Thoughts on the story

earlier when we were reading, before Mr. Hart said anything, I was thinking that the boy was playing along with the old man about the rice because the man actually thought that their was rice and I thought that it could be like a publisher or fan dealing with Hemingway's memory issues from the electroshock treatments, just a thought anyways.

I was thinking that too, before we talked about the rice being made up due to the old man's hunger. I thought he was actually hallucinating because he is mentally unstable... Due to some past traumas we have yet to discover.

When we 1st start reading I thought the boy was a figure of the oldmans imagination lol but I think that its nice for the boy to take care of the oldman and care for him. He even pretends with the oldmans which is sweet. I hope there relationship stays strong and nothing happens to the boy or the oldman is going to take it really hard

I totally agree. The old man and the boy have such a strong relationship, and it seems to be very encouraging for the old man to have the boy there. I wonder why it is they are so close... it almost seems like the old man is more of a family to the boy than his actual family. When will they come into play? And i wonder if they approve of his relationship with the old man...

Kayla I. wrote:I totally agree. The old man and the boy have such a strong relationship, and it seems to be very encouraging for the old man to have the boy there. I wonder why it is they are so close... it almost seems like the old man is more of a family to the boy than his actual family. When will they come into play? And i wonder if they approve of his relationship with the old man...

I don't think the boy's family approves of his relationship with the old man. At least the father anyway. In the beginning, page 10, "It was papa made me leave. I am a boy and I must obey him" At first I thought Hemingway was describing his relationship with his own father, which wasn't all that great. Hemingway was often abuse as a child by his father; even as an adult, he felt that his father still had some control in his life, because Hemingway felt guilty for his father's suicide and this resulted in him feeling constricted by his father.

The boy's father seems to play a huge authoritarian role in his life, which is similar to Hemingway's relationship with his father.

Just a thought....