Skill Enhancement Course

 Skill Enhancement Course

(class assignment)

Virtues of Critical Thinkers

Open minded nature: 

                        A successful critical thinker can never be rigid or closeminded in his/her thinking. S/He can think of any issue from all possible ways and take a decision, without being emotional to the extent that it impedes a good decision making. Open mindedness also means receiving the valid ideas etc. from others even when it contradicts the opinion one held till thom Critical thinkers are open-minded and thus it is a biggest virtue.

Example:A person whp realized a deeply held belirf might flawed can be open-minded enough to learn from new information and adapt their views, rether than stubbronly clinging to their old ideas.

Habitually inquisitive-minded: 

                            A successful critical thinker io eager and habitually inquisitive about understanding different things that may matter him/ her how-so-ever remotely connected i could be to his/her immediate life. He/she is a person with inquisitiveness about everything in his/her life. Inquisitive mind is indeed a big virtue of a critical thinker.

Example:The person is not content with commom knowledge but actively seeks out rare and less-known information to deepen their understanding of the past.

Truthful of reason:
                 Trutthis process they enhance the repertory of their information yoo activities becomes a way of life for them. It is easy fot us o revise old information and update new ones. This entre cyce & understand the consequences of such a way of life. Based on reasons. They believe in being those who talk sense based Trustful of reason: Successful critical thinkers trust any argument on reasons and logic. They attempt to convince others based on logic and they in turn can also be convinced based on reason and logic. They are less emotional and more rational and logical when comes to assessing a situation. They cannot be convinced based on illogical reasons or rumours.

Flexible: Critical thinkers are not rigid in their thinking and the cannot afford to be so either. They attempt to understand a situation from different possible angles, weigh the strengths and weaknesses of every alternative, attempt to understand the he pros and cons of taking a decision from different perspectives. To all these, we all need to agree that one needs to be flexible in nature.

Fair-minded in evaluation: Since they are truth seekers and logiod driven in nature, they have to be obviously fair-minded in evaluatin: anything. They cannot afford to be either biased or prejudiced evaluating any situation. Their evaluations cannot be based o either emotions or gut feelings. Therefore, they are fair-mindedis their evaluation

Honest in facing personal biases: 

Since critical thinkers are fair. Minded in evaluation, they have no hesitation in accepting and admitting their inadequacies and seeking advice from the specialists in case of necessities. Therefore, it becomes easy for them to be honest in facing personal biases, this is a sign ofa developing and reflective mind. Hence, this is a great virtue of critical thinkers.

Willing to reconsider:

 Due to their flexible nature, they are amenable to reconsider their views on any issue. This is a sign of learner’s attitude. This ability can take them to greater heights. Even after a person is said to have concluded on an issue, one can revise his thinking and he will be willing to reconsider the issue afresh in another perspective based on other set of facts and logic.h seeker: A successful critical thinker is one who is intereste in seeking the truth. The ultimate objective for all critical thinkers to seek truth and live in tune with this. They attempt in all fairness to verify facts based on certain reliable sources. They seek truth before they form a conclusive opinion about anything. They are the people who attempt to convince others in a conversation and they can also be convinced easily if others have much stronger logic and facts. Therefore transactions with them become easy and rewarding. Perhaps this is a great virtue that could be seen in any civilised society.

Clear about issues:

 The successful Critical Thinkers are clear about handling different issues that surround them. They do not suffer from conflicts for long as they are competent enough to resolve them quickly. In this process too, their conclusions are based on factual truth and logic only, not on emotions.

Not impulsive:

 From the above-explained virtues, it is evident that critical thinkers cannot afford to be impulsive. In their thinking process, emotions cannot hijack logic. They conclude on different things based on sound logic and facts. Therefore, they are not impulsive in nature. They are not in a hurry to conclude their views.

Logical minded and do not lose temper in discussions:

     As said bove, they are logical-minded people and they do not lose temper in discussions easily. They try to convince others if they think they can without losing their cool easily. Therefore, in discussions, they can be convinced easily if the other person is logical. This is a great virtue of a critical thinker.

Orderly in complex matters: 

The strength of critical thinkers is their ability to organise and arrange even the complex issues systematically so that they can handle them well. In approaching them also, they are orderly in nature.

Diligent in seeking relevant information: 

They are hard working, painstaking and intelligent enough to seek relevant information from authentic sources. This they do when they realise that they need to consult the right source. It could be books, people, newspaper or any source.

Do not hesitate in consulting expert opinions: Successful critical thinkers do no hesitate to consult experts on seeking expert opinions.

