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The Old Man and the Sea published in 1952 This novella is considered to be Hemingway’s masterpiece During his early childhood Hemingway spent a great deal of time in Norther Michigan where he learned to appreciate and love the outdoors He also lived in Key West and Cuba and often fished along the Gulf Stream Hemingway also enjoyed big-game hunting in Africa and bullfighting in Spain Hemingway reveled in his masculinity and wished to be known for it as much as his writings Many believe this story to be a parable about life and man’s struggle to overcome great obstacles
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The Old Man and the Sea By Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway1899-1961
• Hemingway is one of the greatest 20th century authors• He is known for his concise, direct prose• In 1953 Hemingway won the Pulitzer prize for
fiction for his novel, The Old Man and the Sea• In 1954, he won the Nobel Peace Price• Hemingway traveled to Paris after WW1 and
became a part of “The Lost Generation”• Hemingway committed suicide in 1961
The Old Man and the Seapublished in 1952
• This novella is considered to be Hemingway’s masterpiece• During his early childhood Hemingway spent a great deal of time in
Norther Michigan where he learned to appreciate and love the outdoors• He also lived in Key West and Cuba and often fished along the Gulf Stream• Hemingway also enjoyed big-game hunting in Africa and bullfighting in Spain• Hemingway reveled in his masculinity and wished to be known for it as much
as his writings
• Many believe this story to be a parable about life and man’s struggle to overcome great obstacles
Summary• The story begins with a resolute old fisherman , Santiago, experiencing
84 days of bad luck. In fact his luck is so bad that his young apprentice, Manolin, is forbidden by his parents to fish with the old man anymore, but Manolin still cares for him by bringing food and helping after a long day of fishing. Then the old man decides to go alone out to sea and catch the biggest fish of his life. And he succeeds! The battle is of epic/mythical proportions, but after three brutal days the old man is triumphant in catching and reeling in his marlin. However, the old man’s victory is short lived because as he is sailing home with his catch sharks steadily eat away at his marlin. By the time the old man reaches home nothing but the skeleton is left. Manolin has been worried about the old man and agrees to become his partner once again.
Characters• The old man (Santiago): an old Cuban fisherman. He is humble, but full of
pride• Manolin: Santiago’s apprentice. Santiago has taught him how to fish and in
return Manolin takes care of Santiago• The marlin: the giant fish that Santiago catches and struggles with for three
days. Though it is technically an opponent, the old man thinks of the fish as an equal• Sharks: the sharks serve as an antagonistic force that Santiago attempts to
overcome• Joe DiMaggio: a famous baseball player for the New York Yankees. Santiago
often thinks of him when he needs to find inner strength
Themes• Perseverance versus Struggle or Suffering
• The old man remains tenacious and sails out further than anyone in order to catch a big fish. He never waivers in his perseverance to reel in the fish and take it back to his village even though he suffers a great deal. The old man is almost superhuman in his ability to suffer.
• Pride and Honor• The old man doesn’t want to catch the biggest fish because he is hungry, but because his
pride is at stake. He was once revered as a great fisherman, but is now the laughing stock of his village. His pride and honor fuel his endurance.
• Determination versus Defeat• The battle seems pointless from the start, and the old man seems vaguely aware of this
yet he continues. The old man believes “a man can be destroyed, but not defeated.” His determination allows this maxim to become true.
Symbols• Joe DiMaggio: a symbol of strength and willpower• The marlin: a symbol for nature’s great power and the importance of
battling a worthy opponent to obtain glory• The lions: a symbol for the man’s youth and a link between the past
and present• The sharks: a symbol for nature’s indifference to man’s struggle and
the inevitable destruction of all life• The fishing line: a symbol for a larger motif that compares Santiago to
Christ and connects the marlin to Santiago