OlD man and the sea

Key Facts

full title The Old Man and the Sea author Ernest Hemingway type of work Novella genre Parable; tragedy language English

time and place written 1951, Cuba

date of first publication 1952

point of view Sometimes the narrator describes the characters and events objectively, that is, as they would appear to an outside observer. However, the narrator frequently provides details about Santiagos inner thoughts and dreams. tone Despite the narrators journalistic, matter-offact tone, his reverence for Santiago and his struggle is apparent.

tense Past setting (time) Late 1940s setting (place) A small fishing village near Havana, Cuba; the waters of the Gulf of Mexico protagonist Santiago

Old Man and the sea

Plot Structure & Summary

Structure
Three parts- Getting ready- the trip out with the fish, and getting back (Tripartite) Alternative: Aristotle Dramatic Structure- Exposition and Rising Action: Readers presented with complications and conflicts with Santiago. The Climax when he kills the fish. The Falling Action when the sharks attack the fish. The Denouement: The Old Man is Helpless and defeated. We can also add what James Joyce would call the Epiphany. This is revelation of Santiagos true character. This is captured by the ignorance of the tourist which highlights the quite skill of the Old Man. Again there is hope.

Exposition

84 days with Santiago has caught no fish Boy was with him, but his father told him to change ships because the man had bad luck Boy loves old man and looks after him by bringing small amounts of food, and bait. Boy poor as well Old man accepts with humility- shows a quite pride

Eat rice and beans, discuss Joe DiMaggio.

At night, the old man dreams of lions on the beach that he saw years before in Africa.

No longer dreams of dead wife.

Day 1

On 85th day, Old man goes out very far. No other fisherman around because he cannot see land. After skillfully playing with the marlin, who is 100 fathom (182 meters) under water, he is able to sink the hook. Marlin is huge. Starts pulling him to sea.

The old man sets the rope around his shoulder, and relying on different techniques and tricks acquired over the years, decided to hold on until the fish tires.

It is now a test of will!

That night he holds on and continues out to see. His hands bleed, hi face gets cut from another fish pulling his second line, his hands cramp, his body aches, he eats tuna to keep his energy up.

Day 2

Morning of second sees Marlin as it jumps out of the water. Its the biggest he has ever seen!
The Marlin starts pulling him east. He has little water, a plane flies over head to Miami (symbolic), he is exhausted. Tries to distract himself by focusing on the past he remembers the days when men had called him El Campen (he has three names just like Mrs Breedlove), and he had wrestled with giant man in the tavern at Cienfuegos

That night he continues to eat strips of dolphin (Not the dolphin you are thinking of) but mahimahi. It is tough to eat. Falls asleep. When he wakes up the line is being pulled from his hand. The marlin is jumping. The marlin gets tired and starts circling around the boat. The old man draws him in.

Day 3

Finally, he harpoons the Marlin and ties it to his boat.

He thinks about the fortune he will make with this fish, sets his sails and starts heading back. One hour later, he sees the first shark. A fierce mako The shark attacks. Old man kills it with harpoon, but the harpoon is snapped in fight and end stuck in dead shark

The old man knows, the heavily mutilated Marlins blood will attract others.

Two shovel nosed sharks come next. He fights one with his knife that he tied to the broken handle of the harpoon. Kills it as the shark is tearing apart marlin.
He stabs the third shark, but the knife breaks.

He tries to club them with the tiller (steering handle) of the boat, but there are too many and he is too tired and weak. Focuses on heading home, while sharks attack the carcass. The sharks have beaten him.
Only things left is skeleton of the great mariln

Gets back to shore. Puts mast across shoulder like a cross and walks back to hut to sleep. Boy finds him. Other fisherman gather around the skeleton in awe. It is 18 feet long

Boy brings him coffee, old man says they will fish together tomorrow (is this make believe like the food earlier?)

Old Man and the Sea

Point of View

The Old Man and the Sea uses the omniscient, or all-knowing, point of view of the author, who acts as a hidden narrator. The omniscient point of view enables the author to stand outside and above the story itself, and thus to provide a wider perspective from which to present the thoughts of the old man and the other characters. Despite this, the narrative voice mainly follows the Old Man. It is he who we feel empathy for.

