The Old Man and the Sea blog 5

The Old Man and the Sea is a novella written by Ernest Hemmingway that seems very unique to itself.  It does not really reflect the history or the behaviors occurring during the time it was written.  This fact has led many critics to call the book a parable and a tragedy.  “Because Hemingway was a writer who always relied heavily on autobiographical sources, some critics, not surprisingly, eventually decided that the novella served as a thinly veiled attack upon them. According to this reading, Hemingway was the old master at the end of his career being torn apart by—but ultimately triumphing over—critics on a feeding frenzy.” (Sparknotes, 1).  It seemed that from some critics point of view, that Hemmingway was attacking them by writing The Old Man and the Sea.  The only thing that this book reflected during that period of history was the life of a Carribean fisherman.  It depicted many of the hardships that a fisherman during those days had to endure though the character of Santiago.  The Old Man and the Sea stood apart from other novels of its day by its unique context and outstanding themes.  The thematic significance of this book is man’s attempt to triumph over a world of forces that are trying to destroy him.  Santiago’s demonstration of pride that led to perseverance is the basis for this idea.  He chose not to give up when everything seemed to be against him.  Symbolism also played a significant role in The Old Man and the Sea.  The marlin was the symbol of man’s ultimate adversary.  Santiago was destined to meet and battle the great fish, with either side able to take the victory.  This symbol tied in with the thematic significance very nicely.  The sharks were also a symbol of man’s adversaries, but they differed from the marlin because the sharks were already predators.  Santiago’s fight with them brought him no honor for the sharks symbolized the destructiveness of the world that is against us.

"The Old Man and the Sea." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 21 July 2012. <http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/oldman/>.