The Old Man and The Sea

Quote
"I am only better than him through trickery and he meant me no harm."

This quote sums up the main conflict of this entire novel. Throughout the majority of this book the main character, Santiago, is trying to catch a great fish. His conviction towards capturing the fish is conflicted with his affection towards it. After much work and days at sea, he is finally able to capture this great animal. He reflects upon the creature and shows some slight remorse through this quote. He puts into question his work and more importantly his entire essence.

Connections
This book has many connections that can be made to the world around us and various stages of a mans life. I feel this book has a lot to say about getting old and what that is supposed to mean. For many parts of the book Santiago is resilient and does not give up despite his old age. Towards the end he is not sure of what he has done and is very tired. I believe he is coming to terms with his age and looking at his life in retrospect.

Another connection that can be made is to society's constant exploitation of nature. Santiago feels like he has enough of a reason to kill this marlin he calls his brother. After the creature is slain he starts questioning his true motives and if they are justified or not. This is tied in with society. We have many reasons when we exploit nature for our own benefit. This brings up a key question. When all is slain will we look back at our actions pleasantly or with remorse?

I feel like this book also does a decent job connecting the reader to the setting in Cuba. Although the book wasn't completely filled with native language and political background I think there was enough there to set that place in the readers mind.

Visual

I feel this image does an adequate job representing the magnitude and beauty of the fish captured by the old man. During the process of capturing this great fish, Santiago never really saw it. When the fish took its first jump the old man suddenly realized what he was up against and how amazing it really was. I feel this image shows that moment and really puts on paper what was in my head. The beauty and awe of such an event all incorporated in this picture.

Discussion Questions

-What has shaped Santiago?
-How have his feelings towards the great fish changed over the course of this book?
-What do the sharks symbolize?
-How does the boys attitude change from the beginning to the end of the book?
-Is Santiago Happy?

Reflection
This book is a powerful work of literature. It is short and strong. Hemingway knows how to show the personal sides of his characters in a really effective way. From the innocence and kindness of the the boy to the dedication and uniqueness of the old man. The characters are shown in a manner that will hold the reader throughout the entire book. I liked every bit of this book. Hemingway kept this story emotional and interesting. It was also easily read with a lot of deeper meaning. I would recommend this book to anyone young and old. Its message can be obtained from anyone looking deep into the text. I feel like this book is perfect in length and content. I am just wondering why I have taken so long to read this book.