Monday, August 30, 2010

Journal #2

Deep in the woodlands of Michigan, there lived a squirrel named Dave. He lived in the most lavish little house made entirely from acorns and twigs. Dave was a kind squirrel, and he would often do volunteer work for the little town of Weldon, where he lived. Weldon was a tiny little town in the middle of a dense forest. Dave lived about twelve miles from Weldon in a house that he built himself. All the animals in Weldon loved Dave. Dave was also a fantastic cook. He would bake loaves of seven-grain wheat bread for the local orphanage, and he would bake apple pies for the senior center. He attended every bingo night just to spend time with his elders. Although Dave had great social skills, he preferred to stay indoors. All his time was spent wood carving in his little home.
One day, there was a knock on Dave's acorn door. Dave ignored the first few knocks because he was busy mixing the cake batter for the butterfly festival later that evening. The knocking continued until Dave could not stand the insistent drum of the door any longer. He wiped his small paws on a rag then grumpily bumbled over to the door. He unlocked the door then slowly allowed it to creak open.
"Hello?" Dave said as he cautiously peered outside.
"Oh, thank goodness you're home! I was beginning to think that this abode was abandoned!" a small voice squeaked from his doorstep.
Dave fully opened the door to reveal a portly beaver.
"I don't suppose you could help me? You see, I appear to have wandered too far from my creek, and I'm afraid I can't remember my way back!" the beaver said bashfully. "My name is Gus, by the way! Gus the beaver."
Dave smiled kindly at Gus. "Nice to meet you Gus! I am Dave the squirrel. You're more than welcome to stay at my house as long as you need! Please, do come inside." Dave stepped aside to allow the beaver entrance.
"Oh, thank you ever so much!" the beaver beamed with happiness.
Gus and Dave decided to live together after a week of the beaver staying at his acorn abode. Dave was lonely all by himself, and Gus was hopelessly lost. Gus will never forget Dave's hospitality.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Journal #1

I do not know a lot about Indians, but I vaguely remember my fifth grade field trip to Dickson Mounds. I know that there culture was very interesting and complex. They were very good at growing crops and bringing in a good amount of harvest. I remember that the men in the tribe would go hunt while the women would stay back in the village to mend clothing or tend to children. I think Indian American Culture is very interesting because their culture is so diverse. They lived in tepees that they would make themselves from large sticks of wood and big sheets of cloth. I really like looking at Indian artifacts in museums because they out a lot of detail into everything they make. They used berry ink to dye or decorate clothing or belongings. I think they made beads out of fish bones, if I remember correctly. I always find those interesting to look at. The Native Americans were very resourceful when it came to growing crops, making clothes, and other things like that. Their clothing was usually made out of animal skin that had been dried and skinned of the meat. Native Americans also usually have very unique names, such as the famous Indian Sitting Bull. I read somewhere that some Indian tribes would name their child after the first thing they saw after the child was born, but I am not sure if that is right or not. Native Americans passed down their stories and memories to their children, and their children would pass it down to their children. Many Native American stories are still around today, but a large portion of the original stories have been lost over time. Most Native American stories would be about spiritual creatures who would bring luck, good crops, or anything else of that nature. I like Native American Culture because of their religious beliefs, too. I like how they would imagine their gods as animals. I also remember how important totem poles were to their culture because it showed different spiritual forms of animals. I think I am going to enjoy learning more about Native American culture because I don't know very much about them, obviously.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Journal Entry

I am going to blog about the symbolism in The Catcher in the Rye. I'm only going to talk about one object, though and that object is Holden's red hunter's hat. I think his red hat symbolizes his independence and rebellion. His red hat is so different and unique, just like how Holden wants to be. He wears it to make other people think that he has a lot of individuality and uniqueness. Other times, though, Holden is afraid to wear his hat for fear of what others will think of him. I think that this symbolizes that Holden is very self-conscious and he is very dependent on what others think of him. His unique hat really just symbolizes Holden's inner turmoil of wanting independence but also his need for a companion.

Chapters 13/14

I'm starting to lose my motivation again. I think I may just do my actual journal entry after this one, then I'll somehow rearrange my blogs so that that one is at the top. I don't know how I plan to do this.

I think chapter thirteen was a little awkward because of the whole prostitute situation, but I think that’s just me. I like how Holden’s imagination is always going. On his way home from the club, he was thinking about a scenario where someone was trying to rob him. I think it’s a great skill to have. Having the imagination of a child all the time would be fantastic because it would be just like being a child again. When Holden returned to the hotel, the elevator boy offered to send a prostitute to his room for five dollars. I know that back then, five dollars was worth a lot more, but I still read that sentence with disgust in my head. I do not know what kind of desperate woman would sell herself for five dollars, but once again, I suppose five dollars was worth more back then. I almost wanted to feel angry at Holden when he accepted the offer, but I felt sympathy for him. His was at a rough point in his life and he was not making the best decisions. He sent the girl away later that evening, anyway.

I thought chapter fourteen was a little depressing. Holden talks about how he feels guilty for not allowing Allie to join his BB gun fight. I like it how Holden often thinks about Allie. The elevator boy and his prostitute also came to Holden’s room to demand the other five dollars. I thought this was idiotic because the elevator man told him it was five dollars in the first place. The elevator man pinned Holden against the wall while the prostitute took his money. Then the elevator guy beat Holden, which made me even angrier. The whole time though, Holden was thinking of it in an imaginative way, which made me smile.