Reasonable in selection of criteria: 

Critical thinkers weigh pros and cons based on a set of criteria, which they develop for themselves. While developing this set of criteria.

Focused in inquiry:

 In their process of inquiry of thinking about any issue they are not casual, but serious and in order to do that they need to be focused.

  

(Home assignment)

Characteristics of a creative thinking)

Characteristics of Creative Individuals:

Create individuals possess the following characteristics.

Unconventional: Creative people do not feel the need to conform to society’s standards. They often swim against the current and flow with their own way of thinking and living.

 Individualistic: 

Creative people want to find out what the truth is, and they have a strong need to decide for themselves what works and what does not.

Inventive: 

Creative people live in the world of ideas, and don’t always have the best interpersonal skills.

Driven: 

Creative people are almost compulsive until they car bring their internal vision into fruition. Ta passion to contribute to the beauty of the world.

 Visionary: 

Creative people have a guiding vision in their head, heart, and soul that they are often called to bring to life.

 Intuitive: 

Creative people are very much in touch with their inner selves. They pay attention to the signs, synchronicities, symbols around them, and make use of that information in their work.

Curiosity: 

Display a great deal of curiosity about many things; are constantly adking questions about anything and everything may have broad interests in many unrelated areas. May 2 collections based on unusual things and interests.

 Fluency: Generate a large number of ideas or solutions to problems and questions; often offer unusual ("way out"), uique, clever responses

 Uninhabited:

 Are often uninhibited in expressions of opirion, are sometimes radical and spirited in disagreement; are unusualy tenacious or persistent – fixating on an idea or project.

Risk taking: 

Are willing to take risks, are often people who at described as a "high risk taker, or adventurous, or speculative."

Imaginative:

Display a good deal of intellectual playfulness; ess, may frequently be caught fantasizing, daydreaming or imagining.

 Sense of Humour:

 Display keen senses of humour and set humour in situations that may not appear to be humorous to others. Sometimes their humour may appear bizane, inappropriate, and irreverent to others.

 Sensitive:

 Exhibit heightened emotional sensitivity. May be very sensitive to beauty, and visibly moved by aesthetic experiences.

Non conformity:

 Are frequently perceived as nonconforming accept disordered of chaotic environments or situations; frequently not interested in details, are described individualistic; or do not fear being classified as "different.

(Eassy)

Steps of creative thinking

Steps of Creative Thinking

 The five steps of creatively are:

 1. Deferring judgment when looking for idens

 2. Generate as many ideas as possible

 3.List ideas as they occur and keep a written record

 4 Constantly elaborate or improve on ideas

 5. Allowing your subconscious to generate ideas by incubating their subject

 Deferring judgment keeps the creative juices flowing. The moment we say to our self or our team… “dumb idea,” is the moment your mind or our team will stop producing those so called dumb ideas. Wait to decide which ideas are worth pursuing until we’ve generated lots of ideas…no matter how stupid or unrelated to the problem at first they may seem.

Generate as many ideas as possible fills the well. The more ideas, the better the odds that we’ll find something novel that works. Most of our ideas will end up on the cutting room floor but all it takes is one or two good ones.

List ideas as they occur and keep a written record. Creative ideas are flighty. They can disappear from your mind the moment you get distracted by the routines and distractions of the day. But more importantly, creative ideas often don’t look like they’re creative until combined with other, often dissimilar, ones. Bywriting down your ideas and musings we won’t lose them. Then we can mix, match, reshuffle and recombine them and see wha comes out at the end.

Generate helps you find novel combinations, mutations and Constantly elaborating or improving on the ideas we or our team surprises. Creative people look for alternative ways to think about a subject even when the old ways work well. Look for for and entertain different perspectives and ways of doing things.

Allowing subconscious to generate ideas by incubating on the subject. Einstein is often quoted as saying, “Why is it my best ideas come to me while taking my morning shower?” Your subconscious mind is constantly working but cannot be forced at times to produce. Good ideas need time to incubate. So work on na problem, generate ideas, then walk away and do so something completely different. Take a walk; go to a show; sculpt, paint, sing visit an art gallery; play ball; play with your kids…mix it up. Dosy think about the problem for some time. Then return to thinkins about the problem and try the four preceding steps again and s what new ideas emerge.

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Indian Knowledge system

 Indian Knowledge system

 (Home assignment)

A historical sketch of indian poetics

                                                           Indian poetics refers to the study of the principles of literary aesthetics in Indian literature, especially in Sanskrit and classical Indian languages. Its development spans several centuries and has influenced not just literature, but also drama, performance, and philosophy.

