Organizational Patterns The Old Man and the Sea is written in third person omniscient. The book is not broken down into chapters but instead is told in one flowing story. This technique is poignant because Santiago s relationship with the fish is unbroken. There are no breaks in the three day dance with his captive and I think it s fitting that Hemmingway chose to write the story in the same way. THEMES Endurance- Santiago is struggling with the biggest fish battle of his life. He has gone 84 days without catching anything. His desire to go out on the sea even one more day is the first time that Santiago endures through his hardship and does not give up. Although his three day journey with the fish weakens him physically, spiritually it strengthens him. Santiago loves the fish as his brother and appreciates all that the fish is also going through in order to survive. When he finally defeats his fish he still must push on and fend off the sharks in order to preserve his beautiful catch. Courage- Santiago has not caught a fish in eighty-four days. Many of his townspeople are whispering about it. The boy s parents will no longer allow him to fish with Santiago. Instead of accepting defeat of the sea, he goes out on his eighty-fifth day in hopes of catching a fish. This shows immense courage against the possibility of failure. Christ Figure- There are many connections between Christ and Santiago. Hemmingway describing Santiago as benevolent, is also a common word describing Jesus Christ. The
scars on Santiago s hands, after years of fishing, connect him to Christ for his scars. The fact that the boy, Manolin, wants to serve him leaves the reader thinking that Santiago is one to be reverenced and served. Finally, Santiago carrying the mass on his back as he walks home after what some would consider his defeat is also a visual symbol of when Christ carried his own cross up the hill. Setting- The bulk of the story takes place on a skiff off the coast of Cuba in the Gulf Stream. There are many variations and types of skiffs but in this story it is small boat propelled by oars. The Gulf stream is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current. Point of View- The story is told in third person omniscient. The narrator relays the thoughts of Santiago, the protagonist, to the reader allowing us to see inside of his head. The only other character who we get a glimpse of is the boy, and we also know him only through the narrator. Metaphor- The Old Man and the Sea uses the literary term known as a metaphor, which is the process of describing one thing as if it were another. The fish is a metaphor for our biggest challenges in life. Santiago struggles with this fish for three days. It is no easy task. His hands are bloody and cut up. His back hurts, he is alone at Sea holding onto this fish. Struggles weigh upon us just as the weight of the fish practically demobilizes Santiago. Affective Issues Related to this work- Students can relate to Santiago on a number of different levels because Santiago s trial is something that we can all connect with whether it is about catching a fish or not.
Strength- Most old men do not have the strength to physically endure the battle against the fish as Santiago did. However, he, in spite of the sea against him is able to overcome his physical ailments and find the strength within him to succeed. Students are oftentimes up against things that they might not think they have the strength to overcome, mentally or physically. Loneliness- Santiago is alone during his journey. Instead of letting that loneliness take him over, he prevails and finds it within himself to keep going. Student s are at such an age where they encounter bouts of loneliness. They will be able to connect to Santiago and hopefully learn that they too can reach within themselves to find the courage to battle whatever it is they are up against. Self-doubt- There are many times when Santiago has a conversation with the two voices inside himself. One voice who is doubtful and unsure if he will ever prevail against this fish and the other voice who tells him that he will overcome this fish. It is human nature to harbor two sides of the spectrum within us. One side of us is confident and sure while the other side fills our head with doubt. Students are facing this very dilemma on a day to day basis as they make choices. Santiago is an example that you can overcome the self doubt and students will be affected in this way. Vocabulary Issues- Because the story is centered around Santiago s fishing experience, there are vocabulary words and terms that students should be familiar with. Also, because the story takes place off the coast of Cuba, there are many instances where Santiago refers to things using Spanish so a Spanish-english dictionary would be useful to have while teaching.
Skiff (p. 1) Many various types of small boats but in this context it is a small sea-going typically flat bottomed open boat with a pointed bow and a flat stern originally developed as an inexpensive and easy to build boat for use by inshore fisherman. Relic (p 16) A surviving memory of something past Malignancy disposed to cause harm, suffering, or distress deliberately; feeling or showing ill will or hatred Gaunt (p 1) Extremely thin or bony; haggard and drawn, as from hunger, weariness, or torture; emaciated. Inferior (p 24) lower in place or position; closer to the bottom or base Fathoms (p 30) A unit of length equal to six feet; used chiefly in nautical measurements. Background Knowledge- Hemmingway wrote this novel in 1954, while living with his family in Cuba. He enjoyed deep sea fishing. Students should know a little about fishing at that time and how it played into their everyday life and culture. Also knowing that Hemmingway lived there might affect the way students perceive the story. Also, it might be useful if students knew something about Hemmingway s life. In particular, his involvement with World War I and how that may have affected his writing. Implications for Students with Diversity The premise is about a man fishing. Although fishing is common among most Countries in the world, it has different purposes in different parts or even social classes.
In some areas, it is seen as a mode of survival, a way in which one could provide for their family, an income, etc. Others fish for sport. And still others use fishing as a hobby. It would be important to teach the concept as fishing, knowing that depending on different parts of the world it would be seen as a different thing. Specifically in The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago is a fisherman and is fishing for survival, not for sport. When he doesn t catch anything, he doesn t earn anything. In Cuba, Spanish is the national language. Many students will have Spanish as their native tongue to sensitivity would be important in teaching that. Gender Issues The Protagonist, and the central figure in the story, is a male and beside his good friend the boy there really is no other characters. Except the fish of course! There are no women in the story and mention of them only comes when Hemmingway compares the sea to a female. We learn that young fisherman treat the sea as if she were a young woman. But older fishermen know more to respect her. It would be appropriate to discuss the metaphor in this way so that the girls in the class do not become offended over the derogatory way in which the young fishermen treat the womanly sea. The Central Question Although there are many themes and questions to be asked by The Old Man and the Sea, the central question is when it is acceptable to give up or accept defeat? If that is the question the book is asking then the answer is never. Yes, Santiago wanted to give in to his bodily pain, his mental fatigue, and his contest against the fish many times throughout the story. But he didn t. Yes, Santiago realized that after overcoming his battle with the fish that a new battle had
arrived, a battle against the sea. As the sharks viciously attacked his beautiful prize (the metaphor being that he had overcome his trial) he still fought for the preservation of his fish. Yes, when he returned to the land and his fish was nothing but a skeletal framework of a once magnificent trophy he still planned on fishing the next day. When is it a good time to accept defeat and stop fighting? Never! Not once in the story did Santiago decide to stop trying. Research Issues/Project Ideas Although the story is about Santiago s encounter with a fish, it opens the door to the sea in general and other adventures one could have on the sea. Many students are fascinated with the sea and the creatures that inhabit it. With all the knowledge
available, students could research an aspect of the sea and share it with the class in a presentation. If you are up for a little reading, ask your students to write their own adventure that takes place on the sea. Students could go in any direction with this, allowing their creativity to soar as they use their imagination to tell their own story. Another idea would be to make a collage of our sea A poster board containing pictures and words from magazines that represent some of our own struggles. Whether they are internal or external challenges, students are facing them and can express this through the use of creative art. After they have finished putting their collage together, students could write an essay entitled My Fish and then describe their trial and how they did or will overcome it. Teachers could place these all around the room, allowing students to see each other s work and build unity. Informational/Functional Texts Toy Boat By Randall de Save and Loren Long Planet Earth DVDs make wonderful visual images and exciting footage for the students to connect to The Old Man and the Sea. Teachers could show clips from two episodes dealing with similar things that Santiago faces, Shallow Sea and Deep Ocean. http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2006/spring/hemingway.html