'In all of Hemingway’s works, he told two stories, one that was visible on the surface, and one that was hidden beneath the surface. '
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- Do not go gentle into that good night
- Flower in the Crannied Wall
- Macbeth 1
- Macbeth 2
- Macbeth 3
- Shakespeare: Shall I compare thee to a summer's day
- Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening 1
- Stopping by woods on a Snowy Evening 2
- The Old Man and the Sea 1
- The Old Man and the Sea 2
- The Old Man and the Sea 3
- The Tell-Tale Heart
- War 1
- War 2
- We will not go down in Gaza tonight
Land of Sad Oranges
I remember I said in one of the lectures, that I didn't like the book in the arabic version when I first read it long time ago. I didn;t find it interesting and i could hardly go with it till the end. I just made myself to for it's one of the famous world master pieces. In English, I was to sea the contrary. I liked those monologues & dialogues that this story is built upon. It's amazing how we can understand what's between the lines. To understand what was visible on the surface and the hidden side beneath the surface. I believe that the hidden was even more obvious to me than visible which I refer to "appearance" or shall I say (oldfishermen's attitude to Santiago)... It's all about human relationship to each other (Santiago & other fishermen, Santiago & the young boy Manolin). And about his realationship, or brotherhood, to the sea (Marlin fish, other fishes, even sharks). Not to forget his selfdetermination to restore his dignity by doing something big & how much strenght he gave to it. Moreover, the human's feelings and deep emotions, as deep as that sea was, they were seen & felt within the book & even more within the movie. It's a great movie since it could bring about all that & make us understand it properly.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great show.
Welcome Karina and company to the between-lines-interpretations world. I'm glad more students are ready and willing to work there. Use more brain torches and everything can be lit.
ReplyDeleteAt first , I would thank Dr Shawki Ghannam for his great efforts for us . He did his best in making us love his course . A word I have to say, he is A GREAT PROF . THANKS PROF .
ReplyDeleteNice Karina ! Do you think if you read it translated you would have the same enjoyment ?
Of course not . When you read an Arabic poem for Antara for example , and read it translated into English would you feel the same emotions he wants to reflect ? Each language has it's places of beauty . When you read it in the author's words , you would feel more enjoyed , because the translator may not get the idea the author wants to reflect .
Thanks
To me , that the hidden story is much more interesting than the obvious . The obvious reflects a normal story about a poor fisher man who has the charm of - salau - word which sticks to him for 84 days and in a another line it reaches 87 days without fishing a fish .
ReplyDeletewhen luck comes to him he fishes a marlin but his dream doesn't keep smiling for long . Sharks do their duty by getting his dream down . and then he comes back empty-handed but in a Caracas and a spear . The hidden is more effective than the obvious specially , in showing that though being him an old poor fisher man, he defies his damned destiny and goes far in the ocean to fish a miracle - marlin - that young fisher men can't fish . Though his old age that is not welcomed in fact , he did it because of his determination and tricks .Moreover , he restores his dignity in this fish . I'd rather say in this half fish or a fish-like but it is in its value that people can't appreciate it , because they only care of appearances . In the end , he dreams of lions . I MAY interpret that he is escaping from the bitter reality to come back to the sweetest days of his life .
Thanks
the old man and the sea, i love it very much i can see a lot about life in this story.every thing in life represents life,even the sea,it is like the person it has inside him what is good and what is bad ,you can be misleaden by its bright blue colour but when you go far and far in it you will find that the strong eats the weak ,or you will find a treasury that makes your esprit high by its wonderful shine, i can see how the weak person is usually the one who good often God get them in misery to make sure how much they will be patient, and i see also how the simple person his only matter in this life is to get his bread and the more paitent he is the more he is belive and god and the more he is accept to fate of life, i can see how the resistance can change our life in a good way evenif we dont succed but we still can be satisfied with ourself, and i see that the person must not be aware of what people said as this will weaken us but we have in the mean time ot prouve ourself in anther way.
ReplyDeletehi, D.shawky really its a great thing to help your students in this way , to show us the movie you know its the first time that we do this activity,thanks alot.
ReplyDeleteIfeel more interesting in watching the old man more than Macbeth simply i love the sea very very much ,nature,the simply life.
Ilike Sintiyago so much i feel sorry about him he is very poor and he had nothing in his house
thank you Doctor.
منى مفيد الهندي
for me I learn many things from this novel first not to give up easly and struggle to the end .also santiago killed the fish ont for money ,but to improve to the others that he is able to do that .so i advice all people not to struggle about material things but for ones personal feeling to prove that he/she is stil able to defeate his orher rival olso he pointe to the frindship and the importance of them
ReplyDeleteHello,I agree with Heba that we learn many things from this novella ,but I found it more beautiful when i read it from the book ,i do not know why but i imagine a lot of things that I did not see in the show!!!!
ReplyDeleteAlaa Baraka: I loved your comment and I agree with all the things that you mentioned :)
ReplyDeleteFor me, The Old Man & The sea represents so many things, it represents the relationship between people , between Santiago and the little boy , I loved the great way that each one of them used to treat the other.
It represents also the relationship between people and the enviroment around us, the relationship between Santiago and the sea. I loved the way how he loves the sea and keeps going there eventhough he gets nothing in each time. I loved that he remains strong and tries to do his best to continue his life.
The Old Man and the Sea" is a fine story'' .The action parts of the story rely heavily on stock footage, and sometimes on rather obvious models, but the action is not nearly as important as are the old man's character and his thoughts. Although there are some exciting moments in his battle with nature, it is what these bring out in him, not the events themselves, that are important.The heart of the story is an honest but compassionate look at a man almost thoroughly ignored by the world, seemingly with little purpose to his life. His importance comes not from any outstanding achievement or valuable talent, but simply because he is a human being, with his own hopes, memories, and worries that are unique to him. This movie version succeeds well in rendering a touching picture of its main character.