Chapters 11/12

I thought chapter nine was very cute. I enjoyed reading about how Jane and Holden met. I think I like Jane and Holden’s relationship almost as much as I liked the relationship between Santiago and Manolin. I think that Jane is the only person that Holden really likes and trusts besides his little sister, Phoebe. I am confused however, about why he did not talk to her when she was waiting for Stradlater the day that he and she went on a date. After reading this chapter, I would have thought that they were good enough friends that they would still talk to each other and hang out all time. I thought the part of chapter nine where Holden explained how he would only show Jane Allie’s baseball glove was really cute and touching. I think that Allie’s baseball glove is one of Holden’s most cherished items, so I think that Holden showing her symbolizes his trust in Jane. The saddest part of the chapter was definitely when Holden was explaining Jane’s alcoholic father. He described how they were sitting on the porch and her father came out to ask for cigarettes. When Jane ignored him, he left. Jane broke down crying and turned to Holden for comfort. I thought this part of the chapter was both sad and cute at the same time. Holden spends the rest of the chapter talking about how happy Jane made him.

I did not have much of a reaction to chapter twelve. I did find it funny, however, when Holden tried to start up another conversation about ducks with his other taxi cab driver. I don’t know if Holden has some unusual obsession with ducks and that lagoon or if he just likes to use that as a conversation starter. The taxi cab driver ended up getting angry at Holden, which I did not understand. I pitied Holden and his horrible luck at getting a taxi cab driver who actually likes small talk. He goes to a nightclub later that night where he meets one of his brother’s ex-girlfriends. He is forced to leave out of sheer annoyance.

Chapters 9/10

Once again, these next couple blogs are extremely late, but I accept that. Onwards!

I knew Holden leaving so impulsively would end in him not being able to figure out what to do when he got to New York. He says how he cannot think of anyone to call because they are either asleep or it would be too awkward. He ends up a taxi cab to some hotel. I thought his taxi ride was humorous because his taxi driver was so grumpy. Even just reading about Holden’s taxi cab driver incident makes me feel awkward for him, and I don’t know why. After he gets to the hotel, he gets a room then looks across the courtyard. I thought that what he saw when he looked out the window was really funny, especially the man dressed as a woman. I think that would be a comical thing to see. I thought how he reacted though was a little awkward. I did not like how he called up a promiscuous girl. I think he should have more respect for women, and if the girl was willing to sleep around, then she should have more respect for herself. I know that a lot of people are like Holden and that girl though, so I accept this. I thought it was rude how he just hung up on her without even making plans.

I think chapter ten was more significant than the past couple chapters because he takes the time to describe his little sister, Phoebe. I liked his description of her because it reminded me of the description he used of Allie. I also like how Phoebe likes to write a lot of stories; I thought that was very cute. Holden said that perhaps the flaw she has is that she is too emotional. I did not agree with this because a lot of the time, people cannot control how emotional they get. The rest of the chapter did not seem very important to me. Holden dances with a couple girls then leaves.

Chapters 7/8

Well, I know by now these blogs are pretty late. I figured better late than never, though.

I really liked Holden in chapter eight of Catcher in the Rye. I think his attitude towards his whole school is fantastic. I like how he is very independent and he does not try to fit in with the rest of the school. I also like how he stopped talking to Ackley because e thought he was phony. I think Holden and I are very similar. When I read that he was going to try to return to New York early, I thought he had lost his mind. I had no idea how he was planning on getting into his home unnoticed. I think that that was a little too impulsive. I never would have done that. I need things to be at least a little planned out otherwise I’ll get angry and frustrated then forget the whole thing. I respect Holden for leaving like he did, though. I do not think he belonged there. Also, if my roommate had just gone on a date with someone I liked, I would have wanted to leave, too. Maybe I would not have left as immediately as he did, but I still would have left or at least changed rooms. I think my favorite part of this chapter is the end when Holden screams “’Good night ya morons!’” as he is leaving.

Chapter nine was not a very important chapter. Holden meets the mother of one of the kids he used to attend Pency Prep with, and he tells her a bunch of lies about him. I did not understand with Holden did this. I would be far too lazy to sit there and make up a bunch of lies about a kid I do not even know. Ialso do not understand why he lied about his name or why he was leaving. He is never going to meet her again, there is no harm in telling her his real name.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Chapters 5/6

I am really starting to dislike this. I just thought I should make that known.

Chapter five begins with Holden doing normal activities. He ate food, got in a snowball fight, then to my surprise, he went to go see a movie. Then I was even more surprised when he invited Ackley. I still hate Ackley with a passion. I half expected Holden to get angry and frustrated halfway through the movie then leave, but he did not. If I had hatred as passionate as his about Hollywood, I probably would have walked out. I’m sorry, but I wanted to punch Ackley in the face when he started talking about some girl he had sex with the summer before. I don’t think Holden believed him, and neither did i. On top of him being an annoying person, he started to pop his pimples in public again. That is revolting to me. Thinking about doing that makes me want to go bathe in sanitizer. Ackley annoys me more than any other character in any other book I have ever read. I really liked the end of this chapter when Holden began talking about his little brother, Allie. Allie sounds like he would have been an adorable kid. It’s really sad that he passed away. I like how Salinger came up with a cute quirk that Allie liked to do, which was scribbling poems onto a baseballs glove with a green pen.

Chapter six is about what happened after Stradlater got home from his date with Jane. I did not think he had the right to insult Holden on the journal entry he did for Stradlater. He should just accept what Holden was kind enough to do for him. I felt bad for Holden when he shredded the paper he wrote. I felt like that by doing that, he was somehow shredding a memory of Allie himself. I can understand why Holden would attack Stradlater, I would too.

