The Old Man and the Sea: Question 8

      How accurately does this novel reflect events in history?  What responsibilities does the author believe exist between various groups in society, such as workers and bosses, men and women, blacks and whites, etc.?  What people, ideas, and events probably influenced this author? The Old Man and the Sea reflects the little history it shows very well. It takes place in Cuba in the 1940’s, and as I have discussed earlier it talks about the great DiMaggio and his baseball career, alone with the fishing industry during the 40’s (Hemingway).

            The main relationship that is discussed and shown in the novel is the relationship between elderly people and younger people. More specifically is the relationship between Santiago and Manolin. Manolin respects the old man so much he is like a father to him and vice versa. The relationship that Hemingway describes is a relationship of respect from a young man to an old one. He believes that we should treat our elders with respect because they have taught us so much and we can learn so much more. Manolin has learned all he knows about fishing from him the old man. He feels so much respect for him he makes sure he is healthy by bringing him food and volunteering to work for him for free just because he feels like he owes so much to him (Hemingway 24). Manolin admires the old man for teaching him all he knows and feels an obligation to him.

            Hemingway most likely felt that that is how this relationship should be like because that is how things were at the time the book was written. People in the forties and fifties, the time the novel was written, treated each other with more respect than the generation that is growing up now does. This shows how much relationships have changed over the years, which is most likely not for the better.

 Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea: Question 7

        What techniques does the author use to engage the audience and make the story effective?  Give examples to support your analysis (mystery, humor, symbolism, suspense, etc.).  There are several techniques in The Old Man and the Sea. Ernest Hemingway uses these techniques to engage the audience. One effective technique he uses is repetition. He uses this to emphasize the importance of the part of the story being repeated. The line that Santiago repeats throughout the five days of him being stuck on the boat is wishing that the boy, Manolin, was there with him (Hemingway). This line being repeated shows the reader how much the old man loves Manolin like he was his own son. He repeats this line because he is struggling to survive the journey being beaten and using all of his strength and wished the boy was there to help him. He feels so much love for him, and Hemingway emphasizes this by using repetition (Hemingway). Another technique that Hemingway uses is suspense. He uses suspense in the events leading up to Santiago actually catching the fish. It seems as though the old man will never get the marlin, until it emerges out of the water, keeping the reader engaged. The he gradually sees him and feels him tiring. These events throughout the days at sea make the reader anxious for Santiago to actually catch the fish and bring it back. Suspense is also used as Santiago gets gradually puller farther and farther out to see. It does not seem as though he will return which keeps the reader interested also (Hemingway). When the old man finally catches him it is relieving, until the sharks come. This and many other examples are the way Hemingway uses suspense to keep the reader engaged and interested in the story as it develops. These also make the reader more likely to understand the point of the story that Hemingway was trying to get across.   

 Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea: Question 6

Why do we still read this book?  What is so timeless about its message and characters?  What can we learn from reading this novel? We still read The Old Man and the Sea because it tells a very simple story that has a message anyone can benefit from. One reason we still read the novel is because the way Ernest Hemingway writes is very straight forward and easy to understand. This makes the message of the story very easy to comprehend and point out. The message of never giving up and have great determination and desire is extremely timeless. Everyone can see through Santiago’s five day struggle just for one simple fish, how truly important it is to him (Hemingway). This is something my generation should learn from. Not all of us, but a large portion are very lazy and expect things just to turn out okay without any effort. We can learn that with a little effort, determination, and desire we can go and do anywhere. Santiago never gave up until the entire fish was gone (Hemingway). Also from the novel is the timeless message of the honor from the struggles. The novel teaches us that if you have everything given to you, you have to do something to earn respect. If you work hard for something you are bound to earn respect from others. These messages are why re still read this book. We can learn so much from such simple message which is why it is so timeless. People of all ages and all times can learn from these messages and I believe that many generations to come will continue to learn and prosper from reading this novel.

 Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea: Question 5

How does The Old Man and the Sea reflect the history, behavior and social issues of the time period and setting?  What is this book's symbolic and thematic significance? The novel takes place in the 1940’s in Cuba (Hemingway). They are near the Gulf of Mexico, so fishing was very popular. This shows in the novel. Most of the people Santiago and Manolin interact with are fishermen, or have something to do with it. There are fish and shark factories near, which tell the reader that it was most likely a popular market in that time period. Fishing was extremely important during this time because it was a way for men to not only make money for their families, but also provide food for them. Another way this novel reflects history is through its talk of baseball. Santiago often speaks of the great DiMaggio, who was a very famous and popular baseball player. He reads in the newspaper and hears talk about the town of DiMaggio’s great plays, games, and batting average (Hemingway). This shows how popular the sport of baseball was during the 1940’s. Santiago also thought of DiMaggio on the boat, and what he would do if he was put in Santiago’s situation. DiMaggio must have been a very big idol for the people of the time period, if even an old man like Santiago thinks of him in that way.

