In the piece of string where does the story take place

Which three sentences in this excerpt from arthur conan doyle's "the contest" suggest that the author's tone is mocking?

Santiago said, “a man can be destroyed but not defeated.” in essence he says that a. defeat is likely when you sail alone. b. man can face defeat so it is important to learn from your mistakes and be prepared. c. sharks can always defeat man unless man is well prepared. d. man can be hurt and even destroyed but still have the ability to control how it is viewed.

How does the dialogue between henry and his friends? “californians tale”