READ from The Old Man and the Sea pages 51-73 through the line, "Now is when I must prove it." WRITE an essay on why the old man is alone. Was it wise for the old man to go out to sea alone? What prompted him to do this? How might this relate to something you've done alone?

“If they make fun of me / in my own courtyard, let your ribs cage up / your springing heart, no matter what I suffer.”

Explanation:

In Homer's "The Odyssey", the protagonist Odysseus's journey back home to Ithaca covers the whole plot. Encounters with gods and enemies, be it mortal or gods and eventually coming to his kingdom, he had been through two decades of being away from home.

The given passage is from Book XVI of the text where Odysseus finally reveals himself to his son Telemachus. But his son refused to believe him, for he had been gone for so long, believing that the gods are playing tricks on him. But Odysseus told him to go back to their palace and meet the suitors of his mother Penelope. He also told him that even though the suitors may act rough and violent with him (disguised as a beggar), Telemachus should not interfere for there's a plan for all things he's going to do. The advice resonates with the theme of "true strength is knowing when not to act", which is evident in his advice when he told him to "hold down your anger".