The Catcher in the Rye: Chapters 3/4

Oh man, after that first blog about The Catcher in the Rye, I’ve suddenly become terribly annoyed by these blogs. I dislike talking about things I don’t like because I tend to just ramble, but maybe I do that with novels I like, too.

Chapter three of The Catcher in the Rye brings in a few more characters: Ackley, Holden’s disgusting neighbor, and Stradlater, who is his roommate. I find Ackley to be extremely gross. I would kick him out of my room if he starting popping his pimples for fun on my bed. I almost skip the areas where Ackley is mentioned because it seems like every time he is brought up, something disgusting is brought up as well. I just despise people who do not have good hygiene. I suppose that is just something else that Holden and I have in common. When I first read about Stradlater, I thought he sounded kind of like a tool. He did not appear to be intelligent. He is one of the most popular boys at Pency Prep. I want to call him “The Stradlater”. His name sounds like a WWE name. Now every time Stradlater is mentioned in the book, I think of big muscular guys, but I suppose Stradlater is a big muscular guy. I think the only thing I liked about Stradlater is that his presence made Ackley leave.

In Chapter four, Stradlater angers Holden by talking about the date he has with Holden’s secret crush, Jane- although the Stradlater calls her Jean. He is extremely unintelligent, I dislike him. This chapter made me like Holden even more. He talked about all the things he remembered about Jane, reminiscing in his own little world. I liked that because I do that, too. I really like it when I can relate to the characters. My dislike of Stradlater grew even more when he asked Holden to do his homework for him. I can understand not having enough time, but I would still never ask someone else to do my homework . I thought it was cute that Holden wanted to talk to Jane while she waited for Stradlater.

The Catcher in the Rye: Chapters 1/2

Now I am going to start doing blogs on The Catcher and the Rye. I am going to start off with my reactions to every couple chapters. I thought this book was really timeless and well written. I don’t know if I like it as much as The Old Man and the Sea, but this one was really good.

In chapter one, the character Holden Caulfield is introduced. After I read the first few paragraphs, I immediately liked Holden. For one, his name is pretty amazing. And secondly, I love how he had a great dislike for Hollywood and movie stars. I also dislike how the current generation cannot survive happily without knowing the latest celebrity gossip. I think people these days should be more interested in something else, not who did what last night. I liked that Holden and I had that in common. I do not have a relative who is famous, but I am sure Jenna is on her way there! I also liked how he was good at English, with the exception of the horrible paper he turned into his teacher about Egyptians. I thought it was interesting that he had failed every class but English. I really like how close he is with his teacher, too.

In chapter two, Holden goes to his English teacher’s house. I thought it was funny when his teacher began to read his atrocious paper to him. I have never heard a paper that horrible in my life so I thought it was hilarious. I liked the way Mr. Spencer treated Holden. It may have been a little harsh, but I think everybody needs a little of that in their lives. Without it, I think people would be unbearable, but maybe that’s just me. Mr. Spencer seemed really cool. I would love to have a teacher like him. Well, I would not want him to grade any of my papers but from the way J.D. Salinger describes him, he seems like a very swell guy.

My Favorite Quotes from The Old Man and the Sea

I think this is going to be my last blog about The Old Man and the Sea. I have done almost half of my blogs on just this book! I don’t mind, though. In this blog, I am going to put down a few more quotes that I really like.

"’But are you strong enough now for a truly big fish?’

‘I think so. And there are many tricks.’"

I like this quote because it makes the old man sound wistful and full of wisdom. I am sure that not only does he sound intelligent, but he actually is quite smart. He is very strong, too, which I admire.

"’Who is the greatest manager, really, Luque or Mike Gonzalez?’

‘I think they are equal.’

‘And the best fisherman is you.’”

I think by now the reason I love this quote should be very obvious. I think Manolin and Santiago’s relationship is extremely adorable. I think it is because I find it cute when a child looks up to another figure as if they are a parent or guardian, even though they are not. I don’t know why I find that cute, but I do. I like how Manolin looks up more to Santiago than he does his own father. Manolin’s father was a bit of a jerk, though. I greatly dislike his father for not allowing Manolin to fish with Santiago. You would think that maybe Manolin’s father would have sympathy for Santiago because he is old man out at sea all alone, but he does not.

"’How old was I when you first took me in a boat?’

‘Five and you nearly were killed when I brought the fish in too green and he nearly tore the boat to pieces. Can you remember?’

‘I can remember the tail slapping and banging and the thwart breaking and the noise of the clubbing. I can remember you throwing me into the bow where the wet coiled lines were and feeling the whole boat shiver and the noise of you clubbing him like chopping a tree down and the sweet blood smell all over me.’

‘Can you really remember that or did I just tell it to you?’

‘I remember everything from when we first went together.’"

I adore this quote for the same reason I love the last one. I really adore their father-son relationship.

Santiago's Strength and Skills

This blog is going to be about how strong and skilled Santiago is. He is so strong for an old man! I would not be able to do what he did, and I’m super young compared to him. I look up to the old man like he is my own grandfather. I think it would be awesome if he was my actual grandpa! He’s so strong that we could go on hikes or go jogging together and he would still be okay by the end. We would also go fishing all the time! I love fishing, as well as Santiago.

