Book Project - The old man and the sea

The Old Man and the Sea

Texture:

Rock

·        Santiago’s characteristics are to that of a rock. He has a strong personality and he’s not willing to just give up on his life, striving for the success of catching a fish even though he hasn’t caught one in about eighty-four days.

He keeps his character strong and seemingly unbreakable and unphased by his previous failures. His surface may be very smooth by all the rivers that have changed him, but when you break him open all u see is sharp and rough edges. Though changed by many people in his life he still brings own character out so he can strive to be himself and do what he can to succeed.

·        Santiago endures a long and grueling struggle with a marlin that he is attempting to catch. Only to see the greatest catch of his life get eaten up by sharks. Yet, the destruction enables the old man to undergo a remarkable transformation. Santiago is an old man who is physically weak, but the reader is guaranteed that Santiago will persist through-out the book to be who he truly wants himself to be. Santiago manages to do the most miraculous achievement of all: he finds a way to lengthen his life.

·        Santiago’s pride is what enables him to endure Ernest Hemingway’s view of the world—a world in which death and destruction are a part of the natural order of things. Hemingway seems to believe that there are only two options: defeat or endurance until destruction. Santiago’s determination is unreal. For three days he holds tights to the fishing pole that has the marlin on it. The pain from holding the pole is terrible – he injures his back and palms from holding the pole. This pain allows Santiago to have a connection with the marlin that goes beyond just the fishing line: his body aches to the fact that he is well matched, that the fish is a worthy opponent, and that he himself, because he is able to fight so hard, is a worthy fisherman.

Summary:

The story begins with an old man. He is a fisherman who has not caught a fish in 84 days. He is also not eating very much. The two factors are related. There is a boy who is great friends with the old man. The old man taught him to fish when he was young, and the boy brings the old man food because the old man is too physically weak to get his own.
           The old man goes to sleep dreaming of the lions he used to see back in the day when he was in Africa. The old man wakes up before sunrise and does what all fishermen do – He gets into his boat and heads out to fish. Traveling for a short period of time the old man reals in a really big fish, a marlin. Most of the novel revolves around a struggle, which lasts over three days. It’s the battle of strength and of wills, between the old man and the fierce, unforgiving marlin. The old man sees the fish as his brother, not his enemy, yet never hesitates to kill the fish. Ultimately, he does.
            The old man straps the fish to the side of the boat and heads home. On the way back from his fishing he is attacked by sharks. They slowly but surely eat the marlin while the old man, starving and exhausted, tries to beat them off with a harpoon, a club, and finally a knife. By the time the old man makes it back to shore, there is nothing left of the fish but its bones.

AP Writing Prompt:

A recurring theme in literature is “the classic war between a passion and a responsibility.” For instance, a personal cause, a love, a desire for revenge, a determination to redress a wrong, or some other emotion or drive may conflict with moral duty. Choose a work of recognized literary merit in which a character confronts the demands of a private passion that conflicts with his or her responsibilities. In a well-written essay, show clearly the nature of the conflict, its effects upon the character, and its significance to the work.

As Santiago continues to move away from shore, observing his world as he drifts along. Rowing farther and farther out, Santiago follows the seabird that is hunting for fish, using it as a guide. Soon, one of the old man’s lines gets caught, he pulls up a ten-pound tuna, which, he says out loud, will make a lovely piece of bait. He thinks that if the other fishermen heard him talking, they would think him crazy, although he knows he isn’t. Eventually, the old man realizes that he has sailed so far out that he can no longer see the shore.

The old man realized that one of his reels is getting tugged on; it’s a marlin. The marlin plays with the bait for a while, and when it does finally take the bait and it starts to move with it, pulling the boat. The old man gives the line a pull, but he gains nothing. The fish drags the boat farther into the sea. No land at all is visible to Santiago now.

All day the fish pulls the boat as the old man braces the line with his back and holds it taut in his hands, ready to give more line if necessary. The struggle goes on all night, as the fish continues to pull the boat. When he sees two dolphins playing in the water he begins to pity and considers it as a brother.

