Ayn Rand in Rapture

               Most people do not think of video games as works of art, which in my opinion most aren't. There is one game that defies this common belief. Bioshock is a very complex game that has an incredible storyline with actual learning possibilities, specifically in philosophy. 

                The story takes place in 1960, out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean a great city has been built deep under the Ocean. Andrew Ryan, (even his own name is made up of Ayn Rand), a Russian just as Rand, had grown up in the time of the Bolshevik revolution when the Soviet Union was forming. He had been heavily oppressed just as Ayn Rand's family and decided to take more extreme measures. He created his own philosophy that is identical to Rand's Objectivism and spread the word. He took his money and made more money, leaving Russia for America. He taught his ideas to many people eventually gaining enough supporters to reveal his plan. He kept it a great secret and only told his followers. They were to build a city in the middle of the ocean where "the artist would not fear the censor, where the scientist would not be bound by petty morality, where the great would not be constrained by the small." This city was called Rapture as in to be free from oppression. Pure capitalism was embraced and religion was non-existent. "No Gods or Kings Just Man." His one fear was the world figuring out about his city. The "parasites", the people who wish to take away his dream were to never discover his creation. He had thousands of the brightest minds in the world all come together to live in absolute freedom with unquestioned secularism.

               "I am Andrew Ryan, and I'm here to ask you a question. Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his brow? 'No!' says the man in Washington, 'It belongs to the poor.' 'No!' says the man in the Vatican, 'It belongs to God.' 'No!' says the man in Moscow, 'It belongs to everyone.' I rejected those answers; instead, I chose something different. I chose the impossible. I chose... Rapture, a city where the artist would not fear the censor, where the scientist would not be bound by petty morality, Where the great would not be constrained by the small! And with the sweat of your brow, Rapture can become your city as well." 
- Andrew Ryan

             This quote is Objectivism in a nutshell. It has specific examples but it is also metaphorical. The sweat on your brow is anything you do, all you own, and any goals you might have. He is saying that in anywhere else in the world you are not entirely owning those things. In some way or another you are sharing. Ryan believes that you live for yourself just as Rand does, not for any government or religion. You are the ruler of your own life. 

               

"The Missing Scene" From Chapter 1 in Anthem

               When we became of age, it was time for us to have our life's determined, to be told what it is we were going to be doing, until becoming "useless." The Council of Vocations had seemed like a distant thing while being educated, but as we grew nearer to judgement, we had been thinking of it quite often. Now that the day has finally fallen upon us, we wish to put our knowledge to good use at the House of Scholars, but we know it is a sin to prefer a job and we know that the council make the best judgement.

               As we awoke on the day of judgement, we felt a disturbing feeling, lodged not in the stomach or any muscle, but the mind and heart. We felt nervous, not because of any immediate danger, but because we felt as if we needed to be a scholar over any others we had been educated with. This is horrible thought to think, but yet we were thinking it. We did our best to repress the feeling and continue on with our day.

                When it came time to be selected, we had lost sight of all things other than our future, individually. We thought with the utmost sincerity that we could better society as a scholar and we hoped that the Council of Vocations would see this. Upon being called to the stand, we were nervous, still. We looked each Council member in their eyes and saw not acceptance, but scrutiny. We knew as a child, we were never liked. We always did wrong and never good. We were not like our brothers and we knew that, the council knew it too. When they called out the words "street sweeper," our heart lurched and quickly stifled our reaction and facial expression despite the sudden disgust we felt. We knew to accept the council's decision and knew it was for the best of society. We decided to make the best of it and keep an attitude of optimism.

                 Before the Council had us swear to our new lives they had one brief discussion together shortly after determining our position in life. They backed into a corner to communicate in private. We could not help but over hear their conversation. They were discussing us, Equality, but they were not saying things we would like to hear. They were reminding the others of our childhood. They had let our intelligence and overall superiority to the others influence their decision. It was a sin to be different, but how could we change it? It was unfair. We knew this but still determined that being a street sweeper was a fine job and that we would do anything we could to help our brothers.