When the boy came back the old man was asleep in the chair and the sun was down. The boy took the old army blanket off the bed and spread it over the back of the chair and over the old man’s shoulders. They were strange shoulders, still powerful although very old, and the neck was still strong too and the creases did not show so much when the old man was asleep and his head fallen forward. His shirt had been patched so many times that it was like the sail and the patches were faded to many different shades by the sun. The old man’s head was very old though and with his eyes closed there was no life in his face. The newspaper lay across his knees and the weight of his arm held it there in the evening breeze. He was barefooted.”

I like this quote because of how descriptive it is. I really like details in books, especially when they make the character more three-dimensional. In this quote, the old man is described in a way that he was not described in the beginning. This quote talks about how subtly strong the old man is. I think most people missed this part of Santiago the first time Hemingway described him. But the proof of his strength was revealed during his long battle with a marlin.

Santiago's Endurance Numero Tres?!

This is going to be a third blog about Santiago and his fantastic endurance. There are just too many quotes because eighty percent of the book is just him holding a fishing pole towing a marlin around. This should be the last one, though.

“This will kill him, the old man thought. He can’t do this forever. But four hours later the fish was still swimming steadily out to sea, towing the skiff, and the old man was still braced solidly with the line across his back.

The quote further proves my point of Santiago and the marlin being evenly matched for each other. However, I think I am more impressed with Santiago. He is an old man, but he has more strength and endurance than most of the people I know. I greatly respect Santiago for being able to tackle that humongous marlin all by himself. I would have cut the line and gone home by now, but then again I am definitely a lot more lazy than Santiago.

“He had pushed his straw hat hard down on his head before he hooked the fish and it was cutting his forehead. He was thirsty too and he got down on his knees and, being careful not to jerk on the line, moved as far into the bow as he could get and reached the water bottle with one hand. He opened it and drank a little. Then he rested against the bow. He rested sitting on the un-stepped mast and sail and tried not to think but only to endure.”

This quote is about how the old man endured the pain from his forehead better when he was distracted by something else. He is probably the type of person who watches tv while they run on treadmill to distract themselves from the burning in their thighs. That’s what I usually do! It’s easier to handle pain when you don’t have to think about it.

Santiago's Endurance Numero Dos.

This is the second installation of Santiago’s Strength and Endurance! I don’t remember if that was the actual name of my last blog or not. I suppose it doesn’t matter, though. I have so many blogs about The Old Man and the Sea, but I can’t help it!

“I could just drift, he thought, and sleep and put a bight of line around my toe to wake me. But today is eighty-five days and I should fish the day well.

Just then, watching his lines, he saw one of the projecting green sticks dip sharply.”

This quote shows how Santiago’s endurance and patience paid off. I would have just fallen asleep there. I respect his ability to stay awake for hours on end under pressure. I love how he just randomly decided that since it was day number eighty-five the fishing would be good. If Santiago was weak and unable to stay awake, the marlin would have gotten away from him without him ever knowing.

“Nothing happened. The fish just moved away slowly and the old man could not raise him an inch. His line was strong and made for heavy fish and he held it against his hack until it was so taut that beads of water were jumping from it. Then it began to make a slow hissing sound in the water and he still held it, bracing himself against the thwart and leaning back against the pull. The boat began to move slowly off toward the north-west.

This quote is about how the marlin was just as determined as Santiago. The marlin must have been exceptionally strong to pull both Santiago and the boat. Once again, I would love to be as strong as that marlin! I think Santiago and the marlin were both fairly well matched competitors. I was impressed by both the old man and the giant fish that was towing him around. I wish I had a giant marlin to tow me around the ocean.

Santiago's Endurance

This blog is going to be about Santiago’s determination and courage. This one could be in two parts because he is pretty awesome, and he did a lot of courageous things!

“This is the second day now that I do not know the result of the juegos, he thought. But I must have confidence and I must be worthy of the great DiMaggio who does all things perfectly even with the pain of the bone spur in his heel. What is a bone spur? he asked himself. Un espuela de hueso. We do not have them. Can it be as painful as the spur of a fighting cock in one’s heel? I do not think I could endure that or the loss of the eye and of both eyes and continue to fight as the fighting cocks do. Man is not much beside the great birds and beasts. Still I would rather be that beast down there in the darkness of the sea.

In the quote, Santiago is talking about how beasts are more brave and courageous than humans. He thinks they are stronger. I agree with him in some ways, but I also think it depends on the beast. I mean, tigers, those things are pretty strong and cunning. But I think he’s talking about his marlin. I never thought of a marlin being strong or brave, but I suppose in Santiago’s marlin’s case, it is extremely strong. The marlin is brave for facing its death, as well.

"If you’re not tired, fish," he said aloud, "you must be very strange."

He felt very tired now and he knew the night would come soon and he tried to think of other things.”

I think Santiago is jealous of that awesome marlin. That fish is pulling both Santiago and his bout against the current. I wish I could be that marlin, only not hooked! Santiago is complementing the marlin on its strength and endurance in this quote.

Santiago and Manolin Quotes

This is my twentieth blog on The Old Man and the Sea. I really enjoyed this book, though. It was my favorite out of the three books we read this summer. I hope it’s okay that I’m doing so many blogs on one book! This blog is going to be one of my favorites because it’s about Santiago and Manolin’s friendship! I’m so excited. I love them so much.

"Yes," the old man said. He was holding his glass and thinking of many years ago.

"Can I go out to get sardines for you for tomorrow?"

"No. Go and play baseball. I can still row and Rogelio will throw the net."

"I would like to go. If I cannot fish with you. I would like to serve in some way.”

