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 enjoyed fishing at night, because he liked it’s isolation and labor. If it were day he would have been more likely to see the Ray and would not have made the error. He doesn’t fish for a living because he doesn’t need it too, but it puts him in a different, better reality but he may not do it properly because he’s not a professional.
2. Identify 3 examples of foreshadowing.
There was foregone shadowing because at night he went fishing alone “as black as a witches cat” and had a noose tightly wrapped around his wrist holding the net. He saw the slimy reflection of black oily and that sardines had grown. He also went out wearing only swimming trunks and a pair of old “nothing else” tennis shoes.
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?).
A man decides to go fishing at night, which was no surprise that it was a regular occurrence that he didn’t just have to like the fact that it was a typical trip until a creature got into his net. The incident occurs when he sees the swirls in the water and decides to throw his net into the swirls, it turns out to be a sea devil eating and dragging back into the deep water. The knot was too deep for him to escape. He touches the barnacles that cut his hand and leaves it in his hands with no more energy. The sea devil found a mullet and pursued it back into the shallow water that gave the man a chance to flee. The ending is a happy ending, as he managed to escape. The man decided never to go fishing by himself at night.
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; well-mannered, primitive, creates art and does things for wanting not to be needed; not developed, and only does things for survival. The man needs to fish for food or protection but instead for fun because he likes all about it, the truth of the stress on his hand, the taste of the net saltwater. The references gave the man a purposes to keep fighting and keep going when he thought he had no more strength the plane showed him how far mankind had come and his wife showed him that human kind now can sit safely at home in the warmth not having to fight back on nature.
5. What does the man learn at the end of the story? Why does he release the mullet?
The man learns never to go fishing alone or at night, if something were to happen there would be no one to help, rescue or come and see him. He releases the mullet because he has seen what trapping and helplessness is like.
6. Find 3 examples of descriptive language- this will lead into a discussion of figurative language.
“good rough honest wood” (pg.41)
“The skiff, flat-bottomed, was moored off the sea wall. ” (pg. 33)
“It veered wildly and turned back toward shallow water.” (pg. 39)
“He lifted his other hand and felt the hot blood start instantly, but he didn’t care.” (pg. 40-41)
Vocabulary:
Sullen-something that is depressed or gloomy
Weltering-to move In a turbulent fashion
Elemental-to embody the powers of nature
Sinewy-a person or animal that is muscular
Hoisted-raise something with a rope
Phosphorescence- light emitted by radiation
Cordage-cords or ropes
Exhilaration-feeling of excitement
Atavistic-relating or characterized
Centrifugal-moving away from center
Gauntly-thin and bony
Impending-about to happen
Tenaciously-
Respite-a short period of rest or relief
Equilibrium-a state where two things are balanced
Imminent -about to happen