The Hollow Men

I

We are the hollow men
We are the stuffed men
Leaning together
Headpiece filled with straw. Alas!
Our dried voices, when
We whisper together
Are quiet and meaningless
As wind in dry grass
Or rats' feet over broken glass
In our dry cellar

Shape without form, shade without colour,
Paralysed force, gesture without motion;

Those who have crossed
With direct eyes, to death's other Kingdom
Remember us -- if at all -- not as lost
Violent souls, but only
As the hollow men
The stuffed men.


II

Eyes I dare not meet in dreams
In death's dream kingdom
These do not appear:
There, the eyes are
Sunlight on a broken column
There, is a tree swinging
And voices are
In the wind's singing
More distant and more solemn
Than a fading star.

Let me be no nearer
In death's dream kingdom
Let me also wear
Such deliberate disguises
Rat's coat, crowskin, crossed staves
In a field
Behaving as the wind behaves
No nearer --

Not that final meeting
In the twilight kingdom


III

This is the dead land
This is cactus land
Here the stone images
Are raised, here they receive
The supplication of a dead man's hand
Under the twinkle of a fading star.

Is it like this
In death's other kingdom
Waking alone
At the hour when we are
Trembling with tenderness
Lips that would kiss
Form prayers to broken stone.


IV

The eyes are not here
There are no eyes here
In this valley of dying stars
In this hollow valley
This broken jaw of our lost kingdoms

In this last of meeting places
We grope together
And avoid speech
Gathered on this beach of the tumid river

Sightless, unless
The eyes reappear
As the perpetual star
Multifoliate rose
Of death's twilight kingdom
The hope only
Of empty men.


V

Here we go round the prickly pear
Prickly pear prickly pear
Here we go round the prickly pear
At five o'clock in the morning.

Between the idea
And the reality
Between the motion
And the act
Falls the Shadow
For Thine is the Kingdom

Between the conception
And the creation
Between the emotion
And the response
Falls the Shadow
Life is very long

Between the desire
And the spasm
Between the potency
And the existence
Between the essence
And the descent
Falls the Shadow
For Thine is the Kingdom

For Thine is
Life is
For Thine is the

This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.

Thomas Stearns Eliot

War is Kind

Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind.
Because your lover threw wild hands toward the sky
And the affrighted steed ran on alone,
Do not weep.
War is kind.

Hoarse, booming drums of the regiment,
Little souls who thirst for fight,
These men were born to drill and die.
The unexplained glory flies above them,
Great is the battle-god, great, and his kingdom --
A field where a thousand corpses lie.

Do not weep, babe, for war is kind.
Because your father tumbled in the yellow trenches,
Raged at his breast, gulped and died,
Do not weep.
War is kind.

Swift blazing flag of the regiment,
Eagle with crest of red and gold,
These men were born to drill and die.
Point for them the virtue of slaughter,
Make plain to them the excellence of killing
And a field where a thousand corpses lie.

Mother whose heart hung humble as a button
On the bright splendid shroud of your son,
Do not weep.
War is kind. 

Stephen Crane

Acquainted with the Night

I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain -- and back in rain.
I have outwalked the furthest city light.

I have looked down the saddest city lane.
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain.

I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Came over houses from another street,

But not to call me back or say good-bye;
And further still at an unearthly height,
A luminary clock against the sky

Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.
I have been one acquainted with the night. 

Robert Frost

Disillusionment of Ten O' Clock

The houses are haunted
By white night-gowns.
None are green,
Or purple with green rings,
Or green with yellow rings,
Or yellow with blue rings.
None of them are strange,
With socks of lace
And beaded ceintures.
People are not going
To dream of baboons and periwinkles.
Only, here and there, an old sailor,
Drunk and asleep in his boots,
Catches Tigers
In red weather. 

Wallace Stevens

War is Kind by Stephen Crane Response

               War is far from kind. Stephen Crane writes ironically, trying to convey his message of the stupidity of war. He is upset with the loss of life that comes from war. He does not simply bash war. He cleverly mentions horrible scenarios from war and responds to them with a sarcastic attitude. He effectively, declares his opinion without “declaring” it at all.