            The major thematic significance in the novel is that you should never give up trying and hope. Even though when things get hard it makes us want to quit, we must never do so, because we will never get anywhere. This shows in Santiago’s five day chase just to get one fish, because he knew if he could just wait it out, it would be worth it. In the end it does not go exactly how he expected it to, but was worth it in his bad luck streak break and  regaining his courage (Hemingway).

 Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea: Question 4

      Who is the "hero" in this book and what are some of his/her traits?  What does he/she accomplish, and how is he/she portrayed?  Does the hero represent an abstract idea such as goodness, truth, courage or evil? The hero of The Old Man and the Sea is the old man, Santiago. Santiago is so dedicated and determined to fishing, and more specifically the marlin.  He is also determined to get the fish because he knows he needs it and will benefit so much from catching the marlin. Through the journey of chasing the fish and bringing it home, we can see just home tough the old man is. He is beaten by the sharks that attack him for the fish and still gives every bit of energy he has to save the marlin (Hemingway 108-114). Although he does not end up bringing the marlin home, he still redeems himself. The other fishermen and townspeople see the remains of the fish and how big it was and are impressed by the old man. They see that even though he is an old man, he still has his skills and luck (Hemingway 122). He accomplishes getting the respect of the fishermen back, and he also gets the boy to come back to him. He repeatedly wished the boy was with him on his journey, and finally gets his wish at the end of the novel. In the novel he is portrayed as a weak old man by the townspeople and fishermen, which he is, but he also has so much life in him. He is able to make it through the grueling five days and be beaten up, but overall okay and in good health (Hemingway). The old man represents the abstract idea of strength. He is an old man, and most people put that together with weakness. He proves to everyone he has the greatest strength of all the fishermen.

 Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea: Question 3

What universal themes does this book address? What does the author understand about human nature? The major theme in The Old Man and the Sea is the respect that comes from struggle. Struggle is a reoccurring theme in the novel and Santiago defiantly struggles. His struggles start before the novel begins, with the old man’s bad luck spell with fishing. He went over ninety days without fish, and was struggling to survive without money and food. The struggle then continues when he catches a fish, but then has to chase it for five days. He never gives up and is determined to get the marlin no matter what. Although he struggled and ended up short, without the marlin, he earns back the respect of his fellow fisherman (Hemingway). They see that although he loses the marlin, he tried, struggled, and was beat up just to catch one fish. This earns their respect because they value the old man’s dedication.

            Another major theme that ties into the respect earned through struggle is dedication. It took a lot of dedication for Santiago to stay with the marlin for five days and not give up on it. His dedication also earns the respect from the other fishermen. Another example of dedication in the novel is Manolin’s dedication to Santiago. Although Manolin no longer worked for the old man, he still feels dedication to him because he taught him everything about fishing. Manolin, or the boy, feels such dedication to him that he makes sure he is healthy, and even brings him dinner (Hemingway 24). This dedication is something that people of all ages and at any time can learn from, and can continue on for many years.

Hemingway wrote and noted the important themes in life that people can learn from. He understands that people can be very judgmental and quick to form opinions that stick. What we learn from this is that with a little effort and dedication, we can be successful.  

    

 Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea: Question 2

            What are the causes, gains, and losses of the conflict dealt with in The Old Man and the Sea?  To begin, the main conflict of The Old Man and the Sea is that the old man, Santiago, is stuck at sea for five days trying to catch a fish.  

            There are several factors that caused the conflict of the novel. The main cause of the conflict is that Santiago has not caught a fish in over ninety days. He is a fisherman and does not make much money as it is, therefore it is extremely essential that he catches fish in order to make money and be able to eat and provide for himself. Another reason he needs to catch the marlin is because he needs to redeem himself and his reputation. He gets made fun of by the other fishermen because of his age and his bad luck spell (Hemingway). The only way he can do this is to get the marlin and prove to them he is not just an old man.

            There are not many gains from the conflict. Just about the only gain is that the old man does end up redeeming himself to the others. He puts all he has into it and the other fishermen can see and respect that. He earns back their respect and for his skills. He also rids his bad luck streak and reputation.

            However, there are far more losses than gains in the novel. The old man is beaten, cut, and exhausted from his journey. The main and most important loss was the marlin. After five days of chasing, Santiago finally catches the fish and ties it to his boat. Unfortunately, by the time he gets back the marlin is completely eaten by sharks, which beat and exhausted the old man who was trying to save the fish (Hemingway).    

 Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.