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1 LESSON PLANS BASED ON MOVIES & FILM! Search TWM What's New My Account LEARNING GUIDE TO: THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA SUBJECTS Literature/U.S. & The Law; SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING Friendship; MORAL-ETHICAL EMPHASIS Trustworthiness, Caring. Age: 12+; No MPAA Rating; Drama; 1958; 86 minutes; Color. Description: The story of Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman who has gone 84 days without catching a fish, is told in a voiceover that reads directly from Ernest Hemingway's classic novella. The old man's apprentice, Manolin, is no longer allowed to fish with Santiago but tends to him with affection and respect as each day the old man hauls his gear to his skiff and heads out alone to try a new day's luck. On day 85, the old man hooks a huge marlin and struggles for two days and nights to bring in the fish. Eventually, despite pain and exhaustion, the old man returns to the village with the fish, which has been reduced to a skeleton by the relentless attack of sharks. Benefits of the Movie: The film is beneficial for students who have read the novella and who then intend to make comparisons between words and pictures in terms of effect both artistically and thematically. Closely following Hemingway's novella, Spencer Tracy, in the lead role, captures Hemingway's characterization of an old man who refuses to give up in the face of apparent failure. The film remains true to the novella's tone and to the affection between the old man and the young boy who tends to him. LEARNING GUIDE MENU Benefits of the Movie Possible Problems Parenting Points Selected Awards & Cast Movie Worksheet Helpful Background Discussion Questions: Subjects (Curriculum Topics) Social-Emotional Learning Moral-Ethical Emphasis (Character Counts) Bridges to Reading Links to the Internet Assignments, Projects & Activities Bibliography Possible Problems: None. Parenting Points: Be sure that your child is not interested in seeing this film as a substitute for reading Hemingway's novella which is often assigned in middle and high school ELA classes. After having read the book, however, the film can be seen as a study in capturing the ideas Hemingway seeks to convey through film. Ask and answer the Quick Discussion Question. Click here for a movie worksheet suitable to be printed and reviewed with the class before seeing the movie. The worksheet is designed to focus students' attention on the movie and the themes of the story. QUICK DISCUSSION QUESTION: What if Santiago was not a villager who made his living from fishing, but instead he was an 1 of 8 7/5/11 11:43 AM

2 Selected Awards, Cast and Director: Selected Awards: 1959 Academy Awards: Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture; 1959 Academy Awards Nominations: Best Actor (Tracy); Best Cinematography, Color. Featured Actors: Spencer Tracy as the The Old Man/Narrator; Felipe Pazos as The Boy; Harry Bellaveraas Martin; Don Diamond the Cafe Proprietor; Don Blackman as the Hand Wrestler; Joey Ray as the Gambler; and Mary Hemingway as the Tourist. Director: John Sturges. Helpful Background: Joe Dimmagio was an all-star center fielder for the New York Yankees from 1936 to NOTES ON HEMINGWAY AND HIS ART Ernest Hemingway is one of the greats of American Literature and biographies detailing his life are readily available. Some general information about the author's character is important, however, in order for students to understand and empathize with Santiago, despite the differences in age between themselves and the old man. Hemingway is often seen as the "macho" of American Literature in that his heroes must work beyond conflict, disappointment and pain in order to live with the resilience and determination that characterize manhood. His heroes are somehow wounded and expected to suffer with dignity and grace as they complete the tasks life has set before them. Santiago, in The Old Man and the Sea, exemplifies this motif; his primary wound is old age; his secondary wound is the lack of luck; and the final wound is the injury sustained to his hands as he seeks to reel in his huge fish. Despite their wounds, Hemingway characters inevitably seek victory on a personal level in the face of certain defeat. Hemingway seems to test his heroes, just as a bullfighter, a boxer, a hunter or a soldier tests himself every time he enters the fray. He believed firmly in a fair fight and was certain that courage and perseverance in the presence of daunting odds and, perhaps, inevitable defeat revealed one's true character. This courage served as the foundation of Hemingway's code, which requires an individual to behave with dignity and grace even if he cannot win. aging tourist who had been fishing for many decades, whose luck at fishing had turned bad, and who had come down to Cuba for one last try to catch a big fish. He needs to prove to himself that his luck has not changed and that he can still catch a big fish. How would this change the story? Suggested Response: This change of facts would take away most of the meaning from the story. In order to justify killing the marlin, the fisherman must need to catch the fish to support and feed himself. Otherwise, many readers/viewers will wonder whether proving that he is not luckless or that he can still catch a big fish justifies torturing and killing such a magnificent creature. Unless