Ernest Hemingway:  The Old Man and the Sea (1952)

                                                                      Part Three

 

About this Third part we could say that it correspond to the " frustration stage ". Indeed, we can notice that the old man feels in dificulty but also like oppressed...

Thanks to severals elements present in the extract we are able to to maintain that:

               Firstly, the old man it's keep away from the coast but without to take conscientious " Patiently, the old man waits for it to get tired, and the boats slowly drifts far away from the coast..." As a consequence he is alone, so there is nobody around him. He see only the horizon.

                After, the main character does an allusion aloud about the young boy " I wish I had the boy. To help me and see this ". Here, we understand that the old man isn't reassured. He resent the solitude and he is enough frightened because he asks for help. Somehow, he would like that the young boy to be with him.

                 Then, the old man understand that it's a strong fish. That's why he expresses several possibilities. For example: " Perhaps he is too wise to jump. He could ruin me by jumping or by a wild rush ". 

                  Afterwards, the old man remembers of his past: " He remembered the time he had hooked one of a pair of marlin...which was sharp as a scythe and almost of that size and shape ". At that moment, he appears troubled " he would cut the line with his tail ".

 

To conclude, we can say that this part could be the "frustration stage" of the novel by Ernest Hemingway.

     

Read it: Here and here

 

 

                                         Ernest Hemingway:  The Old Man and the Sea (1952)

                                                                      Part Two

 

 

This second part of The Old Man ans the Sea is enough strange. Indeed, we can notice that several things haven't a real significance. That's why we have to study this part as if we were child ! To analyse this extract we have to put some questions.

 

Few examples :    - How come the old man knows Africa ?

                               Africa may have attracked him for a long time

 

                              - How come the old man dreamed of the lions on the beach ?                                                                                                                                            

                                He may have seen the lions on the beach when he was younger

 

                              - How come the old man went to wake the boy ?

                                 The boy may have asked him to do it

 

                                - How come the boy followed the old man ?

                                  He may have wanted to fish with him again                                                           

                           

Conclusion:

We can say that this 2nd part correspond to the " Dream Stage ". 

The old man doesn't feel disconcerted on the sea since he considers her as a woman but also a friend. In reality, the old man doesn't consider the sea as his enemy ! He's not in the dreamstage where everything is new because he has a deep knowledge of the ocean.

We can see that it's only at the end of the passage that the old man enters in the dream stage. Indeed, the current has pushed him far away. So, he hasn't got everything on the control anymore " He was letting the current do a third of the work and as it started to be light he saw he was already further out than hoped to be at this hour ".

 

 

Read it : Here and here

                              " The old Man and the Sea " : Comparison Book / Film

 

Comparing the opening scene of the novel to the beginning of John Sturges's movie ( 1958 ).

 

I/    Firstly, we can noticed that many words, sentences of movie are stick to the text.
       For example: l 1 " 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 "  /  l 10 " The old man was thin and gaunt with deep wrinkles in the back of his neck "
The text is respected in general, although several sentences aren't used in the same order. So, we can see a willingness to film maker of create a sort of tale !
 

Indeed, thanks to that process the spectator is as bewitched:
- The first image of the movie is the waves of the sea = so, it's an atmosphere almost imaginary. We are transported into another world, a wonderful world...
- Then, the voice of the narrator which is enough slow and serious = Therefore that strange voice surprise the spectator

The narrative occupe the first part of movie and then the dialogue betweend Santiago and the boy begins.

 

II/    From my point of view, the choice of the actors isn't judicious. I believe that is not a good decision because of the age of the characters. Notably, the boy's age. Indeed, this one is to me too much younger: he is about 11 years-old in the movie whereas  we can noticed that in the book  he is about 17 years-old. Therefore, by this process the film maker remove of the density of the relationship betwwen the old man and the boy.

We can ramarked that the old man seems like youger too, but the difference with the novel is much less impressive. There are some details which catch viewer's attention : For example, in the movie the old man hasn't scars as in the novel...

 

** Note: The old man's actor = Spencer Tracy was a very famous and excellent actor. At that time, he has a real success to Hollywood.

 

III/  The viewers can see that the film-maker stress the relationship between the two characters :

- Two moments where the old man and the boy are separated

- The movie is unquestionably slow. Subsequently, this slowness evolve. She gives a feeling of unreality, we aren't in the real life. It tells a fable. We can discern many malancholy and  sadness on the face of the old man.

- When the young boy left the hut = he launched a loving gaze to the old man

 

Conclusion:

This opening scene correspond to the "Anticipation stage" Christopher's book describes. Indeed, although the old man hasn't caught a fish for 84 days now he still believe he manage to catch a fish and a big one. He's ready for a new journey and he fills time has come. He is all the more confident than the boy trusts him.