                He also is angry about the reasons we fight wars. The “Flag of the regiment” that tells the soldiers of the “virtue of slaughter” and “the excellence of killing,” is the reason they fight. They fight because the old men who start the war, tell them to. The young soldiers die for it. Not unlike Erich Remarque’s All Quiet On the Western Front, where Paul realizes the false validity of their cause. He eventually grows tired of the war, because he discovers the falseness of it’s so called “fruits.” War is never good.

                Both authors fought in war and they both hated the reasons they fought. Crane wrote a sly poem, promoting his idea and Remarque wrote a very controversial book that out right bashed the war he fought in. Their purpose is simple. They both just want the world to stop fighting and understand peace.

Disillusionment of Ten O'Clock by Wallace Stevens Response

               I feel that this poem discusses the feeling that society has about having to conform to what everybody else is doing. I know personally that all kids my age experience peer pressure. Everybody thinks they are an individual, but truthfully they are all the same.

              The new identity kids personify is called being "hipster." To be a hipster, you must like things that no one else likes and dress like no one else dresses. You avoid anything "main-stream" or something that everybody has already heard about. The sad thing about our generation is that being hipster has now gone main-stream.  So dressing the same weird clothes that original hipsters dressed in is now actually quite common and also the music that was once unheard of is now the coolest thing that anyone has ever heard. It is truly annoying.

                I hope that people will eventually grow up and stop acting this way. Maybe someday we can all be our own person without the fear of being made fun off.

                

Acquainted with the Night by Robert Frost Response

Isolation

Isolation,

Peer evasion,

On almost every one occasion

He never wants to meet anyone

for he fears confrontation

and questionable acclamation

 of those at the station

He separates himself from all

He is never on call

All alone 

On his own

He wouldn't have it any other way

He'd rather avoid the fray

and stay

by himself

Explanation

The theme in Acquainted with the Night is isolation. The man in the poem is very close to loneliness. He has become accustomed to it.  

The Hollow Men by T.S. Eliot Response

Anti-Passivity                   

Why don't we care

We try and we try

but it never is fair

We don't try like we used to

We don't preform like we used to

Will we ever get there

Not like this

All we show is fear

Are only chance is to trust

in those to come

We will succeed

Once sowed the seed

Confidence is what we need

Apathy is does no good

for those who even could

go far in this world

Our future unfurled

Explanation

              One of the themes in the poem The Hollow Men is passivity. The hollow men decide to wait and not act on trying to reach the kingdom. They stall and sit in their in between land and get nowhere. It makes them sad to not progress. People in the real world are the same way. We must have confidence to succeed.   

Lord of the Flies Ralph Description

          Ralph is the most civilized boy on the island. He keeps his sense of morality intact throughout the entire ordeal on the island. Early on, he attempts to bring the boys together under a structured rule where they can hopefully get rescued. He makes plans and tries to maintain order, but in the end the other boys become savage beast, leaving poor Ralph to fend for himself.

           Ralph maintains his manner of organization, at least in the beginning. It starts with the conch that calls the boys together for a meeting. From the meetings Ralph starts many opportunities. He  starts a signal fire to be seen by ships and designates shifts to keep it burning. He also delegates the hunters, a group to obtain food. He overall maintains control and helps the boys as long as they listen to him.

          Along with the previous paragraph, Ralph is a leader. He helps the "littluns" survive peacefully for many days. As soon as the plane crashed, Ralph assumed leadership and heading the group of boys in the right direction. It looked as if they would be rescued. The first sign of his failed leadership only came when jack became to interested in the hunting of the pig.

Lord of the Flies Character Analysis

             

       In Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses the theme of human nature to show how easily society can collapse, and how self-destructive human nature is. Throughout the story Golding conveys a theme of how twisted human nature can lead us to be. Human nature makes us destructive as we panic. Golding includes many colorful characters to portray that men are inherently evil, but some choose to defy it. 