Old Man and the Sea

Characters

Old Man

Is unique as he is the only real character- Allows indepth analysis. Appear in all but two scenes- Often only human. At first a defeated man who has not caught a fish in 84 days has been left by boy because he is unlucky.

Survives of charity.
Despite this.. Eyes are cheerful and alive eyes juxtaposed with face

Complex character One hand he is humble and unpretentious. Seems at peace with his povery (lack of food, tatty sails, shabby clothing) On the other hand.. Big dreamer Ambitious.. Does not want a fish, but wants the BIGGEST fish.. Goes further than anyone else (including younger men) to try to get it. Both mentally and physically

Santiago recognizes that his strength lies in his resolution. Resolve allows him to keep on fishing, despite his age, despite the loss of his apprentice and despite the fact that he has not caught anything for eighty four days.

When he eventually hooks the fish, it is his resolve that keeps him holding on to it, regardless of his fatigue. He is prepared to keep fighting the fish until it kills him.

Loves the sea in a way others do not calls her la mar the feminine, instead of el mar, the masculine.
Believes the sea must be loved. Others believe it should be conquered.

Old Man . And . The Sea 1) Most vivid feature- eyes--- same color as sea

2) Sea is companion keeps him company

3) Sea heals him hand 4) Sea saves him brings him home 5)Sea is to battled provides shelter for adversary 6) It is the sea (sharks) that deprive him of victory

By end, Old man is near destroyed Gains respect of others biggest fish, unaided Gains companionship again Note: The fact that Manolin leaves his shack crying -suggests that this may be a lie as well like the food. Old man may be not regain strength

Code Heroes

Ernest Hemingway would often base his novels and short stories around what he would call, Code Heroes. Code Heroes are heroes whose dignity and courage in the face of adversity serve as an ideal to mankind. He had distinct criteria for what he considered to be heroic behavior. These set of traits included grace under pressure, self control, self containment, courage, and personal honor.

They and Mens men. .. They are strong both physically but also mentally. They may be hurt but they do not complain. (Like Joe DiMaggio when he played baseball with a foot injury). They are good soldiers! (Duty over victory) Code Heroes are often Static characters as their defining qualities are innate. The Old Man does not become a hero, but shows how a hero behaves.

Manolin

Appears in open and closing of book only Santiagos apprentice and disciple sees his as a father figure Understands old mans skill like others do not LOYAL and humble Is a reflection of Santiagos own character.. Including courage

Themes

The Human Condition

Essentially this may be a book about what is to be Human. This is more than merely a living breathing entity but a someone with a real presence. Central to this is the ability to Dream. Paradoxically, the secret to achieving our dreams seems tied in being prepared to suffer

Young and Old

There are several ideas of age explored throughout the story. He is old, but has a youthful perspective. Enjoys the company of youth. Follows Baseball

Reminisces to younger days, fighter, africa.

However, old has advantages understands sea Less dependent on things like food and cleaning Ultimately, the lion may represent strength and possibility of youth.

Love

Santiago is a character of love. He loves the boy, his wife, the fish , and the sea. Other characters and people often work in dichotomies of good and bad, or friend and enemy. For Santiago, he loves things for they are and therefore his appreciation seems more complete.

Luck and Skill

While this may seem to be about destiny, the old man takes necessary risks of going further out, and has the skill for this to happen. Perhaps this is not a story about luck or destiny, but about work and skill. Santiago sums this up by saying It is better to be lucky than unlucky, but I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes you are ready Town people see him as Salao (unlucky)

Setting

Place Setting
The Old Man and the Sea takes place entirely in a small fishing village near Havana, Cuba, and in the waters of the Gulf Stream, a current of warm water that runs north, then east of Cuba in the Caribbean Sea.
Hemingway visited Cuba as early as 1928, and later lived on the coast near Havana for nineteen years, beginning in 1940, so he knew the area very well.

Time Setting
The references to Joe Dimaggio and a series of games between the Yankees and the Detroit Tigers in which Dimaggio came back from a slump have enabled scholars to pinpoint the time during which the novel takes place as mid-September 1950. As Manolin also reminds readers, September is the peak of the blue marlin season. The story takes three days, the length of the battle against the fish, but as Manolin reminds the old man, winter is coming on and he will need a warm coat.