Although the boy is not in the story all that much, I still believe that he plays a significant role in it. The young boy is the old man's real source of hope all the way through the book, from beginning to end. The old man's life would have been totally different if he had not had the boy as his friend. Manolin's high amount of confidence and hope for the old man gives him the strength to do what he does.
The book starts off very dark and dreary feeling before the old man starts talking with the boy. As the old man begins to converse with the Manolin, we begin to feel the tone light up a little. The boy helps the old man even before they set out fishing. The book even states "His hope and his confidence had never gone. But now they were freshening as when the breeze rises." (Hemingway 13). The boy's optimism rubs off on the old man and the next morning he sets out fishing with confidence in himself and nature (Hemingway 18).
At another point in the book, the fish is jumping out of the water and the line begins to cut Santiago's hands apart. Then old man then decides that if the boy were there with him, he would help. Afterwords, he finds that his hands were not really hurt so bad and that it was good that the fish jumped out of the water (Hemingway 42). I feel like just the thought of Manolin made the old man happier and his confidence then grew higher.
My last example occurs when the old man finally arrives back to shore at home. At first, he says that "they beat me," but in the end, the old man has made plans to go out fishing with the boy the next day (Hemingway 58-59). The confidence in the boy gives the old man confidence in himself. I find that this is the best kind of friendship that two people can have. If you are able to build off each other, you can accomplish a lot more than if you were working alone.
Hemingway, E. The Old Man and The Sea. New York, NY: Scribner, 1980
Sunday, August 19, 2012
The Old Man and The Sea - Tone
*I didn't like The Moon Is Down very much, so I'm going back to The Old Man and The Sea.
I really liked the style in which The Old Man and The Sea was written. In the book, Hemingway sort of jumps from idea to idea in whatever order they are thought of by the old man while he fishes, making him very relatable. even before his fishing trips, it seems like the old man is constantly thinking as many thoughts as he could possibly think up! Reading his train of thought over such a long period made the book all the more interesting to me as the reader.
As the old man talks with the boy after they have eaten dinner, their conversation changes topic many times in a swift manor. They talk about baseball, then people who play baseball, then randomly Africa, then right back to the baseball players (Hemingway 16). This conversation is just the same style as the thoughts of the old man. He elaborates on a topic a bit, then changes the topic, then goes back to the original topic. Another example of this is when Santiago thinks about the Portuguese Man-of-Wars. He goes from thinking about how much he cannot stand them, to how he loves turtles (Hemingway 22). His thought processes make the book so awesome! I love reading about how people think and react to things with those thoughts.
I also noticed that the way the book is written has the old man thinking between his actions while fishing. For example, the old man spends four hours being pulled by this massive fish, and he begins to feel some discomfort. Once you read this, you read on to the thoughts of the old man. He begins wondering how large the fish could be. First the book talks about the old man's actions, then what he thinks of them (Hemingway 26-27). The way the book is put together adds to the reader's interest. I always find a book to be much more fascinating when you get to read into people's thoughts. Another good example of this is when the old man is just about to pull the fish out of the water. The book tells his every action, followed by what he is thinking at the time (Hemingway 43-45). This consistent pattern keeps your mind locked on what will happen next and made the book all the better.
I really liked the style in which The Old Man and The Sea was written. In the book, Hemingway sort of jumps from idea to idea in whatever order they are thought of by the old man while he fishes, making him very relatable. even before his fishing trips, it seems like the old man is constantly thinking as many thoughts as he could possibly think up! Reading his train of thought over such a long period made the book all the more interesting to me as the reader.
As the old man talks with the boy after they have eaten dinner, their conversation changes topic many times in a swift manor. They talk about baseball, then people who play baseball, then randomly Africa, then right back to the baseball players (Hemingway 16). This conversation is just the same style as the thoughts of the old man. He elaborates on a topic a bit, then changes the topic, then goes back to the original topic. Another example of this is when Santiago thinks about the Portuguese Man-of-Wars. He goes from thinking about how much he cannot stand them, to how he loves turtles (Hemingway 22). His thought processes make the book so awesome! I love reading about how people think and react to things with those thoughts.
I also noticed that the way the book is written has the old man thinking between his actions while fishing. For example, the old man spends four hours being pulled by this massive fish, and he begins to feel some discomfort. Once you read this, you read on to the thoughts of the old man. He begins wondering how large the fish could be. First the book talks about the old man's actions, then what he thinks of them (Hemingway 26-27). The way the book is put together adds to the reader's interest. I always find a book to be much more fascinating when you get to read into people's thoughts. Another good example of this is when the old man is just about to pull the fish out of the water. The book tells his every action, followed by what he is thinking at the time (Hemingway 43-45). This consistent pattern keeps your mind locked on what will happen next and made the book all the better.
