assignment major paper=12

About her life:

Born: December 16, 1775, in Steventon, Hampshire, England
Died: July 18, 1817, in Winchester, Hampshire, England
Occupation: Novelist
Literary Period: Romanticism / Regency Era

About her works:

Sense and Sensibility (1811)
Explores the contrast between rationality and emotion through the Dashwood sisters.
Pride and Prejudice (1813)
Perhaps her most famous novel, it follows Elizabeth Bennet as she navigates issues of manners, morality, and marriage.
Mansfield Park (1814)
A more serious novel, examining social class and morality through the character of Fanny Price.
Emma (1815)
Centers on a wealthy, self-assured young woman who meddles in others' romantic affairs.
Northanger Abbey (Published posthumously in 1817)
A satire of Gothic novels, featuring the imaginative Catherine Morland.
Persuasion (Published posthumously in 1817)
A more mature and introspective novel, focusing on lost love and second chances.

Themes in Her Work:

Social class and mobility
Marriage and women's roles
Morality and virtue
Satire of romantic and societal norms

About his family background:

Though Austen received only modest recognition during her lifetime, she is now considered one of the most important figures in English literature. Her novels have been continuously in print, widely studied, adapted for film and television, and translated into many languages.

Would you like a deeper dive into her life, a specific novel, or her influence on literature.

= INTRODUCTION:

Published in 1811, Sense and Sensibility was Jane Austen’s first novel, released anonymously as "By a Lady." It tells the story of the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne, as they navigate love, heartbreak, and societal expectations in early 19th-century England.

The novel explores the contrast between "sense" (rationality, restraint) and "sensibility" (emotion, spontaneity), embodied by the two sisters. Elinor represents sense—practical and composed—while Marianne represents sensibility—romantic and emotionally expressive.

After the death of their father, the Dashwood family faces financial hardship and a lower social standing, which affects the sisters' prospects for marriage. Through their experiences, Austen critiques the limited roles and options available to women and reflects on the nature of love, marriage, and class in Regency-era society.

=characters👧👦👨👩👴👵👱:

Main Characters🎭:

Elinor Dashwood

The eldest Dashwood sister (around 19).
Represents "sense" – rational, composed, self-controlled.
Falls in love with Edward Ferrars.

Marianne Dashwood

The middle Dashwood sister (about 16–17).
Represents "sensibility" – emotional, impulsive, romantic.
Falls passionately for John Willoughby, later marries Colonel Brandon.

Edward Ferrars

A shy, kind gentleman.
Elinor's love interest.
Has a secret engagement to Lucy Steele.

John Willoughby

Charming but reckless and selfish.
Initially courts Marianne but abandons her for a wealthy woman.
A symbol of romantic failure and betrayal.

Colonel Christopher Brandon

A steady, honorable older man (age 35).
Falls in love with Marianne.
A foil to Willoughby: quiet but deeply loyal.

Dashwood Family👪:

Mrs. Dashwood

Mother of Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret.
Gentle and emotional, much like Marianne.

Margaret Dashwood

The youngest Dashwood sister (13 years old).
Lively and curious, but less developed as a character.

John Dashwood

Half-brother to the Dashwood sisters (from their father’s first marriage).
Influenced by his greedy wife, Fanny, he fails to support his stepmother and stepsisters financially.

Fanny Dashwood

John’s selfish and snobbish wife.
Strongly opposed to helping the Dashwood women.

Other Important Characters:

Lucy Steele

A cunning and manipulative young woman.
Secretly engaged to Edward Ferrars for years.
Marries his brother Robert Ferrars after Edward breaks off their engagement.

Anne Steele

Lucy’s vulgar and talkative older sister.
Adds comic relief to the novel.

Robert Ferrars

Edward’s shallow and vain younger brother.
Ends up marrying Lucy Steele.

Sir John Middleton

A distant relation who offers the Dashwood women a cottage to live in.
Friendly, generous, and a lover of social gatherings.

Lady Middleton

Sir John’s wife.
Polite but cold and superficial.

Mrs. Jennings

Lady Middleton’s mother.
A well-meaning, talkative, and matchmaking older woman.

= THEMES:

1. Sense vs. Sensibility (Reason vs. Emotion)

This is the central theme of the novel.

Elinor represents "sense" – rational thought, self-control, and emotional restraint.
Marianne represents "sensibility" – intense emotion, impulsiveness, and romantic ideals.
Austen explores how both qualities are important, but balance is essential for personal happiness and social harmony.

💔 2. Love and Marriage

Austen examines the reasons people marry – for love, money, status, or security.

True love (like Elinor and Edward) is shown as ideal.
Marriages based only on wealth or charm (like Lucy and Robert, or Willoughby’s marriage) are portrayed as unstable or hollow.
Marriage is both an emotional and economic decision, especially for women.

💰 3. Wealth, Class, and Inheritance

The novel shows how social class and money control people’s lives, especially women’s futures.