The sun rises and the fish has not tired, though it is now swimming in shallower waters. The old man cannot increase the tension on the line because if it is too tight it will break and the fish will get away. Also, if the hook makes too big a cut in the fish, the fish may get away. Santiago hopes that the fish will jump, because its air sacs would fill and prevent the fish from going too deep into the water, which would make it easier to pull out. A yellow weed attaches to the line, helping to slow the fish. Santiago can do nothing but hold on. He pledges his love and respect to the fish, but he nevertheless promises that he will kill his opponent before the day ends. He sacrifices his health and wellbeing to catch this fish, but in the end it doesn’t matter. On the way back to shore with this huge marlin dragging behind, sharks begin to nip at it, slowly removing any meat left on the prized fish.

As the old man arrives he is devastated by what he sees. All of his hard work and determination, for nothing. His health is in a bad state. Not only is the old man late in his years but he’s now recently injured his back and cut his hands. Here is a war between a passion and responsibility.

Letter to Ayn Rand

Dear Ayn Rand,

            After reading your very inspiration and moving book, Anthem I’ve had some questions that I’ve been urging to ask. One of the most moving parts in the whole book is the part when both Equality 7-2521 and The Golden One finally arrive in the glass house, giving each other the names of the Greek gods. Something that really struck me was, why was the house a “Glass house” and what is the significance about it, if there is one?

Anthem Writing Idea

Anthem Writing Idea

Have you ever been in a good situation when you have a good idea and yet it still gets turned down?

            This one time I traveled to Lake Tahoe with a friend of mine. He’s a great guy but, every time I had a great idea about where we wanted to go, or what we wanted to do, it always got turned down. That really ticked me off. In a way, it almost reminds of politics. In this case he’s being extremely biased and closed minded, ignoring my opinions and not even considering my thoughts. The trip ended up great but I feel like I felt the same way that Equality 7-2521 did, always being turned down and away.

Advanced Research Topic

Advanced Research Topic

            Freedom can be interpreted in many different ways, in many different countries, in many different people, and many different political views. Ayn Rand’s definition of freedom contrasts strongly to that of many modern day Liberals. Through her writing, Ayn portrays a constant theme of freedom. Prometheus hates his daily life in his old city, under constant control Prometheus doesn’t even know what the word “I” is! I doubt he knows what freedom is either, until he ventures into the forest.

            Rand’s views on freedom are simple yet logical. Capitalism; in order for one man to be free another must be free as well. Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production, with the goal of making a profit. Obviously most of these facts describe many modern day Conservatives, the party in which Liberals are against in their political views. Liberals love to lean toward a more socialist and even communist views, they love equality and they love benefiting the poor. They believe freedom to use the power of government to equalize, clean up, and improve the lot of the disadvantaged.

Ayn believes in the conservative view of freedom, which has been conveyed to the public very effectively in the last couple of decades; it needs to be deconstructed and challenged, but also transmuted into acceptable forms which can be absorbed by the left (Liberals).

 

 

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nothing Gold Can Stay

What is beauty?

When your team scores?

Or when you get new floors?

 

How you show yourself?

What can one say,

When all you do is pray,

To the one above

 

Or is it nature?

How it teams

With so much life as it seems

 

 

Is that your beauty?

Disillusionment at Ten O’clock

Disillusionment at Ten O’clock

             Originality is the basis of success. No one looks at you in a job interview and says: “hey, your average, you can have the job because we like people like you, who are average!”. This world is revolved around this one word, “originality”. Every person is different in their own special way on the contrary, in Wallace Stevens poem “Disillusionment at Ten O’clock” every single person is dressed the same, wearing all “white night-gowns” and long “braded socks” while the only people who are different are the drunk sailors who wear what they want and act they want.

A Poison Tree

A Poison Tree

                Don’t steal ones anger, as it might “bite” you in the butt. In this poem, Blake describes a person whose anger constantly builds and metaphorically speaking the apple get more and more potent, killing his “foe”, as the “foe” steals the apple and steals his last bite that he may ever take.

One Perfect Rose

One Perfect Rose

The disappointment that the speaker is having is about the clichés of love, specifically about how people in love always send flowers. The speaker does love the fact that she has received a rose, which is the symbol of love yet she thinks it’s very ordinary and wants something special that not a lot of people can get, like a limousine. If you want to prove to somebody that they're the most important person in the world, doing some lame thing that everybody else always does and that doesn't require any real thought isn't the way to go. This what the speaker of this poem is trying to say.