Hemingway, E. The Old Man and The Sea. New York, NY: Scribner, 1980
The Moon Is Down - Tone
The tone of The Moon Is Down is rather depressing. It made me feel really sad through the whole thing. I wish Colonel Lanser would have not been such a downer. He is the whole reason that everyone was so unenthusiastic and scared through the entire book. There is not one real moment of joy through the whole book. Everything seems so dark and ruined. I think this book would have been better if there was some kind of source of happiness, although that probably would not have been historically accurate. I know that it really would not be possible to change something like that now, but that is something I probably would have included if I were writing a book set in the World War Two era.
Everything also is very secretive. Like the way that Joseph is always seeing things happen in the mayor's house, but keeps it to himself (Steinbeck 31), or how Annie is a quiet activist for the resistance (Steinbeck 21). Everyone is constantly keeping secrets because everyone is constantly listening! That is just the way that war is. Rights are gone, laws are gone, values are gone. Everything is back to basic essentials during war, which feels wrong to me. The whole book is a foreign concept in my mind, which makes it difficult to relate to for me.
Overall, the tone is simply depressing. I felt sad reading it, and no one really likes feeling that way over a book, or at all for that matter. This made the book difficult for me to get into because I did not like feeling that way. Although some parts were good, and the books was extremely well written, I just could not get comfortable reading about such awful things. I am glad that I do not have to read that book anymore, because feeling that way is not something I much enjoy. Although these feelings were awful, I suppose I am glad I got through the book and learned something new. It is good to leave your comfort zone sometimes for the sake of understanding.
Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Viking, 1942. Print.
Everything also is very secretive. Like the way that Joseph is always seeing things happen in the mayor's house, but keeps it to himself (Steinbeck 31), or how Annie is a quiet activist for the resistance (Steinbeck 21). Everyone is constantly keeping secrets because everyone is constantly listening! That is just the way that war is. Rights are gone, laws are gone, values are gone. Everything is back to basic essentials during war, which feels wrong to me. The whole book is a foreign concept in my mind, which makes it difficult to relate to for me.
Overall, the tone is simply depressing. I felt sad reading it, and no one really likes feeling that way over a book, or at all for that matter. This made the book difficult for me to get into because I did not like feeling that way. Although some parts were good, and the books was extremely well written, I just could not get comfortable reading about such awful things. I am glad that I do not have to read that book anymore, because feeling that way is not something I much enjoy. Although these feelings were awful, I suppose I am glad I got through the book and learned something new. It is good to leave your comfort zone sometimes for the sake of understanding.
Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Viking, 1942. Print.
The Moon Is Down - General Opinion
To be completely honest, I really did not like The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck very much. I respect the author and the time period quite a lot, but I just did not find my mind engaging in it as much as I would have enjoyed. I sort of had to push myself to keep reading from time to time. War is not my particular favorite topic to talk about, I dislike things of such a cruel nature. Like I said in a previous blog, I find that historical fiction books are a bit of a contradiction in and of themselves.
The whole book made me feel dirty, like I should bathe or something. Reading about war makes me uncomfortable. Even though it is good to learn about those things, and this is really the only way to do that, I still do not enjoy putting my mind is situations like that.
However, there were some parts that I did enjoy reading. I liked reading about Annie a lot. She was sort of a humorous aspect to the story. I literally laughed out loud when I read about her throwing the boiling water because the men were looking at her (Steinbeck 17-18). I liked her probably the most of all the characters because I found her persona to be entertaining. Other people in the book seem so serious, and while she might not realize it, she is quite comical. I like that about her. Even though she is going through some of the most difficult times of her whole life, she is still radical self from beginning to end.
Although there were a lot of boring parts to the story, I still found that overall, the book was not that bad. I feel like I learned about what it would have been like during World War Two living in a small town, which is something a lot of people do not know about today. I would recommend this to people who know that they like historical fiction upfront. I feel like this would be enjoyable to people who know that already.
Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Viking, 1942. Print.
The whole book made me feel dirty, like I should bathe or something. Reading about war makes me uncomfortable. Even though it is good to learn about those things, and this is really the only way to do that, I still do not enjoy putting my mind is situations like that.
However, there were some parts that I did enjoy reading. I liked reading about Annie a lot. She was sort of a humorous aspect to the story. I literally laughed out loud when I read about her throwing the boiling water because the men were looking at her (Steinbeck 17-18). I liked her probably the most of all the characters because I found her persona to be entertaining. Other people in the book seem so serious, and while she might not realize it, she is quite comical. I like that about her. Even though she is going through some of the most difficult times of her whole life, she is still radical self from beginning to end.