He shows both good and evil through each of his characters. One of the characters that represents goodness is Simon. He is very good, and has the most positive outlook. Simon is very different from the other boys, he seems to always be helping the other vulnerable boys such as Piggy. "Simon sitting between the twins and Piggy, wiped his mouth and shoved his piece of meat over the rocks to Piggy, who grabbed it." (pg.74) This quote interprets an example of a time when Simon helped Piggy by giving him food, it shows Simon's hospitality. Another example would be when Simon helps the boys pick fruit from high to reach places.  

Golding tries to show the evil within man through Jack. He is the leader of the hunters, the first time they find a pig, Jack stops, and couldn't kill the pig. That revealed how Jack was civilized, yet later on he would kill the pig without hesitation. "'We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages. We're English, and the English are best at everything.'" (pg. 40) This quote depicts how Jack thought he would never become a savage, because he is "English" but in the end he is far more than a savage.  

All Quiet On The Western Front Final Essay

               The old men started the war, while young men payed the price. Paul and his entire generation of young men were the victims of the world wide tragedy known as World War 1; Tricked into fighting a war not for the welfare of the people, but an old German's dream of being the strongest in the world. The message of nationalism rang throughout Germany, escorting the youth to their inevitable doom, a betrayal that will never be forgotten.

                Kantorek, the schoolmaster and the initial proposer of the boy's enlistment, taught the idea of German nationalism. "Under his shepherding," (pg. 11) the young boys left school to enlist, all but one, Joseph Behm. Even him, after the consistent humiliation of being called a coward, succumbed to the call of valor. Shortly after training, during an attack, "Behm was one of the first to fall." (pg. 12) If not for the old schoolmaster's persistent words of encouragement, Behm would have lived. Paul begins to question the sincerity of their cause and if is worth the losses.

                The people back home were oblivious to the horrors taking place on the front. The people the boy's held most dear, their parents, knew nothing. They were huge contributors to the idea of serving one's country out of some kind of false nationalism. Paul's parents were very proud of their son and fully supported the war, but had no idea of the conditions he had been living through at the front and the horrible things he had to witness on a daily basis. They had bought in entirely with the government propaganda. "The wisest were just the poor and simple people." (pg. 11) Paul's parents were not among these simple people. 

                The poor knew that no matter how glamorous the government made war seem, it was never a good thing. The German government succeeded at convincing the rest of the country that the German nation was strong enough to take on the world. The nationalistic propaganda that they spewed out to their own people made the citizens unaware of the true horror on the battlefield. The government is the cause of all the hardship the soldiers went through. It not only betrayed the soldiers, it made the families and the people closest to the soldiers betray them. When the kaiser visited, the boys were given new uniforms to impress him. As soon as the kaiser left, the uniforms were taken back. Protocol was too important to the Germans. That is what lead to the true failure in the war.

                The government of Germany inspired a false nationalism in the people which overall caused a massive betrayal of their own soldiers. They were, towards the end of the war, just left out to die. All their peers either knowing or unknowingly betrayed them.  

Psychologist Craig Bryan: Treating Vets for PTSD

Psychologist Craig Bryan: Treating Vets for PTSD Interview

Psychologist Craig Bryan: Treating Vets for PTSD

Dr. Craig Bryan is the military’s number one go to guy for psychological disorders that come from serving in combat. He himself served in the Iraq war and now helps other veterans overcome the issues that are present after they leave combat.

The most common disorder that modern veterans are returning home with is post traumatic stress disorder. The amount of soldiers that are coming back to the United States and experiencing this disorder is increasing and the suicide rates of soldiers are following close behind. In the interview, Dr. Craig Byron tells us his job is to assist these men and women in their transition back to everyday life. The veterans are finding out the difficulty of change. He says they are trained to kill to protect others and they are basically trained to not fear death to accomplish their goals. The biggest issue with this mind set is the damage done to their mentality. The veterans no longer fear death so when they contemplate suicide they are more likely to go through with it as the average citizen will not. The veterans are also under more stress and may have more depressing memories that will lead to suicide. Dr. Bryan is doing everything he and the military can to assist in protecting the veterans in their transition home.