1.Vedic and Pre-Classical Period (1500 BCE – 200 BCE):

            Brahmanas and Upanishads: Early texts discuss the mystical and philosophical aspects of speech and sound (e.g., the concept of Vak or speech as divine).

                               Roots in the Vedas: Indian poetics finds its earliest expressions in the Rigveda, where poetic composition was associated with divine inspiration and ritual function

 Natyashastra by Bharatamuni (2nd century BCE):

           

        Often considered the foundational text of Indian poetics and dramaturgy. Introduced the concept of Rasa (aesthetic flavor/emotion), which became central to all later theories. Discussed elements of drama, dance, music, and performance

2. Classical Period (200 BCE – 1200 CE):

                                                       This is the golden age of Indian poetics, marked by the rise of various schools of literary theory. Rasa School – Bharata (expanded later by Abhinavagupta): Rasa refers to the aesthetic emotion experienced by the audience (e.g., love, heroism, sorrow). Abhinavagupta’s commentary (Abhinavabharati) further developed rasa theory, linking it to the experience of universal consciousness. Alankara School – Bhamaha, Dandin: Focused on figures of speech (alankaras) and the embellishment of poetry. Emphasized stylistic beauty over emotional depth. Dhvani School – Anandavardhana: Introduced the concept of Dhvani (suggestion), arguing that suggestion, not literal meaning, is the soul of poetry. His work Dhvanyaloka (9th century) became a milestone in Indian literary theory. Vakrokti School – Kuntaka: Proposed Vakrokti (oblique expression) as the essence of poetry. Emphasized creative use of language and stylistic deviation. Auchitya School – Kshemendra: Highlighted the importance of propriety or suitability in poetic expression (auchitya). Rīti or Guna-Dosa School – Vamana, Namyaka: Discussed poetic style (rīti) and qualities (gunas) that define great poetry. 

3. Medieval Period (1200 – 1800 CE) :

             

                                           Poetic theories expanded into regional languages like Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Bengali, and Persian-Urdu literary cultures. Bhakti movement influenced poetry by focusing on devotion and emotional expressiveness. Poetics became increasingly didactic and devotional, moving slightly away from classical aesthetics

4. Modern Period (1800 CE – Present):

                                        Colonial impact introduced Western literary criticism and comparative aesthetics. Modern Indian writers like Rabindranath Tagore, Sri Aurobindo, and others blended classical Indian poetics with Western theories. Contemporary scholarship has revived interest in classical poetics, with scholars like S.K. De, Krishna Raghavan, and Sheldon Pollock contributing to the global understanding of Indian aesthetics. 

Key Concepts in Indian Poetics 

 Rasa – Emotional essence or mood

 Dhvani – Suggestion or implied meaning

 Alankara – Figures of speech 

 Vakrokti – Stylistic deviation or twist in expression

 Auchitya – Appropriateness or propriety 

 Rīti – Style or mode of expression 

(Eassy)

Kuntak's Vakrokti Theory 

About the Chapter: 

                           This module is about famous Sanskrit rhetorician, literary theorist Kuntaka and his theory of poetry. He belongs to Vakrokti school of Sanskrit or ancient Indian poetics. This module briefly talks about Kuntaka, his contemporary theorists, his role in poetics and linguistics. This module also discusses about famous book, Vakrokti-Jivitam by Kuntaka. In conclusion, this module talks about Kuntaka’s position in Indian literary theory. 

Introduction:

                      Kuntaka is the originator of the Vakrokti school of Sanskrit literary theory. He came after Anandvardhan of the 9th century and before Abhinavagupta of the 10th century. His time was the time of high merit of Indian poetics. Dhananjaya and Rajashekhara were his contemporary theorists. The theorists who appeared in the time of Kuntaka contributed a lot to what is in different shape is considered as modern theories of literature and language. In this context, Ganesh Devy says that Vakrorkti and the Alamkara are two Indian schools which are very close to two Western schools of thought, formalism and new criticism.

                      

                       Ganesh Devy commented, “Vakrokti is a theory of poetry which perceives poetry essentially as terms of the language of its expression. It sees the poetic language as a language of metaphor and suggestive communication”. Hence, Kuntaka’s contribution in poetic thought is not only the matter of poetry or literature but it is about understanding the language, language of poetry and its difference with the language of the common. Kuntaka’s opinions on language of poetry and overall his study on language makes his position many steps further to the future. He is considered as one of the early language theorists in India.

