How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Day.Paragraph). We artificially created chapters by defining "days," because there are no chapter breaks in The Old Man and the Sea. Here’s how we divided up the days:- Day 1 = the start of the book until the old man falls asleep for the night
- Day 2 = begins when the old man wakes up and goes until sunrise of the next day
- Day 3 = begins at sunrise and goes until the old man dreams about the lions
- Day 4 = begins when the old man wakes and ends when the old man gets back to his shack for the night
- Day 5 = begins with the boy seeing the old man in the morning and goes until the end of the book
Quote #10
But he seems calm, he thought, and following his plan. But what is his plan, he thought. And what is mine? Mine I must improvise to his because of his great size. If he will jump I can kill him. But he stays down forever. Then I will stay down with him forever. (3.47)
The old man’s determination takes on new levels as the tale progresses.
Quote #11
I must save all my strength now. Christ, I did not know he was so big."
"I’ll kill him though," he said. "In all his greatness and his glory."
Although it is unjust, he thought. But I will show him what a man can do and what a man endures. (3.73-3.75)
The old man separates man from beast by man’s ability to endure.
Quote #12
"I told the boy I was a strange old man," he said.
"Now is when I must prove it."
The thousand times that he had proved it meant nothing. Now he was proving it again. Each time was a new time and he never thought about the past when he was doing it. I wish he’d sleep and I could sleep and dream about the lions, he thought. Why are the lions the main thing that is left? (3.3.76-3.78)
The old man sees his own determination to prove himself reflected in the lions.