The Old Man And The Sea, 1952
(Ernest Hemingway)
Hemingway?s OLD MAN AND THE SEA frequently makes it to the list of required reading in the early years of high school. Hemingway has his avid fans and his detractors. I have difficult time seeing beyond the simple when I read OLD MAN AND THE SEA because I taught it to tenth graders on several occasions.
Still, the book is wonderful for them. It can be very simple and easy to find the symbols. Basically, it covers the age old theme of man versus nature, hence the title. The old man, Santiago, is an aging fisherman down on his luck. The younger men surpass him, except his faithful young companion. He goes out and catches a big fish and tries to bring it back home. This is the easy version.
Amidst this simple man versus nature there are a myriad of complimentary themes to explore. The nature of the man and boy?s relationship is not simple. They represent opposite ends of the spectrum as the other fishermen represent the middle. The boy?s family also plays a role. They force him to abandon the luckless old man for the promise of profit on another boat. Still, the boy does everything he can for the old man.
The man is not simply against nature, as perhaps the other fishermen are. He is reminiscent of Native American philosophy in that he understands his place within nature and not apart from it. This deep understanding seems to have betrayed him because he cannot catch fish.
There are also Christ symbols to relate to the old man. For example, his luckless days number 40. While the OLD MAN AND THE SEA can be simple, and hence its value to burgeoning readers; it can also be extremely complex. The complexity tests a reader?s clue hunting skills as well as his or her understanding of environment, perseverance, and place.
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