 Kuntaka and Vakrokti-Jivitam:

                                         Anjalika Mukhopadhyay informs in her Bangla translation of Kuntaka’s Vakrokti-Jivitam that, the manuscript of Kuntaka’s Vakrokti-Jivitam was appeared as final version with the initiative and immense work done by Sushil Kumar Dey in 1922. This manuscript was found as incomplete in four chapters. Some scholars assume this book has its fifth chapter also but it is not proved yet. Scholars assume that Kuntak was a Kashmiri, because some hints were found in this regard. It is also assumed that Kunataka was alive in the time between Anandavardhana and Abhinavagupta. He appeared before Mahimbhatta, as Mahimbhatta mentioned about him in different Slokas. If Mahimbhatta came in between 1020-1060 then Kuntaka was there in between 1000-1030. Kuntaka never mentioned Abhinavagupta and Abhinavagupta also never mentioned Kuntaka; though he talked about Vakrokti. It means either they were contemporary to each other or Kuntaka came after Abhinavagupta. Mahimbhatta, Hemachandra and Bhoja told that Kuntaka was the author of the Karika and Britti of his Vakrokti-Jivitam, though some scholars have doubt on this because the style of language found in the Karika and the Britti is completely different. 

History of Vakrokti :

                          The theory of Vakrokti is found even before Kuntaka had made it sophisticated and scientific with his rare talent. Bhamaha among the theorists who talked about Vakrokti is most ancient. Kuntaka primarily adopted Bhamaha’s idea of Vakrokti. Rudrat in his Kavyalankara (9th century) also talked about Vakrokti. Vakrokti was generally perceived as a Shabdalankar only. But it did not have much significance beyond its significance as Shabdlankar in Bhamaha, Dandin and Bamana understands. 

                                        As an alamkara Vakrokti was very inclusive to Bhamaha. He included all types of alamkara under the term of Vakrokti. According to Bhamaha Vakrokti is the soul of poetry. The way words become different from daily conversation and gives pleasure to the mind of the rasika or one who accomplishes poetry is vakrokti. Bhamaha did not accept Swabhabokti as a type of alamkara. But Dandin accepted both Swabhavokti and vakrokti as alamkara. He believed poetry means alamkara. If the daily use of language is reformulated with alamkara it becomes vakrokti and that vakrokti is led by Slesha. And this is how vakrokti creates beauty in poetry. 

                                   Sreenivas Rao in his work on Kuntaka and Indian poetics says that “later, Rudrata treats Vakrokti as a mere play of words or pretended speech”, which means that the word is meant for one thing and it is understood by the readers as another thing. It happens because of the voice and modulation of the reader of that particular poem. This difference in voice is known as Kaku, which according to Rao is ‘peculiar intonation’ (Rao, Sreenivas;). And this changes the meaning of the word. It also happens for the word having multiple meanings or at least two meanings and each meaning has its logical implications which is known as Slesha. Rao added that Vamana observes Vakrokti as an Artha-Alamkara where the hinted meaning of the word or lakshana is replaced by the similarity or Sadrishya and therefore, to Vamana Vakrokti is nothing but a metaphor. Hence the Vakrokti as an extended poetic term proposed by Bhamaha and Dandin appeared as a limited term and a figure of speech only to Rudrata and Vamana. It is Kuntaka who did the historical study of the theory of Vakrokti and placed it in a very significant theory of poetry. He made differences between the language of poetry and the language of everyday life with the reference of Vakrokti. According to him Vakrokti is a distinguishing factor of poetry and it is one of the basic qualities of poetic language, it makes the composition of words a poem. He is the true successor of Bhamaha and established Vakrokti as distinctive characteristics of all alamkaras. His concept of Vakrokti also guides the poet to select the words while composing a piece of poem. This idea is peculiar to poetry.

What is Vakrokti ?

                                    Kuntaka explains the definition of the term Vakrokti and its genealogical meaning. He mentions that, “the term Vakrokti is composed of Vakra + Ukti, where the latter (Ukti) derived from Vac-paribhashane can easily be taken to mean a poetic expression, a clever speech or a pithy statement. It is however the former component (Vakra) of the term Vakrokti, evoking diverse shades of meanings and suggestions, that is widely discussed and interpreted in various manners” (Rao, Sreenivas;) . 

                                 Kuntaka, like many other theorists, also accepted the traditional definition of poetry. And this definition says that the great juxtaposition and interwovenness of the sabda and artha makes a piece poetry. But Kuntaka claimed that this interwoven relation of sabda and artha should have a quality of Vakrata or Vaichitra. According to him the vakrota or vakrotva is the very quality of poetry and it brings pleasure in the mind of the reader after or while one is reading the poem. Vakrota is the very essence of the poetic speech or what is known as Kavyokti and it makes the life of a poetry what is known as Jivita. And that is why the title of his book is Vakrokti-Jivita, it is a biography of poetry, the title shows it talks about everything of a poetry. It speaks about the being and becoming and after life of a poem. 

