Ernest Hemingway

The Old Man and the Sea

A fisherman in Cuba and the “old man” from the title. He has been unable to catch any fish in 84 days. Despite being extremely poor and barely able to feed himself, he refuses to give up. He loves baseball, specifically Joe DiMaggio, and he gets baseball updates from Perico, a bodega-owner who gives Santiago newspapers.

Santiago

A young adolescent who used to work for Santiago. He sees to it that Santiago has food and is taking care of himself. He was forced to stop working for Santiago when his father ordered that he move to a more profitable fishing boat. He is a sort of apprentice to Santiago and enjoys learning from the old man.

Manolin

The fish that Santiago finally hooks on the 85th day. Santiago and the marlin engage in a tug-of-war for three days and become connected as a result of the physical trials they both endure. The marlin is eventually eaten by sharks at which point Santiago feels he has been destroyed and consumed by his conditions as well.

The Marlin

The Old Man and the Sea ein Stop-Motion-Film – 2012 (http://youtu.be/gP6xI54r_MA)

The Old Man and the Sea Short Film

Santiago, the old man, has been unable to catch anything for 84 days and as a result is extremely poor.

On the 85th day, Santiago is determined to catch a fish and goes out to sea further than any of the other fishermen.

Santiago finally hooks a marlin, but is unable to reel in the huge fish alone. He spends the next three days holding onto the rope and fighting with the marlin. He endures this with almost no food or sleep, and he bonds with the fish who is in similar pain.

Plot

After the third day, the fish is worn out enough that Santiago is able to harpoon and kill it, but he can’t pull it into the boat so he straps it to his skiff and heads back to land.

The blood attract sharks though, and after losing his harpoon killing the first shark, Santiago proceeds to try to beat away the animals, but eventually he has to give up.

The sharks eat the meat off of the fish, and when Santiago gets back to shore, the only thing left is the giant skeleton.

Plot

At the end, Manolin reappears. He has been worried about Santiago’s absence, but he finds Santiago at home in bed.

Manolin decides to defy his father’s orders and begin once again fishing with Santiago in order to help the old man.

Plot

Finding Honor in Death and DefeatOvercoming PrideContinuing to Fight

Santiago’s fight with the marlinSantiago’s status as outsider with the other

villagersManolin’s struggle with his father’s orders

Major Themes and Central Conflicts

Hemingway’s final novel published within his lifetime

Written in 1951, published in 1952 at which time both the Cold War and the Korean War were going on

Novel won Hemingway the Pulitzer Prize in 1953Hemingway initially intended Santiago’s story to

relate to the intimacy between mother and sonCriticized for not being as realistic as his other

works, though Hemingway said that there was a fisherman with a very similar experience to that of Santiago’s

Context

“…I guess the essential difference in the characters of Santiago and Skiff is one of age. A beginning rather than an ending. Santiago must come to terms with his age, his mortality, his declining strength, and the disappointments of life — in essence he’s a philosopher, commenting on the human condition. In contrast, Skiff is a boy who is absolutely determined to save his father and make them a family again…”

Rodman Philbrick, “An Interview with Rodman Philbrick”

“If you hated Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, please don’t shy away from Rodman Philbrick’s The Young Man and the Sea. This contemporary novel pays homage to Heminway’s classic, but it’s easier to read and considerably more exciting.”

Don Gallo, “Bold Books for Teenagers: Summer Reading 2005”

Criticism

“As [Hemingway] explains in a letter to Lillian Ross,“The Old Man was born a catholic in the island of Lanza Rota [sic] in the Canary Islands” (SL 807). This origin…makes Santiago an outsider in the Cuban fishing village of Cojímar and is a principal motivation in his actions. Santiago’s “eyes the same color as the sea” (10) mark his otherness in a conspicuous and unchangeable way, setting him apart from the impoverished mulatto fishing community, and linking him to European exploitation of the island nation.”

Jeffrey Herlihy, “‘Eyes the Same Color as the Sea’: Santiago’s Expatriation From Spain and Ethnic Otherness in Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea” “You might conclude from the novel's opening that the references first to

‘permanent defeat’ and then to ‘undefeated’ bear witness to the supposition that in his sentences Hemingway is not in control. But the contradiction is deliberate and dramatizes that we are inclined to make superficial judgments: we know less than we think we do. In miniature it teaches us that the reality of an experience or the essence of a person cannot be judged from surfaces.”

William Cain, “Death Sentences: Rereading The Old Man and the Sea”

Criticism

The Old Man and the Sea film – 1958The Old Man and the Sea play (adapted a

couple of times)The Old Man and the Sea TV miniseries –

1990The Old Man and the Sea animated short –

1999 (won academy award for short film)The Old Man and the Sea ein Stop-Motion-

Film – 2012

Additional Adaptations

Author is Rodman Philbrick Also writes mysteries and thrillers for adultsWrote Freak the Mighty (ALA Best Book for Young

Adults), Max the Mighty, The Fire Pony (Capital Choice Award), The Last Book in the Universe (ALA Best Book for Young Adults) among others

Writes other YA books with his wifeThe Young Man and the Sea was named a Best

Book of the Year in 2004 by School Library Journal

The book goes by what was supposed to be the original title, Lobster Boy, in the British version

The Young Man and the Sea

Skiff Beaman (the young man) is the central character, and the story takes place in Spinney Cove

The Beamans are known as swampers and are seen as second class citizens, mostly by Tyler Croft who bullies Skiff

Skiff’s mom has died, and Skiff’s dad is a drunkTheir boat, the Mary Rose, sinks and in order to

repair the damage, Skiff decides to try catching lobster and later a bluefin tuna to afford the repairs

While repairing the boat, Skiff gets help from Mr. Woodwell, who acts as the old man character here

The Young Man and the Sea

Blasingame, James. “Interview with Rodman Philbrick.” Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy. Mar. 2004: 518–519. Web. 8 April 2013.

---. “The Young Man and the Sea.” Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy. Mar. 2004: 516–517. Web. 8 April 2013.

Cain, William E. “Death Sentences: Rereading The Old Man and the Sea.” Sewanee Review Winter 2006: 112–125. Web. 2 April 2013.

Gallo, Don. “Bold Books for Teenagers: Summer Reading 2005.” The English Journal Jul. 2005: 105–108. Web. 2 April 2013.

Herlihy, Jeffrey. “‘Eyes the Same Color as the Sea’: Santiago's Expatriation from Spain and Ethnic Otherness in Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea” Spring 2009: 25–44. Web. 2 April 2013.

Sources