Eighth Discussion Question for the Old Man and the Sea

If I had to rank the eight discussion topics in order of what I would use for an essay this topic would be dead last for this book. Now don't get me wrong, The Old Man and the Sea was a good book, but in terms of representing that time period in history, it doesn't do that great of job. The only reason that I can pinpoint a date for this novel is because of Joe DiMaggio. The other characters are fish, an old man named Santiago, and a young boy named Manolin. Not exactly good historical material to work with. Santiago's quest in the Gulf wasn't based on true events nor is it a symbol for another event in history (or at least that I picked up on).

On the other hand Hemingway does show some responsibilities between groups in the novel. Manolin takes care of Santiago and does it purely because he loves the old man and wants to make sure he is getting everything he needs. That compassion and care between the young and elderly is nice to see outside of a grandparent -grandchild relationship. There is a possibility of a never ending cycle of care in our society. If a child takes care of an older adult, then when the child is elderly there should be a new generation of children to take care of him or her. But that is not always the case anymore when I see headlines of elder abuse and pension and social security funding going to run out in the papers. The responsibility of young people to take care of older people is not something that everyone acts upon. Hemingway's novel hopefully will influence a new generation of young people to go out and bond with their grandparent or an elderly person in a retirement home. At least they could ask to see if the elderly person has any stories to tell. Who knows? Maybe one of them could tell stories of lions in Africa.

Hemingway was influenced by the "great DiMaggio" (Hemingway 17), the story of a man who doesn't give up, and of the responsibility of youth to their elders (see paragraph/rant above). The old man thinks so highly of DiMaggio in the novel. I am sure that Ernest Hemingway was also a big fan of the Yankee player.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.