The Old Man and the Sea blog 7

                Ernest Hemmingway used many literary elements to engage the audience in The Old Man and the Sea and make the story effective.  These literary elements included symbolism, suspense, and Santiago’s own thoughts.  Symbolism has always been a popular element in literature because it makes the reader think and draw their own conclusions about the abstract ideas used in the story.  The symbols used in The Old Man and The Sea include the marlin and the sharks, both creatures of the sea.  Hemmingway used these symbols to represent opposite sides of an honorable battle and a detestable chore.  “As opponents of the old man, they [the sharks] stand in bold contrast to the marlin, which is worthy of Santiago’s effort and strength. They symbolize and embody the destructive laws of the universe and attest to the fact that those laws can be transcended only when equals fight to the death” (Sparknotes 1).  These two symbols capture the idea of the opponents we face in life and fight to overcome.  Suspense is another technique that Ernest Hemmingway implores in The Old Man and the Sea.  This buildup of tension is at its highest when Santiago has just captured the great marlin and is stuck in the middle of the Caribbean Sea.  A huge storm is approaching and when the sharks begin to attack the reader is left to wonder if Santiago will make it back or not.   This suspense is what made the story interesting and kept you reading until the last page.  A final technique that Hemmingway used in this book was giving insights into what Santiago was thinking.  This included his dreams of the lions on a beach in Africa and his thoughts about the game of baseball and his favorite player, DiMaggio.  By adding these thoughts and feelings in, Hemmingway created a character that the reader felt he could compare himself to and understand what he was going through.  Hemmingway brought the book to life with his great ability to show insight upon Santiago’s struggles and victories. 

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