I love this quote because it expresses Manolin’s love Santiago. I think it’s so cute that he always wants to help Santiago. I think Manolin’s love for Santiago is expressed by helping him. If I was Santiago, I would accept the help. It would be like have a little minion around all the time, it would be awesome.

“Where did you wash? the boy thought. The village water supply was two streets down the road. I must have water here for him, the boy thought, and soap and a good towel. Why am I so thoughtless? I must get him another shirt and a jacket for the winter and some sort of shoes and another blanket.”

I think this quote is adorable. Manolin is so devoted to Santiago and keeping him safe and healthy. I don’t like how Manolin thinks that nothing he ever does is good enough for Santiago, though. I think he does everything he can for Santiago, and at times I think he is too good for Santiago. Santiago takes him for granted. This is proved when Santiago is trying to reel in the marlin and he thinks about how much he would love to have the boy there to help him. They have a great relationship, I think.

Santiago's Luck

This blog is going to be about Santiago’s absolutely atrocious luck. I feel extreme sympathy for him. This will probably be the only blog about his luck because I think everybody knows by now that his luck is pretty bad. I really don’t have a lot to say about this one.

“He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish. In the first forty days a boy had been with him. But after forty days without a fish the boy’s parents had told him that the old man was now definitely and finally salao, which is the worst form of unlucky, and the boy had gone at their orders in another boat which caught three good fish the first week. It made the boy sad to see the old man come in each day with his skiff empty and he always went down to help him carry either the coiled lines or the gaff and harpoon and the sail that was furled around the mast. The sail was patched with flour sacks and, furled, it looked like the flag of permanent defeat.

This was one of the first sentences in the book. It describes how Santiago’s horrible luck came about and how he lost Manolin. I remember thinking about how poor and malnourished Santiago must be by now if he hadn’t brought it any fish to eat or sell in eighty-four days. I think he would have had better luck joining a different boat with a larger group of people, but I know Santiago is stubborn and would never do that. I love that old man, besides his pride issues.

"No," the old man said. "You’re with a lucky boat. Stay with them."

This quote is something Santiago said to Manolin when Manolin offered to rejoin him back on Santiago’s boat. I don’t know if he was just saying that to put Manolin at ease, or he was saying it because he really believes in luck.

Santiago's Defeat Part Two

This is the defeat of Santiago part two. I do not think there will be three of these, but Santiago did suffer a lot of defeat so who knows. I really like typing these blogs now that I’ve lost the whole “professional” writing thing. Huzzah.

"They beat me, Manolin," he said. "They truly beat me."

"He didn’t beat you. Not the fish."

"No. Truly. It was afterwards."

I am proud of Santiago for admitting defeat in this quote. I am even more proud of him for admitting it to Manolin. I love how I’m proud of a fictional character. Hemingway really did do a fantastic job of making his characters lovable. Something to ponder about this quote, though, would be who really beat Santiago? Was it the sharks or something else? Personally I think it was something else.

“For an hour the old man had been seeing black spots before his eyes and the sweat salted his eyes and salted the cut over his eye and on his forehead. He was not afraid of the black spots. They were normal at the tension that he was pulling on the line. Twice, though, he had felt faint and dizzy and that had worried him.

"I could not fail myself and die on a fish like this," he said. "Now that I have him coming so beautifully, God help me endure. I’ll say a hundred Our Fathers and a hundred Hail Marys. But I cannot say them now.”

I think that this quote is a mix of defeat and pride. Santiago fears defeat because his defeat would then lead to damaging his pride. He fears that he is going to pass out and lost the fish completely. I can see how losing a fish because he passed out would be a low blow. He would lose the fish and have a damaged pride, as well as lose his fishing pole. In this quote he embraces the fact that he is not as cool as he thinks he is.

El defeat de Santiago (Spanglish)


I still really like using quotes because they are easy to talk about. I have a lot of opinions on quotes, too, so I enjoy doing this. These are quotes from when Santiago felt defeat. I felt the need to make a blog about his defeat because I made three about his pride. This blog is basically going to be about how I don’t think Santiago is completely full of himself. He is pretty full of himself though.

“Now they have beaten me, he thought. I am too old to club sharks to death. But I will try it as long as I have the oars and the short club and the tiller.”

This quote is about Santiago realizing that he has been defeated. But although he has been defeated, he will fight back until he can’t fight anymore. I respect him for that. Admittedly, I found this part of the book a little funny. The idea of an old man beating a group of sharks to death with an oar is just amusing to me. I think it is because most old men are crippled and unable to perform physically exhausting activities. Santiago is no ordinary old man, though! Not many old men can say that they have reeled in a giant marlin for days on end without sleep. Santiago would make an awesome grandpa. I think he’s the type of grandpa who would take you fishing every weekend and buy you ice cream at the pier.

“Now it is over, he thought. They will probably hit me again. But what can a man do against them in the dark without a weapon?

This quote is ironic to me because after Santiago thinks this to himself, he continues to struggle with the sharks. He keeps saying “it’s over” but as he is thinking that, he is fighting the sharks. At least he is going down with honor. It was never really “over” until he fully gave up and stopped whacking sharks with an oar.

Santiago's Pride Continued Part Dos

Yes, this is in fact a third blog about Santiago’s pride. There are so many quotes in this book above him being full of himself that I can’t resist. At least it’s something else to type about.

“Then his head started to become a little unclear and he thought, is he bringing me in or am I bringing him in? If I were towing him behind there would be no question. Nor if the fish were in the skiff, with all dignity gone, there would be no question either. But they were sailing together lashed side by side and the old man thought, let him bring me in if it pleases him. I am only better than him through trickery and he meant me no harm.”

