First Thoughts on Fahrenheit 451

The next and final book I have chosen to read is Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I am looking forward to reading this novel, as I am a huge fan of Ray Bradbury and his writing. Last year, I did my research paper on him as well as read a few of his novels. I have attempted to read Fahrenheit 451 once before, but never did finish it. I got bored with it, and also struggled to get through it due to Bradbury's unique writing style. However, now that I am a bit older, I think I will be able to enjoy this novel much more, as the topic covered is interesting. As one who loves to read, I think it will be interesting to read how the people are forbidden to read, and how they survive. In Bradbury's Illustrated Man, one of the stories, The Veldt, deals with a time when books were not allowed either. Instead, people had giant t.v. screens in their entire house, much like in 1984. Therefore, I am certainly looking forward to reading this novel and am glad I get to read a novel by one of my favorite authors. I know the book will be challenging to decipher, as Bradbury has a way of over explaining some things. But, those certain aspects make the novels more entertaining and fun to read. I am also glad I will not have to write an essay on this particular novel, as I do not know what topic I would pick. The novels by Ray that I have read are all quite complex with themes and messages, and Fahrenheit 451 caused much controversy. I hope that by the time I have finished the novel, I will be able to determine the reason why. I think it might have something to do with the fact that it talks about burning books, which could be a symbol of deteriorating knowledge or something like that. However, that is just a guess.

Key Events in The Old Man and the Sea

Rising Action

• Santiago has not caught a fish in 84 days.
• The old man and the boy sit in the boat and talk about baseball. The reader learns that Santiago's favorite player is DiMaggio.
• Santigo goes out fishing on the 85th day alone, but the boy sees him off.
• Santago catches some sort of large fish; the fish pulls Santiago and his skiff out to sea for two days. We learn the fish is a marlin after it jumps out of the water a couple of times.
• During his two days at sea, Santiago talks to himself, the fish, the ocean, and a bird that lands on the skiff.
• The old man catches some small fish to eat for his supper. He also runs low on water.

Climax

• After two days of pulling the old man along, the marlin begins coming to the surface.
• Santiago tries many times unsuccessfully to spear the fish with his harpoon.
• Finally, Santiago shoves the harpoon into the fish with all his might and kills the marlin.

Falling Action

• Santiago starts for home towing the marlin behind.
• The skiff moves much slower on account of going against the current and the dead fish being pulled behind.
• The old man is growing more weak due to lack of water.
• The open wounds on the marlin from Santiago leave a scent in the water, which attracts sharks.
• Santiago kills several of the sharks that attack the boat, but not without allowing the sharks to take a bit out of the marlin.
• Finally, the old man gives up and the sharks rip all of the meat off of the marlin.

Resolution

• Santiago arrives home with just a skeleton of the fish remaining.
• The boy visits Santiago and tells him that from now on, the old man is not to fish alone. The boy will accompany him.
• The old man falls asleep yet again, and dreams not of the sea or fish, but of lions.

Santiago Vs. Nature

The second conflict I detected in The Old Man and the Sea was a common one found in many books. Santiago versus nature. The old man is being pulled out to sea by a large marlin, which Santiago believes he will be able to catch and eventually kill quickly. However, Santiago did not weigh in the numerous factors such as the heat, hunger, thirst, and the weather, which could all cause many problems for the old man, especially at his age and the fact that he was alone.
The heat while out on the ocean can be unbearable at times, due to the fact that Santiago is completely surrounded by water, which the sun reflects off of and onto his boat. Therefore, Santiago could have suffered from heat stroke or heat exhaustion for not being in shade. Because, I do not believe Santiago was wearing any sunscreen or protective clothing or anything like that. So, he was putting himself at great risk by going into the water unprepared.
In addition to heat, the old man did not bring enough food or water to last him the extended period of time he was out at sea. Like I said, Santiago did not exactly know how long he was going to be on the gulf, but he still should have come prepared. All he had was some small fish and a bottle of water. The gulf was all salt water, so unless he filtered out the salt, there was no way for Santiago to get more water should he run out. For food, Santiago did have the advantage of being completely surrounded by fish, so he could fish if need be. As it turns out, Santiago did catch two small fish to eat.
The weather was another unpredictable factor to being on the ocean. Santiago had been around the water long enough to tell if a hurricane was about to pop up or something like that. Even still, if foul weather were to arise unexpectedly, Santiago would have nowhere to go. He's completely surrounded by water in a small skiff.
So, the weather, heat, and lack of food and water provided conflicts in the novel for the old man.

