The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway Formative Assessment (Part II) - Michael Coyer | Library

Instructions

Directions: read each passage and the questions that follow. Then, choose the BEST response. You may use a copy of the novella and technology for assistance on this formative assessment. Good luck!

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Directions: read the passage that follows. Then, choose the BEST answer for questions 1, 2, and 3. Good luck!

"Then he could not see well, although now he saw as well as ever. Now he knew there was the fish and his hands and back were no dream. The hands cure quickly, he thought. I bled them clean and the salt water will heal them. The dark water of the time gulf is the greatest healer that there is. All I must do is keep my head clear. The hands have done their work and we sail well. With his mouth shut and his tail straight up and down we sail like brothers. Then his head started to become a little unclear and he thought, is he bringing me in or am I bringing him in? If I were towing him behind there would be no question. Nor if the fish were in the skiff, with all dignity gone, there would be no question either. But they were sailing together lashed side by side and the old man thought, let him bring me in if it pleases him. I am only better than him through trickery and he meant me no harm."

What is the overall tone of the passage?

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How does the old man feel about the fish as they sail together?

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What does the old man believe about the healing power of the sea?

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Directions: read the passage that follows. Then, choose the BEST answer for questions 4, 5, and 6. Good luck!

"The line rose slowly and steadily and then the surface of the ocean bulged ahead of the boat and the fish came out. He came out unendingly and water poured from his sides. He was bright in the sun and his head and back were dark purple and in the sun the stripes on his sides showed wide and a light lavender. His sword was as long as a baseball bat and tapered like a rapier and he rose his full length from the water and then re-entered it, smoothly, like a diver and the old man saw the great scythe-blade of his tail go under and the line commenced to race out.
'He is two feet longer than the skiff,' the old man said. The line was going out fast but steadily and the fish was not panicked. The old man was trying with both hands to keep the line just inside of breaking strength. He knew that if he could not slow the fish with a steady pressure the fish could take out all the line and break it.
He is a great fish and I must convince him, he thought. I must never let him learn his strength nor what he could do if he made his run. If I were him I would put in everything now and go until something broke. But, thank God, they are not as intelligent as we who kill them; although they are more noble and more able."

What is the predominant mood conveyed in the passage?

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How does the old man feel about the fish's strength?

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What does the old man think about the intelligence of the fish compared to humans?

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Directions: read the passage that follows. Then, choose the BEST answer for questions 7 and 8. Good luck!

"This is the second day now that I do not know the result of the juegos, he thought. But I must have confidence and I must be worthy of the great DiMaggio who does all things perfectly even with the pain of the bone spur in his heel. What is a bone spur? he asked himself. Un espuela de hueso. We do not have them. Can it be as painful as the spur of a fighting cock in one's heel? I do not think I could endure that or the loss of the eye and of both eyes and continue to fight as the fighting cocks do. Man is not much beside the great birds and beasts. Still I would rather be that beast down there in the darkness of the sea."

What does Joe DiMaggio symbolize for Santiago in the given paragraph?

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In the context of the paragraph in question 7, what is the significance of Santiago comparing the pain of a bone spur to "the spur of a fighting cock in one's heel"?

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“Besides, he thought, everything kills everything else in some way. Fishing kills me exactly as it keeps me alive.” -Santiago

In the above quote from Santiago, the character reflects on the dual nature of his relationship with fishing. Santiago is a seasoned and dedicated fisherman who spends his days at sea, hoping for a successful catch. His words encapsulate the complex and contradictory emotions that fishing elicits in him.

What major theme(s) are implied from the quote above?

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“But man is not made for defeat,” he said. “A man can be destroyed but not defeated.” -Santiago

In the above quote from Santiago, his words encapsulate his resilient and indomitable spirit in the face of adversity. Santiago expresses a fundamental belief in the strength of the human spirit and the ability to endure, even when facing overwhelming challenges.

What major theme(s) are implied from the quote above?

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"I must not think _____, he thought. is a thing that comes in many forms and who can _ her? I would take some though in any form and pay what they asked. I wish I could see the _ from the lights, he thought. I wish too many things. But that is the thing I wish for now. He tried to settle more _______________to steer and from his pain he knew he was not dead."

Select the five words below that complete the text as it is written in the novella.