The Dashwood sisters lose their home and wealth after their father’s death.
Many characters (like Willoughby and Lucy) pursue money through marriage.
Austen critiques a society where wealth outweighs character.

👩‍🦱 4. Women’s Role in Society

Austen highlights the limited options available to women in Regency England.

Women couldn't inherit property or earn freely.
Their security depended on marrying well.
Through Elinor and Marianne, Austen shows the emotional and social challenges women face.

🗣️ 5. Reputation and Social Expectations

Maintaining a good reputation is crucial in the novel’s society.

Elinor hides her pain to remain proper and composed.
Marianne’s openness brings scandal and nearly ruins her.
Austen explores how society forces women to behave a certain way, even at the cost of honesty and emotional well-being.

=CONCLUSION:

Sense and Sensibility is a powerful exploration of the balance between reason and emotion, love and duty, and personal happiness versus societal expectations. Through the contrasting characters of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, Jane Austen masterfully highlights the challenges faced by women in a society where wealth, class, and reputation often determine one's future.

By the end of the novel, both sisters grow and learn from their experiences—Elinor finds emotional expression, and Marianne gains maturity and self-restraint.

# HOME ASSIGNMENT 🏠

unit=3,4 The old man and the sea

-by Ernest Hemingway

=ABOUT ERNEST HEMINGWAY:

-About his life

Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American novelist, short story writer, and journalist known for his simple, direct prose style and themes of war, masculinity, love, loss, and resilience. He was a key figure of the "Lost Generation" — a group of post–World War I American writers disillusioned with traditional values.

Born: July 21, 1899, in Oak Park, Illinois, USA
Died: July 2, 1961, in Ketchum, Idaho, USA (by suicide)
Occupation: Author, war correspondent
Writing Style: Sparse, economical prose (called the "Iceberg Theory" – only the surface is shown, deeper meaning lies beneath)

-Famous Works:

The Old Man and the Sea (1952)
- A symbolic tale of an aging fisherman’s struggle with a giant marlin.
- Won the Pulitzer Prize and helped Hemingway win the Nobel Prize in Literature (1954).
A Farewell to Arms (1929)
- A tragic love story set during World War I.
- Semi-autobiographical.
The Sun Also Rises (1926)
- Captures the aimlessness and disillusionment of the Lost Generation in post-WWI Europe.
For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940)
- A novel about the Spanish Civil War, exploring sacrifice, courage, and love.
In Our Time (1925)
- A short story collection that introduced his minimalist style.

-Themes in Hemingway’s Work:

War and violence
Love and loss
Masculinity and heroism
Existential struggle and stoicism
Nature and solitude

-Awards

Nobel Prize in Literature (1954)
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (1953)
Influenced generations of writers with his stripped-down style and raw emotional depth
Known for his adventurous life: ambulance driver in WWI, journalist in the Spanish Civil War, big-game hunter, deep-sea fisher and more

=INTRODUCTION:

The old Man and the Sea is a short novel written by Ernest Hemingway and published in 1952. It tells the story of Santiago, an aging Cuban fisherman who struggles to catch a giant marlin after going 84 days without a fish. Despite his age and physical weakness, Santiago shows great courage, determination, and inner strength, becoming a symbol of human endurance and dignity in the face of defeat. Written in Hemingway’s signature simple and powerful style, the novel explores deep themes such as heroism, pride, resilience, and man's relationship with nature. It was a critical success and earned Hemingway the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1953, and it played a major role in his winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954.

=SUMMARY:

The Old Man and the Sea tells the story of Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman who has gone 84 days without catching a fish. The local villagers consider him unlucky, and his young apprentice, Manolin, is forced by his parents to leave him and fish with a more successful boat. However, Manolin still cares deeply for Santiago and helps him with food and supplies.

On the 85th day, Santiago sets out alone into the Gulf Stream and hooks a giant marlin, bigger than any fish he has ever seen. A fierce struggle begins between the old man and the powerful fish, lasting for three days and nights. Santiago admires the marlin’s strength and dignity and sees it as a worthy opponent.

Eventually, he kills the marlin with great effort and lashes it to the side of his skiff. However, on the journey home, the marlin’s blood attracts sharks, which attack the carcass. Santiago fights them off as best he can, but by the time he returns to shore, only the skeleton of the marlin remains.

Exhausted and defeated, Santiago returns to his shack and collapses. The villagers are amazed by the size of the marlin’s skeleton, and Manolin vows to fish with him again. Though Santiago has lost the fish, he retains his dignity, bravery, and spirit, proving that true success lies not in victory, but in the struggle itself.

=CHARACTERS:

🧓 Santiago

The old man, a skilled but unlucky Cuban fisherman.
Central character of the novel.
Determined, proud, patient, and deeply connected to nature.
Embarks on a heroic struggle to catch a giant marlin.
Symbolizes human endurance, dignity, and the spirit of perseverance.

👦 Manolin

A young boy who once fished with Santiago.
Forced by his parents to work on another boat, but he still cares deeply for Santiago.
Brings him food, talks with him, and shows respect and loyalty.
Represents hope, friendship, and the passing of knowledge between generations.