Even though none of the soldiers in Paul’s group of friends return home in Erich Remarque’s All Quiet On the Western Front, The issue of traumatic stress was still present. The soldiers had no fear of death for sure and would definitely experience issues upon their return home. Many soldiers of World War 1 probably experience PTSD even though would did not fully understand it.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is no laughing matter. Everyday we have more and more veterans coming home. It is up to us civilians to help insure that their transition back to everyday life is smooth and help them move on with their lives and hopefully forget the horrible stress of war.  

This I Believe

         

         I believe that there is one very important value that everyone all around the world needs to make their way of life. The "Golden Rule,’ as many of us learned in elementary school, is the most influential value on peoples lives. If you can teach a child to respect and treat someone the way they themselves would like to be treated then they will grow up and know how to communicate with others respectfully and politely, presenting more opportunities in life.

When I was little I was a very shy kid. I did not know how to speak with other kids and converse properly with adults. I wasn’t rude, but I didn’t know how carry on a conversation. It was not until I saw other people and their lack of skill in conversing, that I realized that I needed to be polite to all people. A simple “please and thank you” goes a very long way. I soon noticed the more I acted this way the more other people would respond in a positive way. Me being nice to people made them be nice to me. It was astonishing.

In several cases the politeness that I expressed towards others not only made them nicer to me, but it opened new doors for me. Most recently, I have been invited to join a team of young lacrosse players who are brought together to volunteer to teach the game of lacrosse to young kids and referee their games. In return, I am given a letter of recommendation for college. I would not have gotten this job if not for the nights after practice where I always offered to help clean up. I can imagine being polite has probably helped out many others as well. People will become impressed with the respect you show them and will offer you new opportunities that will overall progress you through your life, opening new doors. Always be respectful and treat others the way you want to be treated.    

Words that Describe Santiago

Adjective: Reliable.

       Most people see Santiago as just a withered old man, hopelessly, fishing with his tiny boat and no crew. The boy, however, does not see the old man this way. He sees the old man for what he really is, a knowledgeable, hardened man with much experience. Santiago is the most reliable fisherman the boy has ever known. This is tested when the old man is no longer allowed to fish with the boy because he has not caught a big fish in a long time. Santiago throughout the book is wishing to prove to everybody that he can catch a big fish and can be trusted. In the end his reliability is unquestioned.

Verb: Persevere

        In the boat, after first hooking the massive marlin, Santiago is gripping the thick line of rope with all his might. The fish is stronger than anything he has ever encountered and he can not hold the line in his arms for long, but he perseveres. He holds on until he hatches a plan to slide the line over his back. Shortly after doing this he is caught between the line and the bow of the boat. He is pressed tightly in a small space for two and a half days. He continues to persevere longer than the marlin. He has more will-power and overcomes the strength of the great fish and brings him in.

Noun: Survivor

        Santiago is the most incredible survivor. He lasted three days at sea in a tiny boat with a heavy line pressed to his back, scarring into his upper back. He was determined to beat the fish and survive the onslaught of pressure physical and mentally. He wanted the boy back. To get the boy back, he needed to bring home this massive fish. 

Kid Cudi's The Prayer

              I really don't listen to music all that much but I really like this song. This song gives me the message of being here on this planet Earth for a reason. I am intended to do great things. We all are. You have to put your faith and God and know that he has good plans for you. I think Kid Cudi feels he has accomplished his purpose. He wrote his songs to inspire others to accomplish their destiny and in the process contribute his part.

              I take this as a wake up call. Your purpose in life is to find something that will somehow better the world and do it until you die. Whether it be teaching, playing an instrument or singing, or some other way to help all of the world. Finding what you are intended to do comes from just living your life to the fullest everyday. 