this fisherman needs to fish for survival, his feelings of brotherhood with the fish are just a way to avoid the reality of what he is doing to the hapless animal. For this story to make sense, the protagonist must be concerned with real challenges, not goals that he selected for fun and diversion. The Old Man and the Sea was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1953 and helped him win the Nobel Prize for Literature in There is also a 1990 made-for-tv version of the film starring Anthony Quinn. Mr. Quinn's acting was generally praised but the production was criticized as adding characters and events not in the novella and for spotty production quality. TWM has not seen this version. What young people can best garner from Hemingway's personal values, and exemplified in his tale of an old fisherman who refuses to give in to the forces that work against him, is sanguinity the attitude that expresses confident and sturdy character. Metaphorically, the novella, The Old Man and the Seas, is autobiographical and instructional. In 1960, Ernest Hemingway, having suffered from mental illness for several years and having a physical condition that affected his mind, committed suicide. SELECTED PASSAGES FROM THE TEXT The page numbers are from Scribner Classics Version. "I may not be as strong as I think," the old man said. "But I know many tricks and I have resolution." Pg. 23 "Now is the time to think of only one thing. That which I was born for." pg. 35 & 36 "I can do nothing with him and he can do nothing with me." pg. 41. "[The marlin's] choice had been to stay in the deep dark water fare out beyond all snares and traps and treacheries. My choice was to go there to find him beyond all 2 of 8 7/5/11 11:43 AM

3 people. Beyond all people in the world. Now we are jointed together and have been since noon. And no one to help either one of us." pg. 41. "You have only yourself...." pg. 44. "Fish," he said softly, aloud, "I'll stay with you until I am dead." pg. 44. "Fish," he said, "I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you before this day ends." pg. 45. "I wish I could feed the fish, he thought. He is my brother. But I must kill him and keep strong to do it." pg. 49. "But, thank God they are not as intelligent as we who kill them, although they are more noble and more able." Pg. 52 "I'll kill him thought," he said. "In all his greatness and his glory." p. 53. After sunset, Santiago admires the stars that have just come recalling that he has considered them as his friends. He then says, "I'll kill him thought," he said. "In all his greatness and his glory." p. 53. "The fish is my friend too," he said aloud. "I have never seen or heard of such a fish. But I must kill him. I am glade we do not have to try to kill the starts." Pg. 59 "Then he was sorry for the great fish that had nothing to eat and his determination to kill him never relaxed in his sorrow for him. How many people will he feed, he thought. But are they worthy to eat him? No, of course not. There is no one worthy of eating him from the manner of his behavior and his great dignity." Pg 59 "You are killing me, fish, the old man thought. But you have a right to. Never have I seen a greater, or more noble thing than you, brother. Come on and kill me. I do not care who kills who." Pg. 70 The advent of the sharks and the inevitability that they will eat the entire marlin, "makes everything wrong." p. 83, Discussion Questions: 1. See Discussion Questions for Use With any Film that is a Work of Fiction. 2. Despite the fact that he has not caught a fish in 84 days, Santiago lugs his gear to his skiff and goes to sea. What motivates him? Suggested Response: Santiago tells us, "You did not kill the fish only to keep alive and to sell for food, he thought. You killed him for pride and because you are a fisherman.... "p. 80. He also states that he was born for the battle with the Marlin. See pg. 70. s This was not intended to be a description of all of the factors which motivated him. Motivation is often a complex affair. For example, there was clearly an element of Santiago regaining his luck and regaining his status in the village as a fisherman. Another factor that Santiago didn't talk about but which may very well have motivated him was that he didn't not want to disappoint the boy by giving up, Another valid reason is that he may not have wanted to admit that he was too old to fish, or, in other words, he wanted to demonstrate that he was not too old to fish. And finaly, he may want to forestall his own death by continuing to be active and useful. Select questions that are appropriate for your students. Click here for TWM's lesson plans to introduce cinematic and theatrical technique. Become a TWM Fan on 3. There are two important "pairings" of characters in this film: Santiago with Manolin and Santiago with the fish. What do we learn from these pairings? In other words, what ideas are introduced by showing similarities, differences, feelings and actions of the two sets of characters? Suggested Response: Answers will vary: From the pairing of Santiago and Manolin, the readers/viewers see mutual love and respect; how important it is to have a mentor; how important it is to have an apprentice; and the interdependence of the young and the old. From the pairing of Santiago and the fish the viewers can see the harmony that existed in the past between fishermen who needed to fish in order to eat and who, while they still used technology to gain an advantage over their prey, did not use the advanced technology nowadays employed by commercial and sport fisherman. This technology separates the fisherman from 3 of 8 7/5/11 11:43 AM