🐟 The Marlin

The giant fish Santiago battles for three days.
Majestic, strong, and noble — a worthy opponent.
Symbolizes nature’s beauty, strength, and the challenge of life itself.
Santiago both respects and feels a deep kinship with the marlin.

🦈 The Sharks

A group of predatory sharks that attack Santiago’s marlin on the way back to shore.
Represent destruction, loss, and the harsh realities that follow triumph.
Santiago fights them fiercely, but they strip the marlin to the bone.

👥 Minor Characters

The villagers – Background characters who view Santiago as unlucky.
Manolin’s parents – Unseen, but they influence the boy’s decisions early in the story.

=THEME:

1. Perseverance and the Struggle Against Defeat

Santiago's battle with the marlin and the sharks shows his unbreakable spirit.
Even though he ends up losing the fish, he never gives up, symbolizing that true victory lies in effort, not just results.
Hemingway’s message: "A man can be destroyed but not defeated."

💪 2. Pride and Personal Dignity

Santiago takes great pride in his skills and refuses to be seen as weak or unlucky.
His pride drives him to go far out into the sea to prove himself—not to others, but to himself.
This theme explores the idea that personal honor matters more than public recognition.

🌊 3. Man vs. Nature

The novel centers on the conflict between Santiago and the marlin, and later the sharks.
Santiago respects the fish and the sea, seeing them not as enemies but as worthy rivals.
It reflects the beauty, power, and cruelty of nature—and humanity’s place within it.

🧓👦 4. Youth and Age

Santiago is old and physically weak, while Manolin represents youth and strength.
Their bond shows the connection between generations, and how age brings wisdom and experience.
The contrast also highlights what is lost and gained with age.

🐟 5. Isolation and Loneliness

Santiago spends most of the novel alone at sea, reflecting on his life and his past.
His solitude emphasizes his inner strength and his deep thoughts about existence.
Yet, his bond with the marlin shows that even in isolation, there's connection—with nature, memory, and meaning.

🦈 6. Loss and the Meaning of Success

Santiago catches the marlin but loses it to sharks—a physical loss.
Yet he gains spiritual victory by showing courage, endurance, and grace under pressure.
The novel asks: Is success measured by what we gain, or by how we struggle?

#ESSAY ASSIGNMENT

Most famous adaptation: 1958 film starring Spencer Tracy, nominated for an Academy Award.

🖊️ Background & Context

Written in 1951 and published in 1952, The Old Man and the Sea was Hemingway’s last major work of fiction published during his lifetime.
It helped revive his fading reputation at the time.
The novella won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (1953) and contributed to Hemingway receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature (1954).
The story was partly inspired by Hemingway’s own fishing experiences in Cuba and his observations of local fishermen.

📖 Plot in One Sentence

An old Cuban fisherman named Santiago endures a long and painful struggle with a giant marlin, only to lose it to sharks before returning home with nothing but the fish’s skeleton, though he retains his pride and dignity.

🧊 Hemingway’s Writing Style (The "Iceberg Theory")

Hemingway’s style is simple, direct, and sparse.
He believed that what is left unsaid is just as important as what is written. This is known as the “Iceberg Theory” — only the tip is shown, but the deeper meaning lies beneath the surface.
In The Old Man and the Sea, this is seen in Santiago’s inner strength, isolation, and silent suffering.

🎭 Major Symbols

Symbol	Meaning
🧓 Santiago	Represents endurance, wisdom, and the human spirit.
🐟 The Marlin	A symbol of a noble struggle, nature’s beauty, and the ultimate challenge.
🦈 The Sharks	Destruction, reality, and forces beyond our control that ruin success.
🌊 The Sea	Nature itself — vast, powerful, mysterious, and both beautiful and cruel.
🛶 Santiago’s Skiff	Isolation and Santiago’s personal journey or "battlefield".
👦 Manolin	Youth, hope, and the cycle of learning and mentorship.

🌟 Why It’s Important

The novella explores universal human themes: courage, struggle, aging, loss, and resilience.
Santiago is a "code hero" — a Hemingway figure who shows grace under pressure, courage in solitude, and strength despite suffering.
It is a modern classic, often taught in schools for its clear prose, deep symbolism, and philosophical depth.

🎞️ Film Adaptation

Most famous adaptation: 1958 film starring Spencer Tracy, nominated for an Academy Award.
The story has also been adapted into animated versions and radio dramas.

#conclusion

Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea is a timeless story that goes beyond a simple tale of a fisherman and his catch. It is a powerful reflection on human strength, perseverance, and the dignity of struggle. Santiago’s heroic battle with the marlin, followed by his quiet acceptance of loss, shows that true success lies not in what we win, but in how we fight.

Through simple language and deep symbolism, Hemingway presents a universal message: that life’s greatest victories often come through endurance, pride, and inner courage—even in the face of defeat. Santiago, though physically beaten, remains spiritually undefeated. The novel stands as a reminder that the human spirit can rise above any challenge.

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