Chapter 4.5 – The Old Man and The Sea : Book Review
In the Old Man and The Sea, an aging Cuban fisherman struggles to make his living. He hasn’t caught anything in 84 days and has lost his apprentice, Manolin. To redeem himself, he ventures far out to catch a great marlin. When hauling it to shore, the carcass is ravaged by sharks and Santiago returns to shore with only a skeleton. This is a book review and when the writer of the review read it the first time, he was not impressed. Hemingway’s descriptions of the sea and the creatures of the water are beautiful. As the novel progresses, the old man and the marlin are inseparably linked because both stand for the same ideals, that is, a noble struggle against destruction.
apprentice : a person who works for another in order to learn a trade
marlin : a large saltwater fish with an elongated body and a spear-like snout
shrapnel : small pieces of metal that fly during an explosion of a bomb / weapon to hurt people
wrought : brought about
pithy : brief, full of vigour
formidable : causing fear
Warming up!
1. Pair up with your partner and answer the following questions :
(a) Which animal would you relate yourself to and why?
Ans: I would relate to a goat. Since it is my zodiac sign and I show signs of the ability and endurance of this animal. Its slow and steady pace allows it to reach the top.
(b) Do you have a hero or a role model to look up to? Who is he/she ?
Ans: No, I do not have any particular role model whom I look up to. Anyone who displays endurance and the ability to face difficulties and hurdles, fights them and reaches these goals, inspire me.
(c) Do you have a passion you would fight for? Why ?
Ans: A Passion I would fight for is ‘Anti-littering’. I know that the amount of litter that we churn out every single day, will pollute our planet to a very great extent.
(d) What is meant by a review?
Ans: A review is critically examining a book on the lines of its social and historical context. The writing style and lastly your thoughts on it.
(e) Have you ever read any book review? If yes, which one ? If no, make it a point to read one.
Ans: No, I haven’t read any book reviews, but I plan to do so at the earliest.
2. Make a list of famous novels of Ernest Hemingway. Two are given to you.
(1) A Farewell to Arms
(2) For Whom the Bell Tolls.
Ans:
(3) The Sun Also Rises
(4) A Moveable Feast
(5) To Have and Have Not
(6) Death in the Afternoon
(7) The Garden of Eden
3. Ernest Miller Hemingway was a famous American novelist, short story writer and journalist. Make a list of other famous American novelists. Complete the web filling the boxes with the names of famous American novelists.
Ans:
In Between The LESSON
Q1. What was the entertainment arranged for by the hostess ?
Ans: The entertainment arranged was a concert to be performed by a pianist.
Q2. What was the writer’s reaction to classical music?
Ans: The writer was not able to understand classical music; he was tone-deaf. As a result he felt forced to pay attention to it.
Q3. What do you learn from Einstein’s treatment to the young man ?
Ans: Einstein showed a good relationship and instead of getting frustrated, he accepted the writer’s lack of ability and taught him to appreciate music. From this I learnt that we should be friendly, helpful, and empathetic. We should listen to others and overcome prejudice.
Q4. Do you think the comparison between music and arithmetic was a good one? In what ways ?
Ans: Yes, I think the comparison between music and arithmetic was a good one. Einstein managed to see so much. Perhaps, more significant to me is his arithmetic example. A math teacher starts the chapter with elementary things then proceeds from simple to complex. When the child acquires the skill with the simplest problems it leads the child to solve division & fractions. Similarly, the writer had never heard the basics of music and he directly heard the complex parts of classical music. When the writer had mastered his skill of listening to understand the basics he was able to clap sincerely.
Q5. As far as listening is concerned, what difference do you notice between the writer and Einstein?
Ans: As far as listening is concerned, the writer did not understand classical music at all as he was tone-deaf. Whereas Einstein was fond of classical music and Bach was his favourite composer, which is why he had come to attend the concert.
Q6. How did Einstein help the narrator appreciate music ?
Ans: The writer told Einstein that he was tone-deaf. Einstein took him to a room which had a gramophone and played the type of music which the writer had heard and could understand well.
Q7. What does the last line tell you about Einstein?
Ans: The last line tells us about Einstein’s genuine attempt which opens the door of interest for beauty of music which explains the writer to work around with his eyes and ears opened. Make him learn that one should be open to everything around him and not to be afraid to experience or try new things. creativity will come gradually.
This line put the writer in his endless debt.
ENGLISH WORKSHOP
1. Read the passage and name the following.
(a) Young and devoted apprentice
Ans: Manolin
(b) The place where Hemingway had experience of fishing
Ans: Cuban waters
(c) That which Hemingway was injured by, during First World War
Ans: shrapnel
(d) Language of the novel
Ans: simple and pithy
(e) In his first reading, the review writer was left
Ans: unimpressed
2. Correct the following sentences using facts from the review.
(a) Manolin’s parents insisted on his working with the same old fisherman.
Ans: No, they insisted on him changing his work.
(b) This novel is pure fiction.
Ans: It is based on real experiences.
(c) Hemingway’s style of writing does not unfold the hidden meaning.