I think at this point Santiago was starting to go a little crazy. I don’t know if it was from lack of water or food, or if it was his own pride just going to his head. The marlin is dead, so I suppose he has a right to be full of pride this time. I am still not going to let the whole disowning his hand thing slide, though. In this quote he thinks that the fish could be towing him. I want to ask him what was going on. No, of course the fish is not towing Santiago’s boat along. The fish is dead because he hit it with a bat. That makes me sad since I quite like fish. The idea of someone beating a fish to death makes me a little melancholy.

Besides, he thought, everything kills everything else in some way. Fishing kills me exactly as it keeps me alive. The boy keeps me alive, he thought. I must not deceive myself too much.”

I like this quote because Santiago admits that he loves the boy like a son. As I have mentioned earlier, I love the relationship Santiago and Manolin have with each other. I think it is adorable.

Santiago's Pride Continued.

Santiago is so full of pride, that I am making another blog about his mountains of pride.

"I don’t think I can eat an entire one," he said and drew his knife across one of the strips. He could feel the steady hard pull of the line and his left hand was cramped. It drew up tight on the heavy cord and he looked at it in disgust.

"What kind of a hand is that," he said. "Cramp then if you want. Make yourself into a claw. It will do you no good."


When I first read this novel, I thought the quote was funny because he was talking to his hand. But now that I am reflecting upon it, I see it differently. He is pretending that his cramped hand is a whole different being than him because it hurts his pride to see that it is his own hand cramping up. He basically disowned his own hand for being weak and cramped. There was not even anybody around to see that his hand was cramped, so it’s not like people were going to judge him. Even if people were around, hand cramps happen to the best of us! He is just being a wimp.


“I hate a cramp, he thought. It is a treachery of one’s own body. It is humiliating before others to have a diarrhea from ptomaine poisoning or to vomit from it. But a cramp, he thought of it as a calambre, humiliates oneself especially when one is alone.”


This is another post about his poor hand who was disowned earlier. I do not think a cramp is humiliating. They happen to everybody, he should think of himself as the only one to get a cramp in their hand. He needs to climb off his high horse and realize that he can’t do anything about it. Or maybe if he hadn’t pushed his hand to work so hard, it would not be cramping up! It’s never his own fault, is it?

Examples of Santiago's Pride

Since I like quotes so much, I am going to pick out the ones that I personally felt like reflected Santiago’s pride and confidence in himself.

"Who gave this to you?"

"Martin. The owner." "I must thank him."

"I thanked him already," the boy said. "You don’t need to thank him." "I’ll give him the belly meat of a big fish," the old man said. "Has he done this for us more than once?"

"I think so."

"I must give him something more than the belly meat then. He is very thoughtful for us."

This is overflowing with pride. Santiago is insinuating that he is going to catch a fish the next day before he has even casted his lines. I am going to start using ridiculous words to make writing these blogs more fun. Ridiculous words make everything better. Santiago, now he’s ridiculous. Don’t count your chickens before they’ve hatched, Santiago. He is overconfident sometimes in this novel, but maybe he deserves to be.

The wind is our friend, anyway, he thought. Then he added, sometimes. And the great sea with our friends and our enemies. And bed, he thought. Bed is my friend. Just bed, he thought. Bed will be a great thing. It is easy when you are beaten, he thought. I never knew how easy it was. And what beat you, he thought.

"Nothing,"
he said aloud. "I went out too far."

Santiago in this quote is just being ridiculous. It is very obviously his fault. He let the fish drag him out that far instead of cutting the line. He doesn’t think he’s been beat, but everybody knows that he has. The sharks ate his whole fish, I am pretty sure that makes him beaten.

"And the best fisherman is you."

"No. I know others better."

At least in this quote Santiago is being modest. He is still full of pride to the point of nearly exploding, but I guess I can let it slide because he’s modest.

More Quotes from The Old Man and the Sea

These are a few more quotes from The Old Man and the Sea that I really like.

“Fish, I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead before this day ends.”

This is a quote from Santiago. I like it because I feel like he said it with pride, and I think he deserves to be proud of something after having not caught anything for months. I also like how he has confidence in abilities. He is positive that he will capture and kill the marlin. At this point, I do not think he considers the sharks that will swarm around the marlin after he kills it.

I wish I had the boy.

This is another quote from Santiago. He thinks this to himself while he suffers from trying to catch the marlin alone. This is also a little ironic because Manolin offered to go out to sea with Santiago that day. Santiago was stubborn though and told him not to come. Manolin tried to reason with him by saying that he had made some money from his last job, but Santiago would still not let him come along. I knew that Santiago was going to regret not allowing Manolin to come along with him. I also like this quote because I love the relationship the old man and Manolin have.

“Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated.”

I like this quote because I love the way Hemingway describes things. This quote makes the old man seem like although he ages on the inside, he is forever young on the inside. His spirit is blissful and confident even though he has rotten luck and his body is old and scarred. I also like how the old man’s eyes reflect the sea. He is always out on the ocean so I found this quote to be clever.

The Old Man and the Sea Quotes

There were many parts of The Old Man and the Sea that I really liked for different reasons. These are some of them.

“You did not kill the fish only to keep alive and to sell for food, he thought. You killed him for pride and because you are a fisherman. You loved him when he was alive and you loved him after. If you love him, it is not a sin to kill him. Or is it more?

