User blog comment:JoePlay/Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 Giveaway/@comment-4124547-20110716012854

My Patronus would be a marlin. After contemplating what my Patronus would take the form of, I was reminded of a passage from Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea" that I grudgingly analyzed as part of a summer assignment. An old fisherman recalls a moment in which he reeled in a large female marlin one hot day on the open sea. Still, her mate refused to let her go, and he followed the fisherman's skiff around the blue expanse for nearly a day, all the time swimming alongside the boat in mourning of his mate. This marlin was determined and, at the same time, initially powerless, as such a small creature stood a hopeless chance against the skiff and the old man. Hemingway reintroduces another marlin later in the novella, however, one that presents itself as a worthy opponent to the fisherman as this marlin is stronger and much larger in size. While obviously not the same creature, this marlin acts in strong contrast to the earlier marlin that had been weak and powerless. I myself have so much determination and drive, but find that many of my goals and aspirations are out of reach at the moment. However, I do my absolute best to ensure that in the future I will have the means to succeed, as to find solace in my initial failure. The marlin is a symbol of growth and determination.