The Old Man and the Sea: Pages 1-42

Summary:
This book begins by telling the struggles a once great fisherman is having with La Mar ( the sea). This old man has gone 84 days without catching a fish and is perceived as being Salao ( unlucky). He has lost his favorite and only shipmate, a young boy whom he has been fishing with since the little boy was two. He is poor, suffers from skin cancer and his pride has been shot down countless times, yet his eyes still shine with the same drive and determination as it did when he was young. The only thing this old man has left is his interest in baseball and the sea. The young boy whom served as a companion for the old man still comes around to help the old man carry heavy equipment. He also brings food for the old man whenever he can. The young boy treats the old man as a grandfatherly figures and by the first couple of pages it is evident that both the old man and young boy have a bond that is similar to one of a grandfather and grandson. When sitting down with the boy one day after another fish less day, the old man reminisces about the old times when he caught several fish everyday for 3 weeks. The old man reveals to the boy that he was going deep into the sea in order to catch a big fish that he had seen once before. The young boy asked the old man to take caution for he would be all alone and the young boy asked the old man how he would be able to rail in such a big fish. The old man responded by telling the young boy that he had developed skills and tricks over his fishing career and that he would be just fine.

Quotation:
" The boy took the old army blanket off the bed and spread it over the back of the chair and over the old man's shoulders( Hemingway 18).

Reflection:
This quote explains the love the boy has for the old man. The young boy knows that the old man is struggling. He no longer has the same endurance he had as a young man and now that he is left to do everything allow he is tired. The boy acknowledges his fatigue and treats him as a family member by bringing him a blanket and ensuring that he is as comfortable as comfortable. What the young boy had done is perceived as a sign of respect in my family . This part of the book made me appreciate Hemingway's style even more because the way in which he described this seen made me feel like i was standing in the room watching the whole thing.