The Old Man and the Sea

By: Ernest Hemingway

Author Background

1898-1961 Was born to an

affluent family in Chicago

Began writing in high school

Became an ambulance driver during World War I in Italy

Author Background

Moved to Paris to pursue a writing career

Lived in Paris and met Gertrude Stein and Ezra Pound, two famous writers who influenced him greatly

Hemingway Revealed

Hemingway loved adventure and his stories reflect this

Was an avid hunter and sportsman

Known for his to-the-point, non-descriptive form of writing

Old Man and the Sea He lived in Cuba while

writing The Old Man and the Sea

The Old Man and the Sea was published in full by Life magazine and sold all 5.3 million copies within 48 hours

May 1953: Hemingway wins a Pulitzer Prize for writing The Old man and the Sea

Hemingway’s Accolades May 1953: Hemingway

wins a Pulitzer Prize for writing The Old man and the Sea

October 1954: Hemingway wins the Nobel Prize in Literature

He is known for his Code Hero, a man who is stoic and stays strong against sometimes unbeatable odds.

Literary Elements

Setting (time and place)– A Cuban village near Havana– Mostly set on the sea in the Gulf Stream

Characters1. Santiago—Old Cuban fisherman

2. Manolin—The boy who is Santiago’s friend

Hemingway’s Code Hero A hero must be courageous but must avoid

death at all costs A hero does not have self-pity, but he does

have self discipline and control A hero realizes death is in all things,

therefore, he tries to live life fully A hero is a person of action A hero practices humility—doesn’t discuss his

achievements A hero faces his greatest trial alone and tests

himself to his limit.

Symbols

Joe DiMaggio: ideal of strength and grace under pressure

Marlin: willful pride or the old man’s lost dream

Fish: ancient symbol of Christianity Santiago’s name: Spanish for St. James

the lesser/thought to be symbolic of Christ

Symbolism

The marlin and the shark symbolize the 2 sides of nature

The marlin—a kind, respectable opponent

The sharks—death and destruction The lions—the strength of nature and

youth (he loves them as he loves the boy)

Christ-like imagery

Santiago endures 3 days on the sea The struggle with the marlin reflects

Christ’s struggle on the cross Santiago bears the weight of the fish

on his back (Christ carrying the cross) The wounds to his hands

Christ-like imagery cont.

When the sharks attack, Santiago utters a sound “as a man might make involuntarily, feeling the nail go through his hand into the wood”

He is humble, long-suffering, courageous, but he experiences defeat, unlike Christ.