ReplyDeleteStruggle to acheive our goal is a good thing but not to give up before acheiving that goal is the best. Our goal might be lost after being acheived but surely we will feel of self confidence and satisfication that we could do what we have struggled for... the goal might be a marlin, a job or even a homeland...
ReplyDeleteStruggle to acheive our goal is a good thing but not to give up before acheiving that goal is the best. Our goal might be lost after being acheived but surely we will feel of self confidence and satisfication that we could do what we have struggled for... the goal might be a marlin, a job or even a homeland...
ReplyDeleteIs Hemingway present a story? No because the story is about an old man who fish a big fish, so what attention or attractive us 2 read it? I think that Hemingway success to present a story which descript our feeling and emotion because this story happened and happens everyday with everyone but not all of us success at the end like Santiago.So he use the old man to express the human who hasn't the power but has the will.
ReplyDeleteThe story of the old man and the sea is not that regular story. It introduces the victory and the physical lost. It’s the story of the long struggle with the life itself, and the destiny laughs on the human powers . The fisher still struggling with the fish for three days long. The relationship between the fish and the fisher comes as a good loyal, and balanced relationship. He respects the long strength fish but at last he should kill it because of his need. (the fish is my find too), (I have never seen or heard of such a fish but I must kill him. I am glad we don’t have to try to kill the stars ). He clues through the struggle about the human conflict. He insure that the human powers cannot be limited ( I will fight them, I will fight them to the end ). The old man tries to in large his powers and ability, he struggle with the fish and the sharks. He as the old heroes. The story comes to be one of the most beautiful symbolic story. Some critics counted the story as the old religious stories and insure of the thought which introduces the human ability. Hemingway introduces the fish as the aim that should come true. Hemingway's sharks are the critics and the hardness of life itself. During the story when the old man wins, may be it means that the man wins his battle with his patient and his strength. Hemingway victory on the world of literature symbolize in away or another the story of the old man and the sea , also the long battle of living a life.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe story of the old man and the sea is not that regular story. It shows a conflict between not equal fighters. It was a conflict between fish and human.The fish was so intelligent but the old man more intellegent her . Also the boy was very good and helpful . He didnot forget the old man. It was conflict for living and achallenge for difficulties
ReplyDeletethe old man and the sea had ahard will because he stayed eighty - four dayes without afish or any thing , although he made the hope , every day he waited and lie didnt give up . finally id like to say the old man had known just 2 things hope and patiance
ReplyDeleteThe old man and the sea is a lovely story , but I think for a palestinian specially lives in Gaza it will not make a sense.
ReplyDeletePatience ? I think no one all around the world have patience as a child here in Gaza.
Faith ? (no comment)
In this story I loved the relation between the old man and nature .
I'm a student who watched the movie Old Man And The Sea I think the movie's graphics weren't all that good. The plot was good, but the graphics were horrible. Every thing looked fake, especially the marlin. Other than that the movie was good. They didn't make many changes, and the changes they did make, made the movie better not worse. The actors did their job pretty good and they were convincing. For example when the old man was out to sea looking for the fish and talking to himself he was saying things with a lot of feeling. Or the part when he was saying that he had to kill the fish even though he loved it and respected it. Then when he was asking himself if it was right to kill the fish he put enough real emotion in there to convince the person watching that he was actually there. The actors looked like I imagined they would look. Except one, the daughter Angela. They stuck to the book and how they said stuff and what they said so it was actually a good book in terms of the plot, if you can get over the fake graphics than it's a fairly good movie
ReplyDeleteI think the old man and the sea is a good example for strong determination .The old man prove himself however the sharks ate the marline and has his self confedence
ReplyDeleteI believe that to be able to realize the other story one should be very subtle. in general, when we decide to read a master piece like "The Old Man and the Sea" we have to put in mind the possibilities that the writer want us to see.In short, it's better to try to follow the smartness of the writer>
ReplyDeleteIt surprised me to see how well Hemingway has captured the back and forth of the thought process. It's more realistic than an average bit of captured thought in a novel. Writers often use a character's thoughts only to move action forward. Hemingway is, instead, showing the thought process Santiago goes through. Here, and later on in the book, we are privy to how Santiago intends to stay alive and fishing. He is not a one-dimensional character, lacking worry or fear. But he works his anger and fear out internally and moves forward in his thoughts, which lead to his actions. I particularly like how he gives himself time; there are several instances when the character tells himself he doesn't have to do something now, but he will eventually have to take action. Who knew Hemingway was a life coach?!
ReplyDeleteI love this novel so much it takes about many beautiful things at first i like the realationship between the old man and the boy which was like father and son and maybe more .
ReplyDeletedina algisawi
I want to say that this novel is so interesting
ReplyDeleteI like that the old fisherman didn’t give up although the society decide that he is useless but he feels that he can do something
It is very painful to see that no one support this old man except the boy
I like the relationship between the old man and the boy and the nature
This novel is a wonderful one. It is one of my favorites. It is short, too, so it does not take long to read. The main character is endearing and I always find myself engrossed in who he is and what motivates him. The greatest thing about this novel is the message that it conveys, which is that one should not give up on his or her dreams, despite the odds and despite not achieving those dreams over the course of time. The hope that comes out of the novel is touching.
ReplyDeleteAlso I want to mention that Santiago is one of my all time favorite characters. His determination, his ability to make a decision and stick with it no matter what.
I recommend this book to everyone. It is such an encouraging and outstanding story, and I think that everyone should get a change to read it. If you've read it, but you didn't find it touching or meaningful, then you've missed the point. I never knew that a story a little over 120 pages could have so much meaning, and teach me such great things.