Seventh Discussion Question for Old Man and the Sea

The techniques used by Hemingway in The Old Man and the Sea are not the kind of things that I am used to. I particularly enjoy reading books that use suspense, action, and development through dialogue (that is why I enjoy Star Trek novels so much; most of them have all three techniques). Hemingway used symbolism and emotions to keep the audience interested. This book effectively used many of the reader's emotions. At first the reader is sad that the old man is lonely and the boy isn't allowed to fish with him, then the old man is by himself out far in his skiff in the Gulf of Mexico. The reader feels the old man's burden of capturing the marlin and is happy when he ties the marlin to the skiff. I thought the book was going to end there since the old man accomplished his goal, but, as if the old man hadn't been through enough, it continued on. The reader then feels defeat and sorrow when the sharks attack the marlin and the skiff (although I almost laughed out loud when Santiago punched a shark repeatedly [Hemingway 109] then returned to being sad when the sharks ate the fish) and ate all of the fish meat. Instead of being happy when the old man returns home, the reader is sad and feels a pang of sympathy for the boy when he cries for the old man. After the emotional roller coaster that was the fishing voyage, the reader and the old man are bonded and cannot forget what Santiago went through.

Hemingway also used symbolism to keep the reader interested. The symbol of determination and constant vigilance, Santiago is a character that the reader wants to know what happens to. The reader cares about the old man since he represents so many ideal traits that the reader wishes to possess (And there's the Jesus thing again. I can't believe I missed that when I read the novel. Santiago's traits and the reader's desire to try to be like him, Jesus's traits and the Apostles trying to be like him). That was a generalization. I know that not everyone who reads this book wants to be compassionate, brave, courageous, strong, determined, and fearless like Santiago, but I sure would like to be. Another symbol, that pulled me in at least, was the bond between the marlin and Santiago. Even though the old man's goal was to kill the marlin, their relationship changed from a predator-prey to a brother like respect. The symbolism of respect was a nice touch to the novel.

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