The Singing Silence

1. The Singing Silence By Tu, Ryan, Joseph and Dilgash

2. Q:Live a long mundane life or a short fulfilling one?

3. The Singing Silence Plot Summary • Old Vincente of Formentera is a porter on the quays of Barcelona • Drops an expensive amphora or water jug, belonging to an american man • Old Vicente seeks to find a way to repay the american man • Decides to find a new one in Ibiza where the broken pot was found • Old Vincent goes out to sea every day and finds happiness in doing so • One day his boat returns with amphora, but he is not found

4. Literary Devices Personification: “And once again, as when he was a boy, the sea sang to him” (Wuorio 159). • Author uses personification to give his writing life and to create a better connection between the text and audience • Helps convey a message to reader • Gives the reader an abstract image in their head • Sound of sea/tides were so beautiful to him it was as though they were singing

5. Literary Devices Part 2 Oxymoron: “It is a singing silence” (Wuorio 160). • Singing and silence are two contrasting words • Sets reader back and forces them to think about the text • By doing so allows readers to deepen their understanding of the text • Singing silence could describe an enjoyable silence • Although silent, the water may have been full of colours, textures and tones which would explain why it was a “singing silence”(Wuorio 160)

6. Literary Devices Part 3 Metaphor: “It is a singing silence. Like many instruments sending their purest sounds up to the sky”(Wuorio 160) • Instead of saying he feels enjoyment he says it is “like many instruments sending their purest sounds up to the sky”(Wuorio 160). • The sounds describe how lively the water was • The fact that vicente heard “singing”(Wuorio 160) can suggest that he was under immense joy while swimming • The “purest sounds”(Wuorio 160) vicente hears can represent his joy • Author did this to make the reader think about the text

7. Theme: Be committed in reaching your goal “Vincente has the search. It is not what one finds, you know, but the search itself that is important. Only the search.” -Father Pablo (161) • Vincent was committed in getting the amphora. • During Vincent search he was very happy in what he was doing. “Day by day, week by week, month by month, and so into the years. Vincent, searching for the amphora which in honor he felt he must find to replace the one he had broken, grew happier. Each day was a new delight.” • As days went by Vincent got more happy • Finding the amphora meant everything for Vincent.

8. “Old Vincente of Formentera, was perhaps the happiest man i’ve ever known. And also perhaps the poorest.” • Shows how happy he was • Didn’t care about money too much “It is a singing silence. Like many instruments sending their purest sounds up the sky.” • Talks about how much he enjoys being underwater • Someone tells hims there is no sound underwater and Vincente explains what he hears.

9. Important things within The Singing Silence Vocabulary • The use of spanish words to make more words jump out and seem more important. “‘He is loco, est hombre, a little crazy’” (Wuorio, 158). • The use of interesting metaphors such as “a cadaverous, bent juniper of a man” (Wuorio, 157). Juniper Tree

10. Important things within The Singing Silence The setting/style -The setting is important because on the small, poor island, the amphora can be seen as priceless to one person, while to another, it isn't all the big of a deal. -Shows the contrast between the rich american and the poor islander, Vicente. -Vicente spent the rest of his life looking or the amphora, while the “rich american” didn't even care.

11. Important things within The Singing Silence Point of view -In the start of the story it is in 1st person view. This shows the reader outside perspectives on Vicente. -Towards the middle is starts to take a 3rd person perspective, this allows the reader to learn about Vicente’s past life and about his personality. -These multiple perspectives allow the reader to relate to vincente more throughout the story.

12. The Singing Silence: Conflicts • Character: Vicente • Type of conflict: Person vs. Person • Is the conflict resolved?: No • Vicente was carrying a man's belongings from a boat onto shore • Carries an ancient water jug and drops it. Jug breaks • Vicente felt terrible and insisted the man for his information so he can pay him back • The man gets annoyed of Vicente and gives him false information to shut him up • “Searching for the amphora which in honor he felt he must find to replace the one he had broken”(Wuorio 161). • Vicente finds a new jug for the man through his diving journey • The conflict is not resolved because the jug could not get returned to the man due to the false info given to Vincente, so the man could not be found.

13. Conflicts • Character: Vicente • Type of conflict: Person vs. Self • Is the conflict resolved?: Yes • Vicente was poor and didn’t/ couldn’t fulfil his dream as a diver • After dropping the man’s water jug, Vicente begins to go diving in the sea in search for a new one • “Day by day, week by week, month by month, and so into years, Vicente… grew happier”(Wuorio 161). • The conflict slowly begins to get resolved because during his journey to retrieve a new water jug, throughout the whole thing he is searching for it by doing what he loves most.

14. Conflicts • Character: Vincente • Type of conflict: Character vs. Nature • Is the conflict resolved: No • Vincente was in the sea • “That day the wind blew from Africa and stirred up the depths of the sea and sent the high green waves scurrying”(Wuorio 161). • “The little boat Vincente had borrowed was tossed back to the beach...No one saw the old man again”(Wuorio 161). • Not resolved because Vincente dies at sea.

15. Conflicts • Character: Vicente • Type of conflict: Person vs. Society • Is the conflict resolved: No • People of the Island think he is crazy • “[Vincente] is loco, est hombre, a little crazy”(Wuorio 158). • The conflict is not resolved but if people were to find out about the act he did, the views of him may change.