4 their catch. Readers/viewers can see the love and respect the that traditional fisherman felt for their catch and the similarities in human and animal struggle for survival at a substistence level. Also, while both Santiago and the marlin struggle against their fate, neither can win. The marlin dies and the sharks eat up Santiago's catch. However, both Santiago and the marlin prove their worth as animate beings through their struggle. [Examples of the pairings are frequent in the text but are clear on pages 41, 43, & 70.] 4. Read the following passage. It appears after the sharks have started taking big chunks of the fish and the old man has killed one shark with his harpoon, but lost the harpoon in the process. He realizes that eventually the sharks will take all of the fish. The novella continues, Give us your feedback! Was the Guide helpful? If so, which sections were most helpful? Do you have any suggestions for improvement? us! "But man is not made for defeat," [the old man] said, "Man can be destroyed but not defeated." I am sorry that I killed the fish though, he thought. Now the bad time is coming and I do not even have the harpoon. The dentuso [shark] is cruel and able and strong and intelligent. But I was more intelligent than [the marlin] was. Perhaps not, he thought. Perhaps I was only better armed. "Don't think, old man," he said aloud. "Sail on this course and take it when it comes." But I must think, he thought. Because it is all I have left. I wonder how the great DiMaggio would have liked the way I hit [the shark] in the brain?... pp 78 & 79 Answer the following questions. 4A. If man is not made for defeat, in the universe of this story, what is man made for and what is man not made for? Do you agree with that formulation? State your reasons. Suggested Response: According to Hemingway, man is made to strive to win with honor despite his wounds and his reverses. There is a difference between winning and striving to win. The sharks win in this story because they get the fish, but they have no honor. Santiago does not win, but he finds redemption because he demonstrates that he has the fortitude to strive against the daunting forces of nature and to kill the marlin. The marlin loses to Santiago but he is a noble creature who, like Santiago, fights the good fight and loses. There is no one correct response to the last two parts of the question. Reminder to Teachers: Obtain all required permissions from your school administration before showing any film. Teachers who want parental permission to show this movie can use TWM's Movie Permission Slip. 4B. What role do the sharks play in the story? Suggested Response: The sharks can be seen as several things: the forces of nature arrayed against an individual; the forces of evil; the anti-nobility forces; the forces of entropy. 4C. As Santiago awaits another attack by the sharks he says that he doesn't want to think? Why does he say this? Suggested Response: Since he believes that the sharks will return and eventually get the fish, he is afraid that thinking about it will simply deprive him of the will to fight and then he would lose his honor and his manhood. Another alternative is that if he gives up, he will lose any chance that he has to win. 4D. Why at the end of this passage, does Santieo start thinking about baseball despite his own command that he should not think at that point? Suggested Response: Since Santiago is human and human beings cannot stop thinking, he will think about baseball; a diversion, something that will not sap his will to keep striving. 6. Read the following passage and answer the questions set out below the passage. The passage occurs after Santiago has finished thinking about baseball. His mind returns to his present situation. You did not kill the fish only to keep alive and to sell for food, he thought. You killed him for pride and because you are a fisherman. You loved him when he was alive and you loved him after. If you love him, it is not a sin to kill him. Or is it more? Pg. 80 Santiago talks several times about loving the marlin and its nobility. He calls the marlin his brother. If Santiago had not been a fisherman, would he have killed the fish? If so, why? If not, why not? Suggested Response: Based on these passages it is likely that Santiago would not have killed the marlin if he had not earned his livelihood as a fisherman. Santiago recognizes the question of whether it was a sin to take the 4 of 8 7/5/11 11:43 AM