Santiago Vs. Himself

To continue or to not continue? That is the question. The first of the two conflicts that I detected in The Old Man and the Sea was that of Santiago versus himself. So, basically, a man vs. internal sort of conflict. Throughout the novel, the old man has to continually think to himself "should I keep going and pursuing this fish, or cut the cord and go home empty handed?" Due to his pride and determination to catch the marlin, Santiago holds out and manages to catch the fish, despite conflicts within himself.
Like I have said, if I were in Santiago's position, I do not think I would have been able to stay holding onto an extremely large and heavy fish for more than a day. I probably would have said "forget it" and cut the cord and hoped for better luck next time. I would have let my "gut feeling" win in the conflict and then I would have to deal with the consequences. However, Santiago really wanted to catch this fish, so much that he himself starts to go a little bit insane over it, or so I think. Santiago begins talking to himself, the ocean, and even some of the wildlife. Those scenes in the book reminded me a bit of when Jack Sparrow is stranded in Davy Jones' Locker in the third Pirates of The Caribbean movie: At World's End. I could almost see Santiago there talking to himself and the bird that landed on his skiff. But because of his determination, the old man does not give up and wins the internal battle going on between him and himself to continue or not continue. Ultimately, he chooses to wait the fish's death out, or wait until the fish tires out and not once does he consider giving up. Therefore, Santiago manages to catch the fish and kill it, and starts on his long journey back home while being hunted by hungry sharks.

Why are Survival Stories Always at Sea?

I found the setting extremely appropriate for The Old Man and the Sea. Well, duh, "sea" is part of the title. However, one thing I am noticing about a majority of survival stories is they all tend to take place either at sea or on an island. Take Life of Pi for instance. Pi has to survive on the sea for an extended period of time. As for an island, Lord of the Flies illustrates how to survive on an island for a long time. I just noticed that common theme as I was reading The Old Man and the Sea. However, I do not know which I would rather be stranded on: the ocean or a deserted island. But because Santiago has spent practically his whole life dealing with the sea, as I am assuming about him due to his vast knowledge of fish, the old man survived quite well. Although I must say he was not entirely prepared for the idea of being at sea for three days. He did not bring nearly enough food or water to get him through the three days at sea. However, Santiago was able to catch fish, but I would have thought that with his bad luck with fishing he would bring extra with him, just in case. Although, his method seemed to work out for him as he managed to get back home safely, just without the whole marlin. All that he had to show for his efforts was a skeleton of the marlin.
Like I said, though, I think the sea added to the novel quite a bit. Santiago did not have many options while on the gulf except to stay in his boat and hope for the best, so in a way that added to the suspense of the novel. Because, I did not know if he was ever going to cut the cord and try to get back home, or if he was going to stick it out and wait for the fish to jump or come closer to the top. So the ocean provided a good setting for the novel, and I enjoyed the various descriptions given during Santiago's time alone in the skiff.

Final Thoughts on The Old Man and the Sea

Overall, I actually ended up enjoying this novel. I said in the beginning how boring it was, and the book did have its moments. I would recommend this book to anyone, as it tells a good story of perseverance, and never giving up. Santiago could be seen as an idolized character, because despite the fact that he is being pulled across the ocean by a marlin, he never gives up. Sure he gets discouraged and starts talking to his cramped hand, the marlin, and the sea, but not once does he think of letting the line go. If I were to be in the old man's position, I would give up after the first day. The fish is strong as well for not giving up without a fight. I am not taking the fish's side of things at all, but both the old man and the marlin did not give up, making them both an equal match for each other.
One thing I did not care for as much was the dialect and how Hemingway tended to have extremely short and choppy sentences, especially when the old man is by himself in his skiff with just the marlin and the sea. He begins talking to himself, and Hemingway does not use quotation marks, which made following what the man was saying and doing difficult to follow. I did like how short this novel was, as it made it a quick read. However, trying to decipher what message Hemingway is getting across can be difficult, as there are several I can come up with. Survival would have to be the main message. Also, I found two conflicts through the novel. There is the one between Santiago and himself, and also Santiago and the sea (nature). Therefore, for being such a short novel, it is actually a quite complex story, and I can see why Hemingway received the 1954 Nobel Prize for Literature. So I was surprised that I actually ended up enjoying this novel more than I had initially thought I would.

Significance of the Title: The Old Man and the Sea

Once again, I had some difficulty understanding what Ernest Hemingway was thinking when he came up with the title The Old Man and the Sea. I think a more appropriate title would be The Old Man and the Marlin. However, The Old Man and the Sea seems more contemplative and like a much more easy going, laid back sort of book rather than The Old Man and the Marlin. The old man in the title is obviously Santiago, the main character. He is a Cuban fisherman and has had very bad luck with fishing. Why he chose fishing as a career, I do not know. But, maybe it runs in the family and it is all he is good at. However, on the 85th day, Santiago goes fishing and catches a giant marlin, which drags him out into the gulf/sea. So, I am guessing that is where Hemingway came up with the whole "sea" part of his title. However, the sea is a majority of the novel even more than the fish is now that I come to think of it. Santiago is always talking to the sea and the fish, while being pulled along by the marlin. Santiago also refers to the sea as "she" or "her." That is one thing I do not understand about society. Everything is always referred to as "she." My family got in a discussion regarding this on the Fourth of July. America is referred to as "she" and we decided it was probably because of "mother country" and all that. But then, the sea has always been feminine as well. However, the people who came up with the names were all men, so they wanted something to come home to, or feel comforted by, naming the sea and America "her."
I got totally off topic on the title, but the old man is Santiago, and the sea is where Santiago spends most of his time as a fisherman. Therefore, the title is appropriate, but I would have titled the book differently.