                                  According to him Vakrokti is a matter of Vaidagdhya or intelligence, but not only that, it depends of the style or how the intelligence will create this matter, therefore he says that the Vakrokti is Vaidagdhya-bhangi-bhanita (Rao, Sreenivas;). Therefore, the successful creation of Vakrokti in poetry depends on the talent and skill or craftsmanship of a poet, what is known as Kavi-Koushala (poetic art). This is how Kuntaka relates the talent, skill or craftsmanship of the poet to create a successful poem which will be very unique in creating meaning and expression. 

Kuntaka’s Vakrokti: 

     

                        According to Kuntaka Vakrokti is created by “Baidagdhabhangibhanitiruchyate”, which means a poetic talent with his own creative power creates such attractive subject which being earthly, sounds heavenly to the rasika or to the readers who has authority to accomplish. Swabhabvokti defines or represents things or objects as it is there in the world of reality. Kuntaka argues there is no credit of creating Swabhabokti because it does not bring any uniqueness in the poetic thought and alamkara also cannot perform its role here in the Swabhabokti. Alamkara makes the object beautiful by putting the elements which are not there in the object.

                                  Shabda and the Artha make the body of poetry. It can be beautiful with the vakrokti. The cleverness of words should not cover the beauty of the poem. Tadwidgana, means the group of scholars who understand poetry will evaluate this highest art of creation of poetry in a poet. 

                                      Kuntaka defines poetry by saying that it is “word and sense together enshrined in a style revealing the artistic creativity of the poet on the one hand and giving delight to the man of taste on the other” (Devy, Ganesh;). This definition of poetry shows that Kuntaka carried the lineage of knowledge on Indian poetics. The previous thoughts propagated by different schools are adapted in Kuntaka’s theory on poetry.

                                 He mentions that the meaning is signified and word signifies the meaning. He elaborated his idea on word, meaning, style, metaphor and poetic language. And later he describes the good qualities of true poetry. A good poetry is something which has a unique expression, meaning which delights the readers. A poet can make a mere word unique with his creative talent. Words and meanings are adorned in poetry and they appear as an ‘artistic turn of speech’. 

                                  There are different types of Vakrokti suggested by Kuntaka in his Vakrokti-Jivitam Those are, Phonetic figurativeness (Varnavinyasa Vakrata), Lexical figurativeness (padapurvardha Vakrata), Grammatical figurativeness (pratyaya vakrata), Sentential Figurativeness (Vakyavakrata), Contextual figurativeness (Prakarana vakrata), and Compositional figurativeness (Prabandha vakrata). 

Kuntaka’s Idea of Sahitya :

Kuntaka explains the idea of Sahitya in his Vakrokti-Jivitam. He said,

 

"Sahityamanayo Shobhashalitang Prati kapyasou

 Anyunyatiriktatwamanoharinyabasthiti "

                                  Kuntaka’s above statement means that the mode of union is literature. When the word and the meaning exists together and united with each other but do not lose their own identity, characteristics but their union is so heavenly, so spiritual that do not cross the limits of each other’s boundary then they together create the beauty and that beauty is Sahitya (literature). As word and meaning meet with each other in a heavenly mode, there is no need for additional claims of Alamkara or ornament in literature. Hence, Kuntaka did not feel there was any need for Alamkara as a necessary component of literature. 

Marga or Riti or Style and Guna:

                                 According to Kuntaka, 'Sukumara Marga’ is an essential condition of Kavya. Beside Sukumara Marga, he talks about Bichitra Marga and he explains the characteristics in ten Karikas. There are another Marga which is created by the characteristics of both the above said Margas, and that is Ubhayatmak Marga. 

                                    Kuntaka talks about four kinds of Guna. Those are Madhurya, Prasada, Lavanya and Abhijatya. For example he took references from Kalidasa. Later he mentioned two more Guna, Auchitya and Soubhagya and these Gunas are common to all the above three margas.