Invisible Man Book Project #2

·         Among Ellistons most pivotal early experiences is the death of his grandfather, who first opens the young boy's eyes to the fact that appearances do not always represent reality. He has a hard core, just like a peach, and how he endured the death of his grandfather.

 

·         Invisible Man shows a lot of allusions to other texts. Ellison draws from sources as diverse as classical European texts. Which shows his fuzzy, “different” skin.

 

·          "Ellison uses everything he knows, not to prove anything to anybody but to exploit as fully as possible the artistic materials he is conjuring” This shows how he uses his resources as the peach would when it falls off the tree and re-grows a new tree using its own fruit as nutrients.

Quotes

“All things truly wicked start from innocence.”
―Ernest Hemingway

“Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands.”
― Anne Frank

                                                                          Peach

·         The narrator remains a voice and never emerges as an actual presence. This emphasizes him as an “invisible man.”

 

·         Ellison renders the narrator’s voice as that of a man looking back on his experiences with greater perspective, but he makes sure that the reader sees into the mind of the still-innocent character.

NPR Interview

A.)  A Rest Stop On The Road From Soldier To Civilian

B.)   Richard Martin

C.)   War in Afghanistan

D-G.) This great segment draws the curtains back to give civilians a look into a little known part of the soldier's world and the military's strengths. Moving large numbers of individuals requires order, structure and control.  This article displays how each soldier struggles with the fact of having an occupation at one time in their lives, to having no employment. "Somebody has got something wrong with their foot, they go see the podiatrist," he says, "no harm, no foul. Nobody says anything. It's when they got something wrong up here, that's when ---we--- want to put a stigma on somebody."

This I Believe...

This I Believe…

           

           My family has a dog named Roxie. He’s a huge fluffy golden retriever—he has great big ears, a very large head, and a laid-back, mellow personality. My sister was the one that really wanted a dog and surprise surprise my parents bought her Roxie.

Some years later, now in high school, I went home one afternoon after having had an emotional breakdown. My whole life was upside down; the situation was tough and saddening. I felt hollow, dead, an empty shell of a person. Then I found Roxie, laying in one of his usual spots on the ground. He’d been asleep, but he lifted his head and looked at me with his sweet hazelnut brown puppy eyes. I stroked his head ever so gently, scratching his chin (his favorite spot)  I moved my hand down to scratch his back and sides, and he stretched lazily, showing  his belly so that it could be rubbed as well, giving me looks of absolute adoration. My heard warmed, forgetting the thought of what had happened earlier.

At that point, it hit me: not matter how tough some thing in life may be, no matter how badly I fail, I will always have my family friends to support be and be by my side. I believe family is so crucial. I believe that real love, whether it comes from a family member, a friend, or a dog, love is offered unconditionally. Love doesn’t consider past transgressions; love doesn’t wait to make sure it will be returned; love isn’t looking for something better and settling for less. Without my family and friends, I would be nothing.

Big Idea Revised Writing

Chapter 2 Big Idea Writing

In Chapter two one of the biggest things in the beginning of the book happens, Kemmrich dies, leaving the whole group of soldiers psychologically in ruins. Muller notices Kemmrich’s condition and then points out the boots and asks if he could have them. The narrator describes Mullers hunger for Kemmrich’s boots: “I live, I feel a hunger, greater than comes from the belly alone.” (pg. 33) Muller takes advantage of opportunities in a world of limited resources.

Just as the men could feel like anything could go wrong, Kropp, Muller, Kemmrich, and Paul are all sent to Platoon 9, controlled under Himmelstoss. Himmelstoss uses a variety of get-tough-disciplinary measures, making Paul scrub the latrine with a tooth-brush. “…under his orders I have scrubbed out the Corporals’ Mess with a tooth-brush.” (pg. 23) 

All Quiet on the Western Front Essay

All Quiet on the Western Front Essay

The sense of loss in Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front is prominent throughout the novel. Identity, lost; the war, lost; and themselves, lost. “[Paul’s] state is getting worse.” (pg. 222) Little did he know, he was already dead. Paul “…can take nothing more.” (pg. 295) Stripped to pieces, his senseless soul is deprived of proper nourishment. Then “he fell in October 1918”.  (Last Page) Death; the best thing that happened to Paul.

