Vocabulary

Sullen: bad-tempered and sulky; gloomy.

Weltering: move in a turbulent fashion.

Elemental: primary or basic.

Sinewy: consisting of or resembling sinews.

Hoisted: raise (something) by means of ropes and pulleys.

Phosphorescence: light emitted by a substance without combustion or perceptible heat.

Cordage: cords or ropes, especially in a ship’s rigging.

Exhilaration: a feeling of excitement, happiness, or elation.

Atavistic: relating to or characterized by reversion to something ancient or ancestral.

Centrifugal: moving or tending to move away from a center.

Gauntly: extremely thin and bony

Impeding: delay or prevent (someone or something) by obstructing them; hinder

Tenaciously: with a firm hold of something; closely.

Respite: a short period of rest or relief from something difficult or unpleasant.

Equilibrium: a state in which opposing forces or influences are balanced.

Imminent: about to happen.

Questions:

1. Why does the man-fish by night? How does this lead to? the conflict with the ray? What is significant about the fact that he does not fish for a living: The man likes to fish at night because “he liked the loneliness and labour of It”. Casting at night, with no one around to save him lead to the conflict with the ray, because there was no one around to save him. It is significant that he does not fish for a living, but he fishes for the joy.
2. Identify 3 examples of foreshadowing.

– fishing alone at night almost lead him to his death

• When he slipped the knot over his wrists
• To make sure “he looked closely to make sure no stingray was hidden in the mesh.”

3. Identify the following parts of the story’s plot: the complicating incident, a single crisis, the climax, the resolution and the ending (what kind?).

• complicating incident: The Man trying to free himself from the Ray (man V.S. nature)
• a single crisis: the man getting caught on the rope while the ray drags him into the deep water
• the climax: when he got himself free and swimming up
• the resolution: that he would not go casting any more alone at night
• type of Ending: lesson learned, he has learned how the fish felt like being token away

4. One of the conflicts is between the civilized and primitive world (define these two words first). What is the purpose of the references made to the plane, the causeway, and the man’s wife at home?

• Civilized: meaning at an advanced stage of social and cultural development.
• primitive world: meaning forms of life.

 

5. What does the man learn at the end of the story? Why does he release the mullet?

The man learned at the end of the story, how the fish felt being dragged away from an alien source, and never to cast alone at night because of the dangers. The man realized how it feels to be trapped and token against their will, so the man realized the mullet feeling sorry.

6. Find 3 examples of descriptive language -this will lead to a discussion of figurative language.

• Personification “The Cheerful room” (Pg.32)
• Simile: “The night was black as a witch’s cat” (Pg.34)
• Metaphor: “the lights of a causeway made a yellow necklace across the ” (Pg.34)