Conclusion :

                              Kuntaka after Bhatrihari, is the most brilliant and rare talent who contributed enormously on the discourse of language study and also on the discourse of poetic language or literary language. In his understanding vakrokti is the vaidagdhyam bhangi or it is deviated or alternative to the speech act of the common people. With his study of poetic language he suggested the how of the birth of beauty. He is that genius in Indian poetics who extends himself from language study to aesthetics to adaptation theory, to translation theory what we deal with now can be rooted in Kuntaka’s work also. The different types of Vakrokti that he classified are methods of criticism of literature also. It is actually literary discourse proposed by him. He suggested a complete structure of literary study. But not only limited into that he was concerned about the reader’s response, though it is the major concern of all the Sanskrit rhetoricians. Vakrokti is Kavi-Kushalata, art and talent of the poet and poet’s creativity is termed as “Kavi-vyapara-vakrata, or art in the poetic process and this is the primary condition of a successful poetry” and therefore rasanubhuti comes into the mind of Sahridaya or the readers (Rao, Sreenivas;). Kuntaka has balanced between the poet’s role and reader’s role in appreciation of poetry. The point of view of the poet and the reader’s accomplishment both are necessary for the emergence of rasanubhuti, according to Kuntaka. 

Summary:

                     In this module we have learnt about Kuntaka and his contribution to Indian poetics. We have discussed a historical study on the term of Vakrokti and how Kuntak has successfully theorised the term and made it a primary condition of a successful poem. Kuntak’s theory is not only a theory of cherishing poetry but he contributed his thoughts to guide the future poets with his understanding of how to write a poem. We have discussed the differences of thoughts on the term Vakrokti with the reference of Kuntaka and his predecessors. We have also discussed about Kuntaka’s concept of different styles or riti of poetry and his conception about Sahitya in this module.

 

The old man and The sea

 The old man and The sea

(Class assignment)

Summary on The old man and The sea  by Ernest Hemingway

           

  About the author :

 

                                   Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American novelist, short-story writer and journalist. Known for an economical, understated style that influenced later 20th-century writers, he has been romanticized for his adventurous lifestyle and outspoken, blunt public image. Some of his seven novels, six short-story collections and two non-fiction works have become classics of American literature.    

 Born : July 21, 1899 Oak Park, Illinois, U.S.

 Died : July 2, 1961 (aged 61) Ketchum, Idaho, U.S.

Notable awards : 

: Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (1953)

: Nobel Prize in Literature (1954)

Spouses :

 Hadley Richardson 

Pauline Pfeiffer

Martha Gellhorn

Mary Welsh 

Summary:

                                       On the coast of Cuba near Havana, an old widowed fisherman named Santiago has been unable to catch a fish for 84 days. His apprentice, Manolin, has been forced by his parents to seek another "luckier" employer, although Manolin continues to help Santiago launch and retrieve his boat from the ocean each day. Manolin cares for the aging Santiago, bringing him food and clothing, and in return Santiago tells Manolin stories about baseball legends and his younger days fishing in a boat off of Africa. Every night, Santiago dreams of lions on the beaches of Africa. Early each morning, Santiago walks up the road to Manolin's family's home to wake him up for work. 

                                      On the morning of the 85th day, Manolin helps Santiago launch his boat into the sea. Santiago rows over the deep well where he has been trying to catch fish for the past week and decides to try his luck farther out. Finally, in the early afternoon, he catches a ten-pound tuna, which he decides will be his meal for the day. Not long afterward, Santiago feels a hard pull on his line and realizes that a huge marlin has caught his hook. 

  

                                   Because the marlin is so big, however, Santiago cannot pull it in. The marlin pulls Santiago's skiff farther and farther from land. As the sun goes down, Santiago begins to feel a kind of companionship with the marlin. He pities the fish, even loves it, but is still determined to kill it. He decides to cut all his other lines so that nothing will interfere with his great catch.

            

                               As the sun comes up on Santiago's second day at sea, the marlin suddenly surges, pulling the line and cutting Santiago's hand. As he nurses his hand, the marlin jumps up out of the water, and Santiago can see the fish is bigger than any marlin he has ever seen, much less caught on his own. He has to hold onto the line with all his might so that the marlin does not break free from the boat. He prays that he will be able to kill the marlin, and wonders what his hero Joe DiMaggio would do if he were in Santiago's situation.

                               As it grows dark on Santiago's second day at sea, he lets out a small line and catches a dolphinfish to eat. He rests for a few hours, but is woken by the marlin jumping frantically. Santiago continues holding the line, although it has been cutting into his hand for some time. The marlin tires and begins circling the boat as Santiago grows weaker from lack of sleep and exhaustion. Finally, Santiago uses all his strength to harpoon and kill the marlin. 

                            Santiago ties the marlin to the side of his boat and begins sailing back toward Cuba. During the homeward journey, however—his third day at sea—sharks attack the boat, tearing the flesh from the marlin. Santiago fights desperately, killing or driving off most of the sharks, but eventually the sharks eat all the flesh off the marlin. When Santiago pulls into the harbor, everyone is sleeping, and Santiago struggles to carry his mast back to his shack, leaving the marlin's skeleton still tied to his boat in the harbor. 

