Back in secondary school (high school), I was a big fan of literature. I naturally was inclined to the English language, as it fascinated me so much. Then in stepped literature in English. It felt like a more refined version of the language. All the nuance and dynamics of the original language. It was like I found love. We were recommended texts to read; ranging from Shakespeare's classics to local gems. Amongst the recommended text was The Old Man and the Sea. At the time, I was oblivious to most of the figures of speech, wit, irony, etc., and all that brilliance in literary works, but as I got older, I started to appreciate all these works even more. Why am I telling you guys this? Well, it's because the short story I am about to talk about shares similarities with the old man and the Sea. Well not really, they just have almost similar titles, xd.
- Author - William Wymark Jacobs
- Title - The Old Man of the Sea
- Originally Published - N/A
- Genre - Fiction, Comedy, Short Stories
PLOT
The story is about a young man who, in his plot to win over the heart of the woman he admires, employs the help of an older man he only just met ten days earlier. His plan was for this friend of his to pretend to be his rich uncle from another country who came visiting and intends to will all his wealth to him. As expected, the plan didn't go as anticipated. The older man abandoned the original plan and hit it off with the mother of the said young woman, while another suitor was lurking around towards the younger woman, thereby entering everything into a twist. What became of the woman? I guess you'd have to find out yourself.
SETTING
New Zealand was the only location mentioned in the story.
CHARACTER(S)
- Mr. George Wright - the protagonist
- Mr. Kemp - the old sailor
- Miss Bradshaw - the young woman
- Mrs. Bradshaw - the young woman's mother
- Mr. Hill - the other suitor
PURPOSE
Pretty obvious isn't it? Money doesn't win you love. I think.
I lay on my bed chuckling. It was quite funny. I guess we'd say this one is a farcial comedy because I honestly think nobody would be this dumb in the twenty-first century, but then again, one might be surprised. The plot was well-developed, and the twist was quite sophisticated for a short story. The diction was one I really enjoyed. That medieval times tone was refreshing. Usually, the author is known for his seas stories or stories of macabre but this was very well told. Very immersive, and enjoyable. I would definitely recommend it for a leisure read, and it may give you a chuckle. I will also rate it a 4 out of 5.