            Paul’s generation is the “lost generation”. Only seeing through the eyes of death—fear and sorrow shroud the men as they “know only that in some strange and melancholy way [they] have become a waste land." (pg. 24) As “The war swept [each one] away.” (pg. 24) , the men lose their only hope and self-respect. They “…are forlorn like children, and experienced like old men, [they] are crude and sorrowful and superficial” they “…are lost." (pg. 110) “The generation that has grown up before [them] will be strange to [them] and will push [them] aside “ (pg. 254), as if not there. The men don’t know what life is, how it works, or what it feels like to have it. That’s the greatest loss, life.

It’s sad to say that it’s the people who have lived and learned most that have led these young men to their final chapters. Parents, teachers, and the government body all played a big influence in the path these men took. As they looked around and asked "why," they focused on what they had learned at home and in school. The patriotic myths of the older generation become apparent when Paul goes home. A man in the army criticizes Paul for not saluting him when Paul has spent a good share of his life in the trenches killing the enemy and trying to survive. These examples of betrayal are a motif in Remarque's novel.

            ". . . All men of my age, here and over there, throughout the whole world see these things; all my generation is experiencing these things with me." (pg. 264) Paul’s “… knowledge of life is limited to death” (pg. 264) Surviving the rest of the war would have been bad enough for Paul to endure physically and emotionally. Every time Paul went into the trenches, he lost more of himself; coming back at recurring emotional lows because of his consumption of death and violence that had been going on very close to him, deceiving his mind into thoughts of trickery and even worse, nothingness.

            Loss controls and dictates the lives of these men, especially Paul. Is there any gain in winning a war after you’ve lost so much? As everyone’s “…legs refuse to move” (pg. 111)  the shear thought of going to the front cripples the men. Every blood-soaked step towards the front eliminates any thoughts from one’s mind, leaving the men in pure cluelessness.

            Paul is loss, and loss is everything.

Why Are We Here?

When Dale Long had asked himself the large life question, "Why are we here?," he wasn't always sure of the answer. But one night of stargazing with his children brought him clarity on his place in the universe.

            Wondering about everything, I always over analyze the world and what revolves around me. I love reading articles, books, and newspaper reports about interesting topics that I don't really know about.
I'm pretty sure we have all thought about this question to ourselves, Why are we here?, and we may never know the answer yet the answer might just be right there, in front of all our faces, staring straight at us. As curious as I am, I always tend to lean towards sci-fi and interesting things that humans may have only heard about.

Passage From All Quiet On The Western Front

"We do it ceremonially, we stretch our legs out in front of us and split deliberately, that is the only way. How it all rises up before a man when he is going away the next morning!"

Stretching his sentences, Erich Remarque pulls one small idea and adds a lot of flare and descriptiveness while applying simplicity and a good visual in ones mind. In this short passage Erich describes what the soldiers do during their resting times.

The Glass Castle Book Project

Quotes about Mom

1. "Mama was my greatest teacher, a teacher of compassion, love and fearlessness. If love is sweet as a flower, then my mother is that sweet flower of love." -- Stevie Wonder

 

   2. "My Mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. I attribute all my success in my life to the moral, intellectual, and physical education I received from her." -- George Washington

         
Moms tone and the way she acts portrays how the mood and themes of the book change. One great example of this was when Dad was telling stories of his past and how him and Mom first met, the way she set herself in those situations and the situations that she faces today really not only shows how strong of a character she really is but how she is also so very similar to Jeannette which makes me believe that she is one of the biggest inspirations to her.

          

         A mom is one of the biggest inspirations in a persons life. 

        

         

Provide a Visual of a Texture

• Jeannette Walls' mom, Rose Mary is the kindest person I have ever heard of, her overall mindset is always so incredibly optimistic and nice, which is why I compared her to an apple
• Apple are nice and smooth on the outside and soft on the inside and most of what Rose Mary does, as a mother, is very similar in a way that shes very built and mentally tough on the outside yet she has a soft side to her and her true personality really comes out.
• Then the core of the apple represents her tough struggles through life and the "migration" from each area to another, as they always do, just like how the apple is and how the aspect of the apple being plucked from the tree it was grown from and then just all of sudden shipped across the country to a place where its needed. Rose Mary doesn't mind traveling so much as she does. Living a dynamic life of many strengths and weaknesses, the daily struggle doesn't take a toll on her mentality.