              I hope that people will say that I act in a way that will overall better the world. I feel as if it is part of not only my personality, but my purpose. I strive to help others and be successful in everything I do. I plan on doing this until the day I die. I think is not the way Kid Cudi intended the song to be heard but it is my interpretation.

Word Choice/Sentence Structure All Quiet on the Western Front

Word Choice/Sentence Structure All Quiet on the Western Front

"Comrade, I did not want to kill you. . . . But you were only an idea to me before, an abstraction that lived in my mind and called forth its appropriate response. . . . I thought of your hand-grenades, of your bayonet, of your rifle; now I see your wife and your face and our fellowship. Forgive me, comrade. We always see it too late. Why do they never tell us that you are poor devils like us, that your mothers are just as anxious as ours, and that we have the same fear of death, and the same dying and the same agony—Forgive me, comrade; how could you be my enemy?"


              This a quote from chapter 9 where Paul has just killed a French soldier and is regretting it. He is thrown over the psychological cliff. His idea of the war he is in has changed completely. He now realizes after looking at the pictures of the French men's family that he is no different then him. I like this passage because I sense true voice involved. Remarque felt this way about the war when he fought in it. I think in writing this way he has captured the reason for this war ending the way it did. The men of the first World War were pressured by nationalism to fight the war. Remarque is expressing this opinion throughout the book but I feel its the strongest during this chapter and this specific scene.   

Chapter 1-2 Big Idea All Quiet On The Western Front

Chapter 1-2 Big Idea All Quiet On The Western Front

            The first chapter of this book is very straight forward. Besides introducing the situation and the characters in the story, there is a to the point theme of lost values. The men of this German army have nothing, at least in our eyes. They have nothing so therefore they make the simple things we take for granted their favorite things such as the latrine time. They have forgotten their previous joys in life if they had any to begin with. They young boys that are apart of Paul’s group have very little to come home to. They are at a time in their lives where they are going through priority changes. The war is just interrupting this time. They aren’t as attached to their parents and they are not married and don’t have children. They have no real careers to be worried about. The army has been their life, ever sense Kantorek persuaded them to enlist using pure patriotic enthusiasm.

            The soldiers no longer care for what the average person cares for. Half of their comrades have fallen. All the men can think about is how they have double rations because of the dead soldiers and the miscalculation their absence caused. The rest of the book continues this theme of missing values. The soldiers sometimes will steal and bribe to get what they want. The army is supposedly unified but it is not really. The unification is not true because of the loss of values. They no longer care for each other as they should. Paul is the only one who seems to still have retained his pre-war respect. He cares for others and notices the very real sadness around him. I believe as the book goes on he becomes less and less aware of the morbid situation all of them are in. 

Alternate Ending: The Old Man and the Sea

            Alternate Ending: The Old Man and the Sea

            The man speared the great fish with all his strength one last time. It was dead. He hauled it in as close as he could to the boat. He was more exhausted then he had ever been. The long struggle of three days was finally over. It was time to make the long sail home. He rigged up his old battered sail and made way back west towards land he had not seen for a very long time. His back was still in pain from where the line dug into his skin. He thought of the scar that the cut was going to make. Then he thought of how he would like for the boy to fish with him again because of his success. “How much would this fish bring in?” he thought. He knew it would be quite a lot. “I better worry about just getting this monster back to shore first” he said aloud. He then leaned back on the bow and thought of what people were going to think of his amazing catch. Who was going to enjoy this massive feast?  “Probably people who don’t deserve it.” The people who were going to enjoy this fish would have no idea of the work he put into catching it. “Well, as long as they pay well, there's not much more I can do” he said. He then began to doze off.

