Book Set One

The Old Man and the Sea & Inherit the Wind

Both of these stories are about fighting losing battles - knowing that you're likely not going to win, but showing up to fight the good fight anyway.

As you read, take notes on the things listed below. Be prepared to take a quiz over each book and write a comparison paper with direct quotes over these two books.

The Old Man & the Sea - Things to Note

Character Development & Conflict

Build background: Just to get some visuals in your head, take a look at this article. Knowing a little about who Ernest Hemingway was and what his life was like in Cuba will help you understand the hardships that his main character, Santiago, goes through in the story.

What you should be looking for:

Two main characters: Santiago & The Fish

What is the central conflict in the novel? How does that conflict develop? (There are several layers here - don't jump right to your first idea).
- Pay attention to the sub-conflicts - are those resolved?
Where is the climax of the novel? What important moments lead up to it, and what important moments happen after?
How are The Fish and Santiago similar?
Even though both characters lose, what do we learn about them in their loss?
What do you think the theme of the novel is? Remember that a theme is a statement of truth, not just and idea.
- NOT a theme - Love
- CORRECT theme - Love is strengthened by overcoming hardships together.

Inherit the Wind - Things to Note

Character Development & Conflict

Build Background - It would be a good idea to take a few minutes and read about "The Scopes Monkey Trial" before you begin. This play is based on that real trial. But, the author's have changed the story a bit to make their point.

Difference #1 - In the play, the trial is real - Bert Cates has been arrested and is in trouble for breaking the law. In the real life Scopes trial, the law was not being enforced. John Scopes had volunteered to act as a defendant to challenge the law.

Difference #2 - In the play, the whole town is divided and many people are angry with Bert Cates. Many people in town are interested in the outcome of the trial. In the Scopes trial, the town mayor was trying to bring money into the town, so the trial was partly a publicity stunt.

Difference #3 - Not all of the characters in the play are based on real-life characters. The lawyers, Drummond and Brady are based on real-life attorneys Darrow and Bryan, and Cates is based on Scopes. But there was no real Rev. or Rachel Brown.

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What you should be looking for:

Keep your eye on Rachel - she is the dynamic character in this play. We learn the theme of the play through her actions.
What is the central conflict? Again - make sure you're thinking about all of the possibilities before you land on one. How is that conflict developed?
- Again, pay attention to the sub-conflicts - are those resolved?
What are the important differences between Drummond and Brady?
Even though Drummond knows he is going to lose the trial, why does he take the case?
What do you think the theme of the play is?

After you have read both books:

Spend a few minutes brainstorming connections between their conflicts, characters and themes. Be sure to consider that at the heart of both stories was a losing battle. Try to develop a universal theme that you see shared across both books. Come to class with some ideas brewing that you can share in discussion.

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