5 animal's life. Santiago is not a recreational killer such as hunters or sport fishermen. It is interesting to note that Hemingway loved to hunt and to go deep sea fishing. His favorite prey on the water were marlins. Based on this passage Hemingway the artist understood that there was a different way to look at these activities and that it was a greater sin to kill an animal that the predator respects for its beauty and nobility. 7. Although Santiago brings back to shore only the bones of the great marlin he took several days to catch, he does not feel as if he has failed. What idea does Hemingway seek to illustrate in the images that show this to be true? Suggested Response: One could say that Santiago was not successful because he did not bring home any fish that he or the villagers could eat. However, the story tells us that success is not the fundamental criteria for determining manhood; the measure of a man is taken in how he meets the challenges of life. Because of the way he has met the challenge of bringing in the marlin, the old man earns the respect of the fishermen who measure the length of the fish and of the boy who, worried about Santiago, goes to his shanty to be sure that he is allright. The boy will again be permitted to go fishing with the old man, indicating that the townspeople no longer see Santiago as unworthy. The old man dreams of the lions, his personal symbol for virility. 5. The story as framed by Hemingway deals only with men and what it means to be a man. Society has come a long way since 1952 when this book was published. Does The Old Man and the Sea have anything to say to women? Suggested Response: There are at least two important points to make in responding to this question but note that both of them are subject to challenge. One point is that although the story is about a man and his effort to retain his role as a man, it is also about all human beings. Life presents challenges to everyone, regardless of their sex. Very often perseverance and resourcefulness will be required in traditional female roles as well as in traditional male roles. While success is not guaranteed in any endeavor in life, it is the willingness to meet the challenge and the way that the challenge is met that is the only thing that the individual can completely control and the only true measure of a life. The second point is that since the time the book was written, more women have moved into the workforce. Their professional concerns are similar to those of men. Thus, whether or not the story had meaning to women when it was written, it has a lot to say to women today. 6. The story as framed by Hemingway deals with the struggles of an old man. What does The Old Man and the Sea have to say to people ages 13 to 25? Suggested Response: The story is a wonderful tale of young person caring for an older person, and the affection returned. In addition, young people need to know about the struggles of the old because eventually they will have these challenges themselves. But most importantly, one of the story's important themes, that people should be measured not by success but by the way they meet the challenges of life, whether they persevere, whether they are willing to sacrifice for their goal, whether they are resourceful in meeting their challenges, applies to young and old alike. 7. Santiago talks to the fish. What ironies can be found in the things Santiago says as he seeks to catch the huge marlin? Suggested Response: Santiago says that he loves the fish but he must kill it, a seeming contradiction. He calls the fish brother, yet he fashions a harpoon in order to take its life. 8. At the beginning the villagers believe that Santiago has lost his luck and Santiago is starting to doubt his luck himself. The young boy, just starting as a fisherman, is frequently lucky and catches big fish. What is the role of luck in this story? Suggested Response: There is no one correct answer. Is it a represenation of the approval of God? Is it a symbol for Santiago's abilities as a fisherman? Does he think of it that way? Or is it simply blind chance. 9. See the Quick Discussion Question. 10. Look at this story from the point of view of the fish. What is the marlin's perspective on Santiago's struggle? Suggested Response: Even Santiago's primitive technology gives him a great advantage over the fish. Tricked by the man into taking the bait and without the ability to remove the hook and unable to break the line, the fish can only fight the losing battle and die with dignity. Any fisherman will tell you that fish fight for their lives when they are hooked or netted but it's not a fair fight. The fish usually have no chance due to the advanced technology of the fisherman. From the marlin's point of view the old man's musings about brotherhood and respect are little consolation for a brutal and painful early death. 5 of 8 7/5/11 11:43 AM

6 11. Some critics see the visuals of the ocean and the marlin as weak. What is your opinion of the images of the great marlin in terms of showing the dramatic effect of this fish on Santiago? Suggested Response: Answers will vary. Students need to support their opinion with direct reference to the film. Some may assert that the Hemingway's written description of the fish is of greater value in terms of telling the story and showing Santiago's love for the fish. 12. What is the contribution of the music to the presentation of the story? Give an example of how the music affected your perception of what was occurring on the screen. Suggested Response: There is no one correct answer. The film won an Academy Award for best music. Social-Emotional Learning Discussion Questions: FRIENDSHIP See the Subject Matter Discussion Questions above. Moral-Ethical Emphasis Discussion Questions (Character Counts) Discussion Questions Relating to Ethical Issues will facilitate the use of this film to teach ethical principles and critical viewing. Additional questions are set out below. TRUSTWORTHINESS (Be honest; Don't deceive, cheat or steal; Be reliable -- do what you say you'll do; Have the courage to do the right thing; Build a good reputation; Be loyal -- stand by your family, friends and country) Teachwithmovies.com is a Character Counts "Six Pillars Partner" and uses The Six Pillars of Character to organize ethical principles. Character Counts and the Six Pillars of Character are marks of the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition, a project of the Josephson Institute of Ethics. 