An Ironic Ending

I found the ending of The Old Man and the Sea to be extremely ironic. I did get part of my wish with the whole shark attack thing. Santiago was actually attacked by several sharks. At least, his boat and fish were attacked. I kept thinking while the marlin was getting attacked "Wow. Santiago goes to all this trouble to catch this fish, and it gets attacked by sharks. That is quite unfortunate." Like I said, Santiago gets pulled along by the marlin for two days and then on his way back home, dead marlin in tow, a whole slew of sharks attack the boat. I felt kind of bad for Santiago, because chasing and then killing the marlin almost killed the old man. He worked hard to get that marlin, and because of sharks, he is not able to collect his necessary payment when he arrives back home.
What I am wondering is why Santiago did not attempt to cut up the marlin on his boat and transport the marlin home that way. I understand his boat was a small skiff, but he should have been able to cut the fish up in my opinion. That way, the old man would not be leaving trail of fish blood and guts saying come and get it! Freshly caught marlin! However, I get that the fish was extremely heavy and the marlin would be exceptionally difficult for the old man to pick up. But, if the old man was able to jab a harpoon into the fish and kill it, he should be able to lift the fish up into the boat and cut it up without sinking his skiff. As it ends up, the sharks attack the dead marlin, and the old man has to attempt to fend them off. I just do not understand why the old man would let the sharks feed off the marlin before he killed them. Santiago is just too kind in my opinion, which can be a good thing.

Cut The Cord!

Ok. So the one thing I was annoyed at by this book was how dumb I found Santiago to be. Kudos to him for holding out for the fish, but three days??? He was not nearly prepared for what the marlin would do to him. I mean, ok, he caught this huge fish and does not want to let it go. But, there are more fish than this one marlin in the whole ocean. He is bound to catch another one. Just cut the darn cord and move on. Instead, Santiago allows the fish to drag him through the water for two days, until he finally manages to kill it. But, the fish nearly causes Santiago to go insane and kill him, just because of the exertion. I mean seriously? How great is this fish anyway? He does not even keep the fish, but that topic is in my next blog.
I guess I just do not understand Santiago's situation. He had gone 84 days without catching a good size fish, and then he finally does manage to catch a big fish and does not want it to go. I still do not get why he could not let it go, as it was affecting his health. But, Santiago displayed perseverance and did not give up. I am just saying if I was in the same boat (no pun intended) as Santiago, I would cut the cord and let the fish go after a day. Santiago was not even prepared for going out to sea for the amount of time he did. All he had was some small fish the boy had given him and then the small fish he managed to catch while stuck holding onto the marlin. Santiago did display what he valued in life, however: getting the marlin. I would have just cut the cord, let the fish go, and tried to catch another fish. The least Santiago could have done was take the boy with him. He kept saying while stuck in the boat how much he wish the boy was with him. So why didn't he take the boy with him? Although, arguably, the old man did not know what was going to occur on the 85th day he went out fishing.

Thoughts on Santiago

I just finished The Old Man and the Sea and I was surprised that I actually enjoyed it a bit. Santiago is the main character, and the old man in the title of the novel. I found Santiago a bit strange near the middle of the novel, when he started talking to himself. However, I realized he is in the middle of the gulf with no one else to talk to but himself. A bird comes by after a while, and Santiago begins talking to the bird. I found that a little odd, and was a bit confused. I mean, its a bird. It cannot respond to him. Then, Santiago is talking to the marlin fish that really can't hear him. I don't get why he was talking to the fish and bird, except that he might be going off his rocker just a wee bit.
One thing I noticed about Santiago was he always seemed to be thinking about what DiMaggio would think. I believe Santiago idolizes DiMaggio, who is a famous baseball player. From what I gathered about DiMaggio, he is just a baseball player, but could very well be the "Cubanized" version of Albert Pujols. DiMaggio is a young baseball player, who probably basks in all the fame he receives, and he gets it from all ages. Because the old man is old (duh) and idolizes him to the extent of wondering how DiMaggio would handle the marlin. I think he would not care. I mean, DiMaggio is a pro ball player. He has people catch the fish for him while he plays baseball. Maybe Cuban baseball players are different than American ball players, but still. I think Santiago should be more worried about himself rather than his idol as he is being pulled by a fish through the middle of the Gulf! I am just saying the old man's life is a bit more important than the thoughts of a great baseball player who does not even know he exists, just saying.