 

                                 The next day, Manolin finds Santiago asleep in his shack. Manolin is overjoyed to see him but cries when he sees the cuts in Santiago's hands. He brings Santiago coffee, passing the crowd of fisherman who are marveling at the marlin's giant skeleton. When Santiago wakes up, Manolin tells him he doesn't care what his parents say—he's going to start fishing with Santiago again. Meanwhile, as a party of tourists watches the marlin's skeleton and mistakes it for a shark, Santiago drifts back to sleep under Manolin's watchful gaze and dreams of lions. 

( Home assignment )

characters of The old man and The sea

Santiago:

                 The old man of the novella’s title, Santiago is a Cuban fisherman who has had an extended run of bad luck. Despite his expertise, he has been unable to catch a fish for eighty-four days. He is humble, yet exhibits a justified pride in his abilities. His knowledge of the sea and its creatures, and of his craft, is unparalleled and helps him preserve a sense of hope regardless of circumstance. Throughout his life, Santiago has been presented with contests to test his strength and endurance. The marlin with which he struggles for three days represents his greatest challenge. Paradoxically, although Santiago ultimately loses the fish, the marlin is also his greatest victory.

The Marlin :

                 Santiago hooks the marlin, which we learn at the end of the novella measures eighteen feet, on the first afternoon of his fishing expedition. Because of the marlin’s great size, Santiago is unable to pull the fish in, and the two become engaged in a kind of tug-of-war that often seems more like an alliance than a struggle. The fishing line serves as a symbol of the fraternal connection Santiago feels with the fish. When the captured marlin is later destroyed by sharks, Santiago feels destroyed as well. Like Santiago, the marlin is implicitly compared to Christ.

Joe DiMaggio

                Although DiMaggio never appears in the novel, he plays a significant role nonetheless. Santiago worships him as a model of strength and commitment, and his thoughts turn toward DiMaggio whenever he needs to reassure himself of his own strength. Despite a painful bone spur that might have crippled another player, DiMaggio went on to secure a triumphant career. He was a center fielder for the New York Yankees from 1936 to 1951, and is often considered the best all-around player ever at that position.

Perico :

              Perico, the reader assumes, owns the bodega in Santiago’s village. He never appears in the novel, but he serves an important role in the fisherman’s life by providing him with newspapers that report the baseball scores. This act establishes him as a kind man who helps the aging Santiago.

Martin:

                 Like Perico, Martin, a café owner in Santiago’s village, does not appear in the story. The reader learns of him through Manolin, who often goes to Martin for Santiago’s supper. As the old man says, Martin is a man of frequent kindness who deserves to be repaid.

Manolin :

            A boy presumably in his adolescence, Manolin is Santiago’s apprentice and devoted attendant. The old man first took him out on a boat when he was merely five years old. Due to Santiago’s recent bad luck, Manolin’s parents have forced the boy to go out on a different fishing boat. Manolin, however, still cares deeply for the old man, to whom he continues to look as a mentor. His love for Santiago is unmistakable as the two discuss baseball and as the young boy recruits help from villagers to improve the old man’s impoverished conditions.

(Eassy)

Analysis and themes of The old man the sea 

Analysis:

                   The novella’s protagonist, Santiago, faces the most strenuous days of a long life spent coaxing a living from the sea. These days on the sea test his stamina and prove that he can “suffer like a man” against pain, exhaustion, failure, and age. The conflict plays out against the marlin Santiago relentlessly hunts and the sharks that relentlessly hunt the marlin, but even more, Santiago faces the conflict in his ruined body and vacillating thoughts. Santiago’s story examines ideas about why life involves suffering and failure, and of how to face and endure loss. The story’s action begins when Santiago’s luck seems to have left him. He is an experienced, competent fisherman, yet for 84 days, he has not brought in marlin to sell at market. Some fishermen mock his hopes, but Manolin, whom Santiago began teaching when the boy was five years old, believes that Santiago’s luck will turn. Santiago, whose eyes are “cheerful and undefeated,” does not let failure discourage him. The plot’s inciting incident may be Santiago’s willingness to head out alone on day 85, but the moment late in the day when a marlin takes the bait and begins to tow Santiago’s boat farther out is the event that launches the rising action.