Ans: It unfolds the hidden meaning.
(d) The relationship between the old man and Manolin is coarse.
Ans: The relationship is heart-warming.
3. Compare the points that you would use for a book review with those of the review of a play and write in your notebook.
Ans:
4. The line – ‘I first read this novel years ago, when I did not understand it at all and was left unimpressed.’ tells us about the book reviewer’s opinion about the book. Complete the following sentences using the expressions.
(1) In my opinion, every hard working person achieves success in life.
(2) I strongly feel that _______________
Ans: I strongly feel that the novel is based on real events of Hemingway’s own life.
(3) I wish I could _______________
Ans: I wish I could sympathize with the marlin since it was caught in the fishing line.
(4) As far as I know you _______________
Ans: As far as I know you, your memories will live on in the minds of the people.
(5) I think _______________
Ans: I think his simplicity is deceptive.
5. The review describes the struggle between the old man with the marlin and sharks, Ernest Hemingway’s struggle against defeat or death and noble struggle against destruction. Find all the words from the text that are related to the word ‘brave’ or ‘courage’.
strength
Ans:
Determination
Endurance
Triumph
Formidable
6. The review mentions struggles of both the writer, Ernest Hemingway and the old man. Fill the incidents of struggle of Hemingway in table A and those of the old man in table B.
Ans:
7. Read the text again. You will find that the text contains many phrases. Match the phrases in ‘A’ and their meanings in ‘B’. After matching their meanings, make sentences of your own.
Ans: (1 – d), (2 – e), (3 – a), (4 – b), (5 – c)
Sentences:
(1) Due to the drought, the country went through a run of terrible bad luck.
(2) Not all students draw heavily on the opportunities open to them.
(3) The picture you took of the boy, lying in the alley struck a chord with me.
(4) The weather seems to be hot, in spite of the fact that it was only the end of March.
(5) Jane is holding on in spite of her difficult circumstances.
8. (A) Rewrite as directed, without change of meaning, in your notebook.
(1) Hemingway’s novel is based on real events. (Convert the underlined adjective to an Adjectival Clause)
Ans: Hemingway’s novel is based on events which are real.
(2) He hooks a marlin but the marlin is too strong for him. (Rewrite beginning with ‘Although’)
Ans: Although he hooks a marlin, the marlin is too strong for him.
(3) The reader can read his work again and again and find new layers of meaning. (Begin the sentence with ‘On reading’)
Ans: On reading his work again and again, the reader can find new layers of meaning.
(4) As the novel progresses, the old man and the marlin are inseparably linked. (Rewrite using ‘progress’ as a Noun)
Ans: In the course of the progress of the novel, the old man and the marlin are inseparably linked.
(5) Being strong, the marlin starts pulling the boat. (Rewrite inserting ‘and’ as a Coordinator)
Ans: The marlin is strong and starts pulling the boat.
(6) When I first read this novel, I was unimpressed. (Rewrite using ‘but’ as a Coordinator)
Ans: I had read this novel before but I was unimpressed at that time.
(B) Write the ‘root-word’ after dropping the prefix or suffix or both.
(1) unable
Ans: able
(2) heavily
Ans: heavy
(3) determination
Ans: determine
(4) endurance
Ans: endure
(5) unimpressed
Ans: impress
(6) relationship
Ans: relate
(7) inseparably
Ans: separate
(8) empathetic
Ans: empathy
(9) beautiful
Ans: beauty
(10) simplicity
Ans: simple
9. Write a book review on any book of your choice with the help of the following points.
- Story line
- Social / Historical content
- Writing style
- My thought
Ans:
Name of the book – If I Never Forever Endeavour, by Holly Meade
This book is about a bird who didn’t yet know how to fly. The bird wants to decide if it will try to fly but it is not sure if it wants to. On one head he worries he might fast and on the other he thinks of how he may succeed.
He worries that if he tries he may get lost in the world and that makes him want to stay in his nest where he ‘s safe.
I feel that this book may help other children to try and learn new things which they are afraid of doing. It will help them to understand that they are bound to make mistakes. but it’s okay at times, since making mistakes is a part of learning.
I liked reading this book because it gave me an opportunity to talk to my elder sister and mother about the mistakes that I could make, while learning something new in life; a new language or a new skill.
Boys and girls who are between 3 and 8 years old would enjoy reading this book, because it will encourage them to take up a new skill or a new craft and also learn how it is important not to be afraid all the time about trying out new things.
I could give this book 4 stars, since I think it is important for children to take up a new thing to engage themselves with.
The language used by the writer is easy and understandable.
10. You know the essential points required for a book review. Now form pairs and find essential points required for a play review and film review. You can take help of your teacher, library or the internet.
Ans:
11. Project
Classroom Library :
Ask all your classmates to donate a book each to the class. In this way everyone will have a book of his/her own to read. Read the book in a week or two. After reading it, exchange your book with your classmate. Keep exchanging and reading books for the whole year. Every fortnight give the book review of the book that you have read recently in the form of presentation.
Ans: Students should do this on their own.