Comparing The Old Man and the Sea to Life of Pi

My freshman year in Honors English, I had to read Life of Pi and write a paper on the novel. I found the novel difficult, and struggled to get through it, much like The Old Man and the Sea. I must have a problem with books that make me think or something. However, it was not due to lack of action or adventure that caused me to struggle; it was the message. After many failed papers and discussions with my parents, I discovered the main message or theme: survival. Now as I am reading The Old Man and the Sea, I find the same message hidden in this novel as well. Santiago does not have to survive in a boat, but he does practically live out of his boat and relies on it to keep him afloat while fishing. Pi's lifeboat was all he had in order to survive, and he did everything he could to try and stay alive. Santiago is similar to Pi, but different at the same time. Santiago has a friend. By having a friend, Santiago's life is that much better in my opinion. By having a companion, Santiago can share his experiences and gain knowledge, no matter how old the boy is. People can argue and say Pi had Richard Parker, but he was a giant tiger and could not offer much advice to Pi while in the boat. He just gave Pi incentive to stay alive. However, like I said, both novels share the same message of survival. Santiago will do anything to get the food he needs in order to survive. By "living on the edge," Santiago has learned the hard way how hash life can be, and how he has to work hard to get barely any gain. Although, it could just be that Santiago is down on his luck. At the point in the novel I am at, it is difficult to say. But I can already tell the message is that of survival and what people are willing to sacrifice to live.

The Old Man and the Sea and....Jaws?

Duh dum. Duh dum. Yes I am actually comparing The Old Man and the Sea to Jaws. Before the movie, Jaws was written by Peter Blenchley and I read it a couple of summers ago. Then while reading The Old Man and the Sea, I kept thinking of Jaws. However, that is probably not the right mind set to have while reading this novel. But I keep seeing comparisons and similarities, minus the whole shoveling chum into the water and man eating shark appearances. But the characters in Jaws have to sit in a boat and wait for Jaws to come near, so they can catch the shark. When Santiago is sitting in his boat, I keep thinking and waiting for a giant shark to attack that is never going to appear, as far as I know. Although, I am only about halfway through the book at this point. I just cannot get Jaws out of my mind while I am reading this novel. I can understand why, since I have both read and seen the movie Jaws. But I thought The Old Man and the Sea would be a fairly easy, simple read, and not make me think of sharks. A difference in the novels is Santiago is perfectly fine with being on the water; he is just disappointed in his lack of ability to catch enough fish. The men in Jaws were scared each day they had to go out and try to catch the shark, as they should be. Like I said, maybe I am just completely off on this whole idea and no one else agrees with me. I just thought this idea would be a good one to mention, as this is what I am thinking while reading this novel. I know a giant man eating shark is not going to attack Santiago and the boy, but I do kind of wish that would happen so at least something exciting would take place. If a shark attack occurred, the plot would be so much better. But I will continue reading on, hoping for some sort of action.

The Old Man and the Sea: Pages 1-25

Let me just start by saying that at this point, I am bored out of my mind with The Old Man and the Sea. So far,I find the book pointless. A man is in a boat trying to catch fish, and he has not been able to because he is down on his luck. What is the point? Sure, I get the whole "living to survive" message that Ernest Hemingway is trying to get across, but he sure makes it not exciting to read. There has been absolutely no action what so ever, and Santiago is just sitting in a boat with a boy talking about baseball. I did like the mention of John J. McGraw, cause hey, it's part of my name too. But, I have no idea who John J. McGraw was other than a baseball player. I have heard of "Tug" McGraw, but I do not believe that is the same guy. The boy seems to idolize Santiago, and always wants to be around him. However, since I am only on page 25, I have yet to find out a type of background or history between the boy and Santiago. What I have gathered so far is the boy's parents do not approve of their son spending so much time with Santiago, but the boy does not care and fishes with him anyway. Plus, the boy is underage and drinking beer? Although, I am not sure of the time period yet either, so maybe underage drinking is okay where Santiago and the boy are at. Like I said, the book is extremely boring right now, and I am struggling even in the first twenty five pages to get through it. I do not find the topic interesting, nor is the dialog any better. Both characters talk in extremely short, choppy sentences, and can be difficult to follow. However, since there are only two characters so far, Santiago and the boy, the dialog can be somewhat easier to understand as opposed to The Grapes of Wrath where everyone talked at once and there were way too many characters talking. So so far, I am not a big fan of The Old Man and the Sea. Hopefully the plot picks up and I can enjoy it.