Although there were a lot of boring parts to the story, I still found that overall, the book was not that bad. I feel like I learned about what it would have been like during World War Two living in a small town, which is something a lot of people do not know about today. I would recommend this to people who know that they like historical fiction upfront. I feel like this would be enjoyable to people who know that already.
Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Viking, 1942. Print.
The Moon Is Down - 8
8) How accurately does this novel reflect events in history? What responsibilities does the author believe exist between various groups in society, such as workers and bosses, men and women, blacks and whites, etc.? What people, ideas, and events probably influenced this author?
I feel as though the book reflects history with excellence, especially going back to the known fact that this book is technically considered to be in the genre of historical fiction. In all honesty, historical fiction is definitely not my favorite genre of all time. I either want to read something historical, or I want to read something fictional. I feel as though putting together is a bit of a contradiction, but sometimes that is just the way it has to be.
So, even though I do not really enjoy historical fiction, this book did a very good job of being exactly that. The story is set during World War Two, not a pleasant time, I might add. This was a time when everything was chaotic in America, and a person's role in society was barely significant. To me, it seemed like unless you had an official position (i.e. "Mayor" or "Colonel"), you were just a citizen exposed to the hardships of war in America. I feel like the mayor was the man in charge, he was the one who fought for his people no matter what. "First, I am the Mayor." (Steinbeck 48).
Obviously the war had a great impact on the author, and the influence shows through his writing. The whole book is about how the town copes with a German invasion. It could not have been an easy task, especially considering the fact that they had a traitor on their hands. You would want everyone to be united during a time like this. George Corell made life so much worse for these people, so he is later treated poorly by the townspeople (Steinbeck 103). His social role is changed because of the war, but most everyone else's stays about the same. I prefer to think of them not as individuals, but as one mighty force against the German menace. This makes the book's chaos easier for me to comprehend. I like that the roles in this book are not gender specific as well, that made me happy. They say that war brings out the worst in people, but I tend to disagree with that statement. I think that even though times might be rough, it makes us grow stronger as people and brings out a lot of good through the bad.
Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Viking, 1942. Print.
I feel as though the book reflects history with excellence, especially going back to the known fact that this book is technically considered to be in the genre of historical fiction. In all honesty, historical fiction is definitely not my favorite genre of all time. I either want to read something historical, or I want to read something fictional. I feel as though putting together is a bit of a contradiction, but sometimes that is just the way it has to be.
So, even though I do not really enjoy historical fiction, this book did a very good job of being exactly that. The story is set during World War Two, not a pleasant time, I might add. This was a time when everything was chaotic in America, and a person's role in society was barely significant. To me, it seemed like unless you had an official position (i.e. "Mayor" or "Colonel"), you were just a citizen exposed to the hardships of war in America. I feel like the mayor was the man in charge, he was the one who fought for his people no matter what. "First, I am the Mayor." (Steinbeck 48).
Obviously the war had a great impact on the author, and the influence shows through his writing. The whole book is about how the town copes with a German invasion. It could not have been an easy task, especially considering the fact that they had a traitor on their hands. You would want everyone to be united during a time like this. George Corell made life so much worse for these people, so he is later treated poorly by the townspeople (Steinbeck 103). His social role is changed because of the war, but most everyone else's stays about the same. I prefer to think of them not as individuals, but as one mighty force against the German menace. This makes the book's chaos easier for me to comprehend. I like that the roles in this book are not gender specific as well, that made me happy. They say that war brings out the worst in people, but I tend to disagree with that statement. I think that even though times might be rough, it makes us grow stronger as people and brings out a lot of good through the bad.
Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Viking, 1942. Print.
The Moon Is Down - 7
7) What techniques does the author use to engage the audience and make the story effective? Give examples to support your analysis (mystery, humor, symbolism, suspense, etc.).
In The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck, many literary techniques are used in order to create feelings in the reader throughout the story. One of the major techniques that I noticed is suspense. Many times through the book, you find yourself waiting for something to happen, and tension builds and builds higher and higher until you just cannot take it anymore. A lot of tension is built when Mayor Orden and Colonel Lanser are arguing about what the mayor can and cannot do for his town during the invasion (Steinbeck 43). The tension here is completely undeniable. When reading this particular passage, you cannot help but get a little anxious. You can feel the tension rising as they fight it out, and you have to know what happens next or else you are just simply going to explode right then and there! (That escalated quickly).
Anyway, throughout the book, you are continually waiting for something new and drastic to happen. There is constantly that inescapable feeling of tension that you just really cannot get rid of. World War Two was obviously a war, and wars are definitely times of great suspense and tension. Honestly, that was sort of an uncomfortable feeling for me, as it should be. That is truly what makes the story effective. You are not supposed to be happy when reading about this topic, and I felt what the characters were feeling. That is how books like this are supposed to be written, and Steinbeck did a wonderful job of making me feel uncomfortable. "Yay" for historical fiction!
