Andrew continued answering the discussion questions for The Old Man and the Sea. We discussed the conclusion, the relationship between Santiago and the sea, and the significance of Santiago's eyes to his character.
As Joshua has finished reading this very lengthy novel ,we today worked on summarizing themes in the context of the Bildungsroman genre. I first reviewed the elements of this genre, and we noted how the novel somewhat formulaically incorporates the elements. Additionally , we examined the circular motion of the plot as Pip returns to his original home in the countryside and encounters an embodiment of his youthful self ,Joe's son , also named Pip. We then discussed themes by exchanging ideas on what Pip has learned from his harsh experiences for example not to judge people by social class or wealth . It is the convict , Magwitch and the blacksmith ,Joe, who are the characters with moral worth. We further noted the reappearance of the motif of "forgiveness" and repentance.
Andrew and I finished reading The Old Man and the Sea. We discussed the significance of the ending. Andrew began answering the discussion questions and we discussed.
Andrew and I continued reading and and analyzing The Old Man and the Sea. We discussed how the story follows the hero's journey. We discussed the road home, the climax, and how the fish is a metaphor for the old man.
