Discussion Question 5- The Old Man and the Sea

This book does not do a very good job at describing the time period and social issues because it is focused on one man’s life, rather a journey, instead of comparing his life to others in the world. The book takes place in the late 1940’s. Many people in the 1940’s loved to fish, especially when on the Gulf of Mexico, near Cuba. Anyways, the history is not really described. The main thing the book is good at doing is showing how people are quick to give up and to doubt people, which is still true today. The other fishermen do not think that the old man will be able to catch any more fish. They think that his time had come and gone. He was running out of luck while the other fishermen were succeeding. The doubted the old man’s pride and strength, and in the end he proved them all wrong. The behavior for the time period seems quite normal. The houses were not the best, but people did what they could. Sports are a main part of the character’s lives, especially Santiago who dreams about baseball (Hemingway 67). The reading of the newspaper and drinking coffee is still a daily routine for many people today. People fished for food to bring into the market. Fishing is not only a hobby, it’s also a job. People in the 1940’s could earn a good salary by fishing and selling their fish at the marketplace. As for social issues, I think the main issue expressed in the book is pride and also money issues. Pride is a big deal in the book because each person is proud of what they do. The old man is very proud of himself, he just wanted to renew his pride and show others that he could still make a living by catching fish, even if he was on a bad-luck streak. The money issues show how many people actually did fish for a living, but also for fun. Santiago wanted to take the big fish he caught to the marketplace to sell so he could feed many other people. The symbolic significance of this book is to never give up. Once you feel like giving up, that is when you find an inner strength. The thematic significance of this book is the determination. The determination in this book was key to everything because if Santiago was not determined, he would not have survived out at sea.

 Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. Cuba. Scribner’s Publishing. 1952