This is the first quote that I felt like I really had a reaction to out of The Old Man and the Sea. I like it because it’s very psychological. I never thought about fishermen in this way, and it really made me think. This quote is very true. It is necessary to kill the fish in order to survive, even if you love it. The last two sentences really made me think about it though. I think it gives the readers something to think about.

"Why did they make birds so delicate and fine as those sea swallows when the ocean can be so cruel? She is kind and very beautiful. But she can be so cruel and it comes so suddenly and such birds that fly, dipping and hunting, with their small sad voices are made too delicately for the sea."

Honestly, I like this quote because it has to do with the ocean and birds. I love birds and how delicate they are, and I love the ocean and how it contains hundreds of thousands of creatures. Hemingway’s statement about the ocean being cruel is very true, though. The ocean is wild and in some cases can cause devastating natural disasters.

“There are many good fishermen and some great ones. But there is only one you.”

This is a quote from Manolin. He said this to Santiago when he insisted on going out to sea alone. I like this quote because I like how Manolin cares for Santiago, and this quote just proves that.

My Opinion on The Old Man and the Sea

I really like The Old Man and the Sea for many reasons. It was written very well, the imagery was fantastic, and the characters were very three-dimensional. I think Ernest Hemingway is a fantastic writer. He made the story simple yet appealing and interesting, and the imagery he used made me feel like I was in the story with the old man. I thought the characters had a lot of depth. They were not average two-dimensional characters like many novels.

I have already explained why Ernest Hemingway’s writing style was so good. I really like how The Old Man and the Sea was not intimidating. It was not a very long book, and the writing was not confusing to read. This was one of the few books for school that I actually enjoyed. I also liked how the main plot was extremely simple, as well. It was just about an old man and his fishing adventure at sea, but I think it was still a really good book that people can relate to.

I think the amazing imagery Ernest Hemingway used was part of why The Old Man and the Sea can still be a great novel without being really long or having a twisting plot line. He used a lot of color and texture description to make the reader feel like part of the story. I like books that pull me in and make me want to keep reading more.

Ernest Hemingway’s characters in The Old Man and the Sea were written and described very well. I like how the Santiago and Manolin did not have perfect or cliché lives. Manolin had problems with his dad, and Santiago was a poor fisherman who was down on his luck. I think by making the characters have more of background, Hemingway made them more relatable. They were very easy to become attached to, especially Santiago, I thought. They had problems that real people suffer from, and I think that gave them more depth.

Character Analysis: Manolin

The Old Man and the Sea had very few main characters. One of them was a young boy named Manolin. Manolin was Santiago’s fishing partner for years. Those years together made them form a strong fatherly bond together. Manolin looks up to Santiago as if he was his own father. The beginning of The Old Man and the Sea tells how Manolin and Santiago had great success with fish for weeks. They would catch a large fish every day they went out to sea for three weeks. But after not catching a single fish for more than forty days, Manolin’s father told him that he was no longer allowed to fish with Santiago. He made Manolin fish for a larger, more successful boat. Manolin resents his father for forcing him to leave Santiago to do everything himself. Manolin calls Santiago the greatest fisherman he has ever met, even though Santiago has gone months without catching anything. It is very apparent that Manolin is completely devoted to Santiago. Manolin is a caring, kind-hearted figure. He always tries to help Santiago whenever he can. He will go to Santiago’s home to visit with him and to see if he has enough food. Near the beginning of The Old Man and the Sea, Manolin tries to give Santiago some bait fish so that Santiago will not have to pay for it himself. Santiago, being a stubborn old man, refuses Manolin’s generous offer. But Manolin will not take no for an answer and goes to fetch it. When he returns, he brings both bait fish and a meal for Santiago. This shows that Manolin is kind and is always thinking of others. I really like how Manolin takes care of Santiago. Manolin knows that Santiago is growing old, and he is incredibly stubborn, so he makes sure Santiago is doing alright and visits him often. In the beginning of the novel, Manolin and Santiago discuss baseball and reminisce about when they used to fish together. Manolin is very dedicated to Santiago.

The Old Man and the Sea Summary

The Old Man and the Sea is a novel by Ernest Hemingway about an old man named Santiago and his struggles with a great marlin out at sea. The novel begins with Santiago and a buy named Manolin. Manolin was Santiago’s partner is fishing before he parents forced him to fish on a more successful boat. Santiago is called “unlucky” by all of the other fishermen of the pier. The other fishermen mock Santiago for his horrible luck at sea, and his long streaks of never catching a fish. For a while, Manolin and the old man caught a large fish everyday for three weeks. But that did not last, and it started an eighty-seven day streak of not catching anything. Because of that streak, Manolin and Santiago had to become separated, and Santiago never made any money. In the beginning of the book, Santiago sets out fishing alone the morning after him and Manolin are together. The old man keeps his lines straight down so he knows how far down they are. He gets the occasional bite from smaller fish, but after a couple hours something really big takes his line. Santiago is an old, skilled fisherman and he handles the fishing line with care. Santiago realizes how large the fish he has caught is when his boat begins to be towed by the fish. He is careful to not put too much tension on the line because he does not want it to snap and have to only large fish he’s caught in months escape from him. For days Santiago and the marlin battled at sea. Santiago is brave and stubborn, refusing to let the marlin go even though he longs for sleep and food. Every time the old man gains a little bit of line, the marlin dives deeper into the ocean, pulling more line with him. This cycle is endless until the marlin decides to surface. Santiago finally catches the giant marlin, but then he is faced with sharks. He fights them off as well as he can, but eventually he has no choice other than to let the sharks have his marlin. Santiago returns to the shore with only a huge marlin skeleton tied to the side of his boat.