 

                                          Ernest Hemingway: The Old Man and the Sea (1952)

                                                                           Part One

 

I suppose this novel is about a fisherman who likes the marine world, the sea. I think that maybe the old man speaks of his personals experiences, maybe the problems to meet in sea with the big fish.... I guess that to fish is his work and his passion. Maybe that this work his a work passed down from generation to generation, from father to son...

 

On book cover : « You are killing me, fish, the old man thought. But you have a right to. »

= This story tells about the '' relation/ conflict '' between the fisher and the fish...

 

Essentials Informations about the Story:

 

• The story takes place: in a skiff in the Gulf Stream. At that moment, I suppose that is the day.

• The Characters are:

   

  The old man = *He names Santiago.

                          * He's about 70 years-old « The old-man »

                                     * His main occupation is to fish « fished alone »

                                     * « The old man was thin and gaunt with deep wrinkles in the back of his neck / The brown blotches of the benevolent skin cancer the sun brings from its reflection on the tropic sea were on his cheeks. / The blotches ran well down the sides of his face and his hands had the deep- creased scars from handling heavy fish on the cords. / Everything about hil was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea. »

 

           The boy = * We don't know his name

                             * He is about 17 years-old «the boy's parents» / « It was Papa made me leave.I am

a boy and I must obey him» / « Can I offer you a beer on the Terrace... »

                             * I guess that is boy is leaning to fish « the boy had gone at their orders in another

boat which caught three goog fish the first week »

                             * We have any physical description on the boy.

 

 

The relationship between the two main characters :

 In this story, I noticed that the old man and the boy to had a enough special relation. Indeed, this two men seem like to maintain links very strong.

Because the boy's parents order him to leave the skiff's old man to go in another ship where the fishing is better, this one is « 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... ». We can understand that the boy would like to rejoin the old man to help in his work.

We can notice also a sentence very important about the relationship between the two men « The old man had thaught the boy to fish and the boy loved him ». From my point of view is a key sentence.Thanks to this sentences, we learn that the boy grants much importance at the old man.

Eventually, we can see that the old man like too the boy « The old man looked at him with his sun-burned, confident loving eyes. » / « If you were my boy... ».

I can conclude that this two men have to create fundamental links betweem them. I think that never they could break. To me, they have a relation as Father and Son.

 

The main characters personality :

 The old man = « cheerful and undefeated »; « angry »; « He was holding his glass and thinking of many years ago »;« I can remember »; « looked at him with his sun-burned, confident loving eyes »

« his hope and his confidence »; « agree »; « attained humility »; « not disgraceful »; « no loss of true pride »

 

The boy = « sad » ; « I could go with you again »; « Can I offer you a beer... »; « Can you remember ? »

 

 

The reasonwhy the other fishermen '' made fun of '' the main character, or '' looked at him and were sad '' ? :

 The other fishermen made fun of the old man because this one didn't fished any fish since eighty-four days. Indeed, to them it was not normal but also as a catastrophe. They thought that it was impossible to not fish only one fish in 2 months...

Although, they made fun of the main characters, the fishermen were sad to the old man « looked at him and were sad ». From my point of vieux, they were a little worried for their colleague. I strongly believe that they show a certain fraternity because the fishing is a hard work. And the situation became complicated for the old man who didn't fished during a long period. I think that it's compassion.

 

 

'' Tomorrow is going to be a good day with this current '', he said :

 Here we can understand, that the old man to do confidence at currently. Indeed, he seems think that thanks to them, that he could made a good fishing. The old man hopes that this currently could enable him to obtain much fish.

 

Read it = click here

 

 What I like reading ? 

 I like reading the books in link with the Middle-Ages. For example "The Doves of the King-Sun" ; "Jacquou the crunchy" or still "The three musketeers". I guess it's because I love that era, that life: the chivalry, the swords and the masked balls...What's more for me the medieval period is representative of romanticism. I like also reading Mangas. On the other hand, dislike reading fantastic books (finally, it depends on the books). I prefer the reality.

How often do I read ?

In the whole, I read at least one or two a week. Otherwise, whenhave the time: so, in the evening after my homework, on Wednesdays after lunch, and the weekend. I read for thirty/ forty minutes. But sometimes I have no time, as on Tuesday night because I practice a sport.

  

                                    Where do I reading ? 

 I like reading in my bedroom, on my bed with the door closed. In this way, I can be quiet, nobody disturb me. During this moment I can escape and forget all my worries, all my problems. But I like also reading  in my garden when it's nice. It's more peaceful and relaxing.