Old Man and the Sea #5

The fifth question for the book The Old Man and the Sea asks: How does this novel reflect the history, behavior and social issues of the time period and setting? What is this book's symbolic and thematic significance? I think this novel reflects the time period and social issues very well.

I think that the book reflects the time period and setting very well. The novel the Old Man and the Sea takes place in Cuba during the 1940’s. The story reflects the time period by discussing famous people from the time period. Santiago discusses American baseball throughout the book. He mentions Joe DiMaggio a lot (Hemingway pg. 21-24). Santiago also mentions other Yankee baseball players too such as Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri, Red Ruffing and Lefty Gomer. The book reflects the setting and time by making the plot about fishing. The book is set on the Cuban coast, so fishing was one of the only ways that he gained money. I think the author wanted to show a different lifestyle than just the typical British Literature. By having Cuba as the setting of the story the author shows social issues. For example, fishing by the Gulf of Mexico was the only way to make money. Times were hard and people struggled to make ends meet. People of the town thought Santiago was crazy because he could not catch a fish in the economy’s’ rough times.

                                                                                                                                          

I think the symbolic and thematic significance is do not give up on yourself. Santiago could have easily quit and given up with the fish and came home empty handed.  He told himself he could do it and I think that gave him good results in the end.   

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.