1. Which of the Pillars of Character did the Boy exemplify in his relations with the Old Man? Suggested Response: Trustworthiness (loyalty) and caring (friendship). CARING (Be kind; Be compassionate and show you care; Express gratitude; Forgive others; Help people in need) See previous question. Bridges to Reading: None. Are you concerned that time will be wasted if you are absent from class? Worry no more... Check out TeachWithMovies' Set-Up-the-Sub. MOVIES ON RELATED TOPICS: Another film version of a novel by Hemingway is For Whom the Bell Tolls. Links to the Internet: Biography of Hemingway from the Ernest Hemingway Resource Center Wikipedia Article on Hemingway; Assignments, Projects and Activities: Students can be requested to write essays responding to any of the discussion questions. See also Assignments, Projects, and Activities for Use With any Film that is a Work of Fiction. Projects specific to this story are: 1. Write an essay in which you describe how Manolin, the boy, has learned important lessons from Santiago other than the role model for a fine, determined fisherman. 2. The tourists do not understand what they see when they look out the window at the bones of the great marlin. Hemingway had a serious opinion in mind 6 of 8 7/5/11 11:43 AM

7 when he added these tourists to his novel and that opinion can be seen clearly in the film. Write a brief essay in which you make your point about what Hemingway meant to symbolize in the tourists. Explain how the attitude exemplified in such a symbol can be seen in today's society; in other words, who are today's tourists and what mistake are they making in what they see? 3. At the end of the film and the novella, Santiago is dreaming of the lions. Write a brief essay about what the lions represent to him and end the essay with a suggestion about what may be used to represent this same feeling in today's society in which lions no longer express the same meaning. 4. There are many reasons that Santiago refuses to quit his grueling efforts to catch the marlin. Write about three of the motives you see in Santiago's determination to bring in the fish. Select which one you believe to be most valid and argue its place on your list of reasons. 5. Hemingway loved the ocean and spent innumerable hours swimming, fishing and living close to its waters. Write a report on the topic of the health of the ocean and its plant and animal life. Create a power point presentation in which you show the results of your research and suggest a course of action that concerned nations can take in order to possibly mitigate the decades of damage done to the sea. 6. White a biography of Ernest Hemingway that focuses on his adventures and the damage he had done to his body with all of the injuries and insults it suffered. End your essay with a suggestion about the psychological factors that may led to such impassioned activities. 7. Investigate Hemingway's notion of the wound and the code. Then write an informal essay in which you apply the notion of the wound and the code to the life of a student in today's society. Think of your own life and the various insults to body or mind that may serve as a Hemingway-style wound and the code or principles that may have allowed you to transcend such wounds. 8. Hemingway loved deep sea fishing and his favorite prey were marlins. Deep sea fishing is no longer considered a high status sport. Write an opinion piece that would be published in the newspaper about why this may be true. Gather some facts about the scarcity of marlin and other choice sea animals once killed for sport, stuffed and used as a decorative item on a wall. 9. Research Joe Dimaggio and write a brief explanation about why Hemingway may have referred to this famous baseball player in his novella and why the name was mentioned in the film. Note that baseball is one of Cuba's favorite sports and the boys Manolin ran past on is way to tend to the old man were playing baseball when the invited Santiago's young friend to join them. 10. The voiceover in the film says that everything about Santiago is old except his eyes, which are the color of the sea. Write a brief essay in which you explain the point of comparing the old man himself to the sea itself. What similarities exist. Bibliography: None. Published July 5, Spread the GOOD NEWS about TEACHWITHMOVIES.COM! Recommend this site to a friend! by TeachWithMovies.com, Inc. All rights reserved. Note that unless otherwise indicated any quotations attributed to a source, photographs, illustrations, maps, diagrams or paintings were copied from public domain sources or are included based upon the "fair use" doctrine. No claim to copyright is made as to those items. DVD or VHS covers are shown by permission of Amazon.com and are also in the public domain. TeachWithMovies.org, TeachWithMovies.com, Talking and Playing with Movies, and the pencil and filmstrip logo are trademarks of TeachWithMovies.com, Inc. TeachWithMovies.com, Inc. grants to its subscribers a limited license to print Learning Guides and Indexes for 7 of 8 7/5/11 11:43 AM

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