so much. He can forever hold this with him and share all he learned about the sea on his trip with the boy. In the end it isn’t about the fish anymore, it’s about who you have there for you when you return with or without it.
The Old Man and The Sea, is a novel that shows passion, determination and a strong-willed mind set. Throughout the story, there were many difficult obstacles faced in Santiago’s life. After eighty-four unlucky days on the sea, Santiago held his ground with adamant eyes. The first forty days were spent with a boy named Manolin. Although, the days fished with the boy were short-lived. The parents of the boy disapproved of Santiago spending time with their son, and decided to move him to another boat to fish on. Manolin loved the old man, he didn’t care about the bad luck stricken upon him.
ReplyDeleteApart from bad luck, Santiago was simply getting much to elder to fish like his younger years. The old age brought feelings of sickness and pain, restraining from putting his best effort into the things he loves most. His low amount of money also caused difficulty when purchasing supplies and food to keep himself healthy. For the days spent with the boy, he began to rely on the boy to contribute food. Santiago is also very poor. He owns little-to-no clothes and lives in a hut consisting of leaves and branches. The scarce amount of money he does own, was borrowed and spent on fishing supplies. His adult responsibilities were not thought of while out at sea. The old man only put thought towards the sea. Despite everything the old man and the boy went through together, they set out on the eighty-fifth day and got lucky. He caught the big fish that he has always wanted to catch, it was the fish that kept hope alive.
Santiago fought the big marlin that was the talk of the town. The marlin fish dragged his boat out to the middle of the sea. Fear never laid a hand on the old man. He wasn’t frightened by the huge fish and the fact that land seemed to disappear right in front of them. For days, the old man was carried by this huge marlin fish. From time to time the old man pondered whether or not he should let the fish have it’s way or keep getting pulled in the deep, blue sea. He only wished for Manolin to be on this strange ride with him. Finally the fish circled the boat and let the old man take him back to shore. The only negative factor to having this huge marlin, was that the fish didn’t fit into the boat. The old man improvised and tied the marlin to the side of the boat. While hooking the fish, the old man pulls in some of the line and the fish turns his back on the old man, dragging the old man in with him. This marlin fish was tough and smart, Santiago thinks of leaving the fish and carrying on home. He fights the urge to set the fish free, and continues back home. On the journey home, multiple sharks try to have a feast upon his marlin fish. As he reaches home, he drags the boat and heads straight into his hut. The difficult night ends and he rest for the night. The next morning, the old man is waken to Manolin talking of the journey with the marlin.
Part 1- Autumn Keller:
ReplyDeleteIn the classic, The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway, the main character in particular struggled against forces and obstacles that change him. This main character is an old man in every way but his sea blue, cheerful eyes. His name is Santiago. Santiago, a determined fisherman, goes through many struggles and obstacles, such as, being lonely, struggling to catch a large fish, and suffering a ‘broken heart’ for the fishes’ end.
Santiago is a very lonely man. Although he tries to stay strong, as he tells himself not to think, he is lonely. I feel that Santiago had wanted to tell Manolin to stay with him on his skiff. Manolin is a young boy who was mentored by Santiago, and had been with him since the age of five. Manolin was no longer allowed to stay with Santiago on his skiff, because he was unable to make money, for Santiago hadn’t hooked a fish in eighty-four days. Manolin had been with the old man for forty of those days. I feel the old man is lonely because of the numerous times he told the sea about the young boy. Although the book mentioned he was not upset by the young boy’s decision to leave, he wanted the boy to fish with him again. I also believe Santiago must be going mad from loneliness with talking to himself. But mind you, he used to fish in big boats with many men. And even thought of the times he defeated ‘the black man’ of a three day arm wrestle in his youth. And with his deceased wife, he must rely on the boy, but his pride tells him he is strong enough. He is unwilling to let the loneliness be an obstacle.
Part 2- Autumn Keller:
ReplyDeleteThe old man struggles to catch the fish. Although this is not just any fish, Santiago calls the great fish his brother. It had been eighty-four days and the old man set sail with hope anyway. He claimed that the eighty-fifth day would be good luck. Once far into the sea, an enormous sixteen-foot long marlin took the old man’s line. The battle between the purple and silver marlin, and the old man lasted four days. Although his eyes still saw very well for a man of his age, he was old, and had claimed he wasn’t as strong as he once was. For Santiago’s age is a key part to Hemingway’s novel, it was what made the battle against the fish such a struggle. Also the old man faced the obstacles of hunger and thirst. He has not intended to be gone so long, so he had little food and water. Because of his age Santiago was very fatigued at the time of the marlin’s killing. “You are killing me, fish, the old man thought. But you have a right to. Never have I seen a greater, or more beautiful, or a calmer or more noble thing than you, brother. Come on and kill me. I do not care who kills who.”
By the end of this novel Santiago suffers what I call a ‘broken heart’ for the great marlin. Once the marlin is dead, and is tied to Santiago’s skiff, Santiago begin’s the hardest part of his journey. The old man begins to suffer attack from sharks. They come from the scent of blood of the large marlin. They tear away the meat of the great fish, and Santiago summons as much strength as he can to fight them off. But as the sharks begin to outnumber, him he says to himself, “‘But man is not made for defeat,’ he said. ‘A man can be destroyed, but not defeated.’” His hope falters as more than half of the marlin is gone, feed on by the sharks. In the end the old man was defeated by the shark. The old man was broken hearted, he told the boy, “... In the night I spat something strange and felt something in my chest was broken.” He blamed himself, because he “went to far out.” He was sorry for the fish.
In conclusion, The Old Man and the Sea, is an amazing book that has taught me a few things. Such as patience, and true pride. Santiago has taught me a few life lessons, like he believed he was born to fish, and I believe I was born to pursue writing as a career. In the type of society we live in today many people would have given up, or relied on another for help. I have never met a person like Santiago, but I believe it would be a pure pleasure to do so. In my point of view he is a very brave man, it’s not every day an old man thats fighting for his own sanity fights off sharks,and capture such a fish.