Every thing about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated.
He no longer dreamt of storms, or of women, or of great occurrences, not of great fish, nor fights, nor contests of strength, not of his wife. He only dreamt of places and the
lions on the beach.
Man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed; but not defeated.
“Nothing is easy” says the old man in the novel. This is what Hemingway wants us to learn that every man has challenges in life to meet. Discuss in terms of “The old man and the sea”
“Fish” he said I love you and respect you very much but I will kill you before this day ends.
The hell with the luck ‘ the boy said. I’ll bring the luck with me. It is silly not to hope, he thought. Besides I believe it is a sin.
‘I told the boy I was a strange old man’ he said, “Now is when I must prove it.”
The he said aloud, “I wish I had the boy” To help me and see this.
“Keep the blanket around you” the boy said, you will not fish without eating while i am alive.
‘I may not be as strong as I think’, the old man said. “But I know many tricks and I have resolution”
“I am not religious”, he said, “But I will say ten our fathers and ten Hail Mary’s that I should catch this fish, and I promise to make a pilgrimage to the Virgin of Cobre if I catch him. That is a promise.”
“Eighty-five is a lucky number ‘ the old man said.”How would you see me bring in that dressed out over a thousand pounds?”
Explanations
1. The given extract throws light on the physical contours of the old man. It also reveals his personality and shows what kind of man he is. He is a great hero with all the physical and intellectual qualities. The old man is old and every thing about him is old such as his sail, clothes, face and shoulders. But he is not pessimist or desperate. He is resolute and brave and believes in his inner characteristics as a great fisher man although he never boasts off his qualities; but simply describes them. There is one thing which is different from the rest. His undefeated eyes – which are as cheerful and full of hope as the bright and fresh water of the sea. They are blue and tell us of a long heroic struggle of the old man against the odds of life. His eyes symbolize the vastness of the ocean, vision of a sage, greatness of The Himalayas and depth of the oceans. They are as mysterious as the gray water of the sea. Obviously, the given extract is a perfect description of the old man which exposes much of his character and the line of action he intends to follow. (220 words)
3. The old man had hooked the great fish and was making his way back home. But he was not out of danger. He had crossed The Great Well which was a host of sharks. When the first shark attached, it took away a major portion of the fish and the old man felt sorry for the fish. He knew that he was in trouble and was determined to fight against his enemies with full force and integrity. It is just then he says, “But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated.” The sharks come, attack and destroy the old man in many respects; but the old man is not defeated because defeat, in the vision of the old man, is meaningless as long as man keeps struggling to achieve his goal. The great thing is not victory but optimism in the midst of failure and odds of life. A man leading a life of determination and endurance in the face of heavy odds may be destroyed but he still stands undefeated. The greatness of man lies not in the fruit of struggle but in the carrying out the struggle itself. Man suffers, endures and undergoes uncertain conditions; but man is one who keeps struggling and leaves the result of the struggle to God. This is the philosophy and greatness of the old man. These words of the old man are the very theme of the novel. (250 words)
Plzzz explain the other lines.
Thanks a lot…
It’s a great explanation but here, there are only two explanations. From where I can get other explanation?