Most of the time, I was just trying to figure out what was actually going on. I just wanted to understand one character, but third person omniscient point of view does not allow for that. I feel as if the whole point behind him using this point of view was to create a chaotic feeling in the reader, which is something he did without fail. I felt a powerful feeling of chaos through most of the book. These techniques are things that he must have done on purpose to create specific feelings in the reader.
Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Viking, 1942. Print.
In The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck, many literary techniques are used in order to create feelings in the reader throughout the story. One of the major techniques that I noticed is suspense. Many times through the book, you find yourself waiting for something to happen, and tension builds and builds higher and higher until you just cannot take it anymore. A lot of tension is built when Mayor Orden and Colonel Lanser are arguing about what the mayor can and cannot do for his town during the invasion (Steinbeck 43). The tension here is completely undeniable. When reading this particular passage, you cannot help but get a little anxious. You can feel the tension rising as they fight it out, and you have to know what happens next or else you are just simply going to explode right then and there! (That escalated quickly).
Anyway, throughout the book, you are continually waiting for something new and drastic to happen. There is constantly that inescapable feeling of tension that you just really cannot get rid of. World War Two was obviously a war, and wars are definitely times of great suspense and tension. Honestly, that was sort of an uncomfortable feeling for me, as it should be. That is truly what makes the story effective. You are not supposed to be happy when reading about this topic, and I felt what the characters were feeling. That is how books like this are supposed to be written, and Steinbeck did a wonderful job of making me feel uncomfortable. "Yay" for historical fiction!
Most of the time, I was just trying to figure out what was actually going on. I just wanted to understand one character, but third person omniscient point of view does not allow for that. I feel as if the whole point behind him using this point of view was to create a chaotic feeling in the reader, which is something he did without fail. I felt a powerful feeling of chaos through most of the book. These techniques are things that he must have done on purpose to create specific feelings in the reader.
Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Viking, 1942. Print.
The Moon Is Down - 6
6) Why do we still read this book? What is so timeless about its message and characters? What can we learn from reading this novel?
History is important. That seems blunt, but it is true. I know it has to be true because I have spent my entire summer reading about United States history, and if it is not important then I would feel very wasted. Anyway, I would say the the importance of this book is the fact that we can learn not only about our country's history but also about how to handle situations like this and how to avoid them in the future. The lessons portrayed through the story will always be applicable to human life in the world we are living in. Humans will always be humans, even if that means war and death. That is the depressing truth.
On a lighter note, at least we have books like The Moon Is Down to teach us about the past, how to react, and what to do if these things were to occur. There will always be people like Alex to commence the revolts, but it is up to us to use lessons that we've learned through life to decide and react (Steinbeck 111). I am glad that books like these exist, because otherwise, we would not really know what the people were doing through times like this. Yeah, you read about wars in your history books and its bad and everything, but you never get to read what it was like to be in that situation in a history book. Those thoughts can only be found in stories and journals. That is where the beauty of literature is. The relation you can make with the characters and situations is much more powerful than a book spitting facts at you as you try to fathom what it would have been like. I think that things like this are why we continue to read this book today. We have to be able to picture things and feel things to truly believe and appreciate them, including things like the hardships of war. That would not be an easy thing to imagine if not for people like John Steinbeck. These thoughts make you step back to realize what exactly you are reading about and why it was important.
Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Viking, 1942. Print.
History is important. That seems blunt, but it is true. I know it has to be true because I have spent my entire summer reading about United States history, and if it is not important then I would feel very wasted. Anyway, I would say the the importance of this book is the fact that we can learn not only about our country's history but also about how to handle situations like this and how to avoid them in the future. The lessons portrayed through the story will always be applicable to human life in the world we are living in. Humans will always be humans, even if that means war and death. That is the depressing truth.
On a lighter note, at least we have books like The Moon Is Down to teach us about the past, how to react, and what to do if these things were to occur. There will always be people like Alex to commence the revolts, but it is up to us to use lessons that we've learned through life to decide and react (Steinbeck 111). I am glad that books like these exist, because otherwise, we would not really know what the people were doing through times like this. Yeah, you read about wars in your history books and its bad and everything, but you never get to read what it was like to be in that situation in a history book. Those thoughts can only be found in stories and journals. That is where the beauty of literature is. The relation you can make with the characters and situations is much more powerful than a book spitting facts at you as you try to fathom what it would have been like. I think that things like this are why we continue to read this book today. We have to be able to picture things and feel things to truly believe and appreciate them, including things like the hardships of war. That would not be an easy thing to imagine if not for people like John Steinbeck. These thoughts make you step back to realize what exactly you are reading about and why it was important.
Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Viking, 1942. Print.
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