                           The climax comes when Santiago kills the marlin, piercing its heart and fulfilling his destiny as one born to fish. Even in its death throes, the marlin’s strength and vitality inspire Santiago’s respect and love. The falling action follows quickly as Santiago begins the hard work of securing the fish and returning to the coast. The marlin’s suffering is over, but Santiago’s continues. As he sails in his weakened condition, he suffers with each shark attack that ravages the beautiful fish. With his wounded hands, he kills the “hateful” sharks. When his meager weapons are expended, he declares, “I’ll fight them until I die.” Thinking of the pain of his hero, “the great DiMaggio,” inspires Santiago to endure. He also draws strength from his relationship with the marlin. They had been adversaries, but now, as Santiago fights the sharks, they become allies against the unworthy scavengers.   

                          Santiago proves his heroism and nobility by continuing to fight in the face of almost certain defeat. He cannot prevent the sharks from mauling the marlin, but he utilizes every makeshift weapon at his disposal and all his strength, fighting on until fighting becomes impossible. He hasn’t broken his unlucky streak, but his return home posits the idea that even in defeat, there can be victory. The fisherman gape at the carcass, amazed. Manolin, when out of his mentor’s sight, weeps because he understands the cost of the effort. The “coppery” blood that Santiago coughed up and spat into the sea may signal his coming death, but the novella ends with him dreaming of his beloved young lions at play, suggesting that there is life in him yet. 

                           What this ambiguous resolution means depends in part on how the story is read. Parables are stories that suggest truths about life’s hard questions and feature archetypes rather than realistic characters. As an archetype, Santiago is not simply an old man but the old man whose life teaches a lesson. Read as a parable, Santiago’s story suggests answers to such questions as why life involves suffering and failure and how people face and endure loss. Santiago persists through pain and hunger, heat and thirst, and ultimate failure. Yet his suffering takes on a redemptive power, highlighted by his cry as the sharks move in. The narrator calls this cry the sound of a man “feeling the nail go through his hand and into the wood” in a clear allusion to Christ’s redemptive suffering. The resolution in this reading is captured in Santiago’s advice to himself as he struggles to bring the remains of the marlin to shore: “Keep awake and steer. You may have much luck yet.” Santiago finds purpose and contentment in the struggle itself, regardless of results.

Themes:

 Pride and determination :Here is the theme of pride and determination. In these themes Santiago's pride becomes his tragic flaw and after the shark destroys the marlin then he apologizes to his brother. However pride motivates his to overcome the 84 days of misfortune. The theme of pride and determination are the source of greatness.   Perseverance :The theme of perseverance in the old man and sea since 1952 bringing man and fish together. The old man's battle of strength, but battle of wills. Endurance becomes a way we connect the old age with incredible endurance.

Suffering: In The Old Man and the Sea this theme is mentioned a lots. Because when he catching a big fish that time he suffered a lot and other people tells him unlucky by their arguments he suffering from that. He suffered also from physical pain.But for Santiago suffering is necessary because step in his battle with the fish. When he battles with fish in the sea at that time he stuggles a lot but he fails in his battle that time he suffered a lot. In this the old man is feels pain in the end. We can say him that he is a good fisherman. 

Strength and the skill:  The theme of Strength and skill are interesting themes in the old man and the sea. Because in this novel physical strength is as important as skill and experience. The old man may not be as strong as in his youth, he is old here, but he makes up for it and we see that he has knowledge of sea and his fishing Prowess. Skill and strength are required for fishing. In the old has these both themes and he also proved it in the novel. 

Memory and the past: This theme is a dominant theme in this novel because we know that memory is overlaid with correct action. In the past something happened badly it is used to comment on the present. Here we talked about the memory of Santiago. His memory of the lions is a constant motif. This is significant point that they are from his past. 

Defeat: In end this theme is mentioned. In the novel this is persistent question by the end the story. We can say that old man is defeated with his situation. In the end this question is raised in our mind that was the Old man defeated? The old man identifies something is broken in his chest. But defeat implies the breaking of one's spirit. It is spiritual act.

 Isolation :The theme of isolation is more we can see in life of Santiago. He lives alone and he feels loneliness very much. He lives isolated from most people. In the novel we see during his time on the sea. The isolation theme defines that that he was in his life. It is emphasizes the unique nature of his character. In the novel old man suffers from loneliness. But it is necessary to his battle with the fish on the Sea. 

Man and the natural world: In this novel old man is unique and better in his relationship to and understanding for the natural world. He sees birds as friends and the shark as personal enemies. Santiago examines the relationship between turtles and jellyfish between his fish and birds. We see in the lions function, in this discusses about the national order of things. 

Hunger :The theme of hunger is the hunger of fish. In the novel the old man is described as almost super human in eating pattern. His eating is very little and not at all. He does not refer to hunger as pain but he talks about hunger of fish not his own.