            He awoke to the sound of splashing. Water sprayed onto his face. Quickly, alerting him to the situation he had just seconds ago been oblivious to. He got up and surveyed the perimeter. He was shocked to see a dark grey fin in the water on the opposite side of the tied down marlin. He knew what it was. How could he not notice the trail of blood seeping into the water from the body of the marlin? This was surely the first of many scavengers to come. He had to deal with it quickly. He grabbed the still bloody spear and prepared to strike. The shark lunged forward right at the head of the marlin and the old man speared him in the eye. The shark withdrew rapidly only to meet its end at the jaws of another two sharks. They mercilessly ripped their fallen companion to shreds. The old man had never been afraid of sharks, but now he had seen they truly are monsters. The old man desperately tried to haul the heavy fish onto the tiny boat but there was no way he could do it. “Perhaps if the boy was here” he thought to himself. He was jerked away from his moment of thought by the two sharks and their quick change in direction. They were now done with the original shark and they darted straight for the marlin. They swam under the boat which made it impossible to spear them until they struck. The man waited and then jabbed, missing at first, but then stabbed one right down the middle. The wounded shark retreated down under deep with the old man’s spear lodged into its head. The man had no weapon except an old oar that didn’t have much length to it. He waited patiently for the final shark to resurface. The shark surprised him by leaping out on the opposite side. The old man turned and swung the oar almost as if he was playing baseball and the shark’s snout was the ball. He heard a loud THWACK! The oar snapped in two, leaving him with a very short weapon. Luckily the shark was stunned so it gave the man time to think up an alternative. He reached for his knife he had used to fillet the bait and small fish he had caught days ago. He then grabbed some thick rope and latched the knife to the edge of the oar. He took a deep breath to pull himself together. The shark resurfaced at the bow of the boat. The man ducked under the sail and held onto the mast for support. He extended himself out over the massive dead marlin and forced the makeshift spear into the gills of the final attacking shark. He demolished the shark’s momentum and kept him stationary with three blows to the tail. Then he clubbed the head until there was no more movement. Triumph was upon the old man. 

            Just as the body of the last shark drifted out of sight, the old man sighted the approaching mass of green in the opposite direction. He could see land for the first time in three and a half days and more importantly he had the biggest fish anyone in Cuba had ever caught. He sailed into the small harbor with all the other small fishing vessels back from a day’s work. The man coasted into his usually nook by the pier and docked the small boat. He hopped out of the boat and dragged the marlin onto the shore. He then walked down the dirt path to the old shack to search for the boy. He opened the broken screen door to find all the other fisher men discussing that days catches. He then saw the boy surrounded by his new fishing partners. Once the boy noticed the man he rushed to him. “Where have you been?” asked the boy. The old man’s response was slow but he eventually got to the point he needed to express. He had caught a massive fish and his bad luck was over and therefore the boy could fish with him again. The two friends ran back to the boat and untied the marlin to hang on the pier for all to see. Many people congratulated the old man. Everyone in the harbor wanted to know the story of the Old Man and the Great Marlin. He spent hours going over every detail with the townspeople before being approached by the sales man who walked up with a look of pure amazement. He went ahead and threw out a number for the price of the huge fish. The old man was astonished. He was paid in cash on the spot. He was now the richest fisher man in the harbor. He knew exactly what to do with this money. He called the boy in close and they conversed for a few minutes. They then walked off in different directions.

            The next morning the old man met with the boy and walked out onto the pier where their new boat was sitting, a much bigger vessel with a motor and even a radio to listen to the American baseball. The old man was happy. He had a new boat and money, but he was truly content because of the boy. He would no longer fish alone and his bad luck was diminished. He would live on to remember what it took to break his bad luck streak and gain the boy back as his best friend.

  

Summary of the Old Man and the Sea

Summary of The Old Man and the Sea

The Old Man and the Sea is a story about an old fisher man who has been done on his luck for the past 84 days.  All the other boats in Cuba have been fairing better than him. His loyal apprentice has been forced to fish with another boat because of the old man’s failure. The old man is determined to succeed. He decides he’s is going to sail out deeper than ever. On that 85 day he hooks a really big marlin. It becomes the fight of his life. He was pulled by the marlin for three days. At the end of the fight he slays the marlin and leaves it tied to the side of the boat. He starts for home but is pestered by sharks. He kills one but loses his spear making it impossible to fight back and the sharks eat the fish leaving nothing but bone. The old man comes home exhausted and sleeps.