Santiago

I think that Santiago is a great role model for people. Although he was old, he never gave up hope and he never relied on anybody for help. He knew how to take care of himself and not be dependent, which I think is a good skill to have. Even though he went an extremely long time without catching a fish, he never gave up. I also really like that about him. Santiago is courageous, strong-willed, and proud. Other fishermen at the dock would make fun of Santiago and call him “unlucky”, but Santiago ignored them and did what he wanted. Santiago had a lot of faith in himself and in the sea. I think that people should learn to be just as motivated as Santiago was when it comes to situations like his. For example, his eighty-seven day streak of not catching a fish is the same situation as not doing well in a class or sport. I think people should learn that they do not have to give up, they could just keep trying. If someone was to fail a test or get bad grades, they should keep trying and have faith that they would get better. But I think that most people these days think that after one flunked test or one bad grade, it’s over. They do not consider that maybe if they kept trying they would get better. I think people should really look up to Santiago for that trait. Another reason Santiago is a role model is that he ignores what others are saying and he does not let it get to him. I know a big problem in school is bullying. A lot of the time, bullying ends in a fight or in tears. But if people could just ignore all the comments and bullying, there would not be a problem. The bullying would eventually stop if the victim showed their offender that the words did not hurt them.

The Old Man and the Sea: Climax

I remember my exact reaction to the climax of The Old Man and the Sea. I was furious at the sharks for taking Santiago’s hard earned marlin. I know that they are sharks, and it’s only in their nature to attack easy prey, but I was still angry. I did not understand why Santiago did not just haul the sharks along with him back to shore. I think that if he had brought a few sharks to shore then maybe the dead sharks would make it back to shore in one piece. If they did make it to shore, the old man could have made plenty more money selling a couple sharks rather than one completely demolished marlin. I do not know why he did not, perhaps he did not have enough line or he did not think of it at the time. I suppose the restaurants may not want to purchase shark meat, either. I felt extreme sympathy for Santiago when he lost his marlin. He had worked so hard for so long to capture the beast, only to have it eaten from head to tail by sharks. I felt pity for him, too because he had to watch the sharks eat his hard earned marlin. I would be in tears from frustration if I had to watch something I had worked so long for just being torn from me, and I could not do anything about it. I think Santiago did his best to beat off the sharks, though. I do not know how many he killed, but it was a large amount. I also think he was very resourceful with his weapons, although if I were him I probably would have planned for sharks a little better. I would have brought something better than a small knife. I liked the way he tied his knife to an oar to stab away the sharks. I was hoping that Santiago’s marlin would make it back to shore okay, but it did not turn out that way, sadly.

The Old Man and the Sea: Conflict

The conflict in The Old Man and the Sea was very obvious to me. Santiago was on an eighty-seven day streak of not catching a single fish. In the beginning of the book, there is a moment when Manolin asks Santiago if he has any dinner. It is apparent that he has no money due to not having any fish to sell, but Santiago says he has food. Both he and Manolin know that he is lying, though. I think the conflict was between Santiago and the sea. The conflict arose when Santiago left to go fishing early the next morning. He successfully managed to hook a large marlin, but that was not the climax. The old man struggled to keep the marlin steady for days. He could not reel the marlin in because he was afraid that if he put too much tension on the line that it would snap. At times, he has to let out the line a little when the marlin starts pulling too hard or diving deep. For days the conflict continued. Santiago patiently let the marlin slowly tow him away from the shore. He prayed for the marlin to rise up to the surface and jump out of the water so that the marlin’s air sacks would become fuller and he would not be able to dive any deeper. When Santiago finally did gain some line from the marlin, the marlin would dive again and waste all of Santiago’s effort. I thought that the climax was not when he finally caught the marlin, but when the sharks began to feast on it. The falling action was when Santiago gave in to the swarms of sharks and allowed them to eat the marlin he had worked so hard to get. I think that this conflict, like the writing, was simple yet brilliant. It appears to almost be too obvious to the reader, but I think that the conflict was deeper and more intelligent.

Relatable Situations in The Old Man and the Sea

The Old Man and the Sea is a relatable story to many people. It does not seem like it at first, but if one looks deeper into Santiago’s personal problems and his struggles it is very easy to compare them to everyday situations that everybody suffers from. For example, in the beginning of the book Santiago struggles to catch any fish to make money, but he never loses hope and he continues to keep trying. Other fishermen make fun of him and call him names, but Santiago never loses faith in himself. Santiago’s situation can be compared to many other situations, such as not doing well in sports but never giving up, or not doing well in a class. Santiago’s situation itself is not very relatable, but his attitude towards the situation is. There are many other instances like this in The Old Man and the Sea.

Another example would be when Santiago does finally catch the marlin, but he is reeling it in. He is overwhelmed with the joy of finally catching a large fish, but he knows the battle is not over yet and he must continue to keep moving forward. This instance is relatable to multiple things. Getting a job would be one comparable instance because although you have gotten hired, that does not mean the job is over, it means the job has just begun. It could also be compared to joining a sports team.

The other relatable situation in The Old Man and the Sea was when Santiago lost his marlin to the sharks. The old man started off strong and prepared to fight, but as the sharks kept coming and he lost his weapons, it was easier for him to give up. Santiago let the sharks have the marlin because he grew too tired to continue to fend them off. This unfortunate instance can be relatable to saddening things such as bullying, failing a test, or losing a job. Santiago’s feelings in The Old Man and the Sea are relatable to many more situations than just there.