FRANCISCO DEL PAPA

2° B

THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA

SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT
1. QUICK RESEARCH I
"Have faith in the Yankees my son. Think of the great Joe DiMaggio." Page 3
Who was Joe DiMaggio? Search biographical data about him. Why is DiMaggio's figure so important
for Santiago, what does he represent?

Joe DiMaggio was an american baseball player. He was born on November 24, 1914. He was the son of
Italian immigrant parents. He grew up in the San Francisco, California, area with his four brothers and
four sisters. He was named the "Greatest Living Player" in a 1969 poll of sportswriters. He took the great
American pastime of baseball to new heights during his career. At the age of seventeen DiMaggio
started to play minor league baseball with the San Francisco Seals. He became a Bay Area celebrity in
1933 when he got hits in sixty-one consecutive games, an all-time record for the league. His batting
average (the percentage of time that a batter gets a hit) was .340 and he batted in 169 runs. A year later
DiMaggio hit .341, and the New York Yankees purchased his contract for twenty-five thousand dollars
and five minor league players. DiMaggio's debut (start) in centerfield with the Yankees was delayed
because of an injury.
Aided by New York City newspapers, radio, and television, as well as his own powerful statistics,
DiMaggio became a national hero after the war. DiMaggio announced his retirement in 1952 when he
was thirty-seven. He died at his home in Hollywood, Florida, on March 8, 1999.
Joe DiMaggio, symbolizes the determination and competitive nature of Santiago and how he uses this to
get up every day and fish, even if he comes back empty-handed.

2. "There are many good fishermen and some great ones. But there is only you." Page 5 What is
unique about Santiago's fishing skills, especially considering he is salao (unlucky)?

He is unique because he caught a marlin, he killed many sharks, and he stayed strong when he was in
pain. Santiago spent much of his life fishing in the sea. Santiago worked really hard to catch just one fish.

3. "But the old man always thought of her as feminine and as something that gave or withheld great
favors, and if she did wild or wicked things it was because she could not help them. The moon affects
her as it does a woman, he thought." Page 7
Who is Santiago talking about when he says "her"? Why does he also mention the moon?

He talks about The Ocean is like a women who gives or withholds great favor, and if she did wild or
wicked things it is because she could not help them. The moon affects her, the ocean as it does a
woman.

4. Why does Manolin cry at the end of the book? Elaborate and write about the relationship between
Santiago and Manolin.

When Manolin sees the appearance of Santiago that he begins to cry. The boy saw that the old man
was breathing and then he saw the old man's hands and he started to cry. Manolin loves Santiago and
cries because Santiago is hurted. He shows great concern for Santiago's health, especially after he sees
how Santiago has suffered in catching the big marlin.
Santiago and Manolin are very close friends. They get along very well even though they are very
different ages . In the beginning, Santiago acts as a mentor to Manolin. He teaches him to fish and takes
him out on the boat with him starting as early as age five. Manolin demonstrates his love for Santiago
openly. Santiago shows love, respect, and compassion for Manolin.

5. What is the meaning of the line about "the lions" in the closing sentence of the book?

The lions symbolize Santiago's lost youth as well as his pride. The lions as also symbolize Santiago's
affinity with nature. Now that Santiago is no longer young, and has lost his friends, family, and strength,
he sees the lions only in his dreams.

6. Find three examples of comparisons in the text, quote them and explain them.
- Santiago compared to Jesus: Jesus was a fisher of men and both stuck to their faith when they had
moments of doubt and pain.
- Santiago compared to DiMaggio: Santiago compares himself to DiMaggio, he feels proud of and
confident in his abilities as a fisherman, his respects DiMaggio. He is also compared to DiMaggio for his
bravery.
- The sea with a woman: talks about the sea as if it were a woman.
- The merlin tail with a scythe: when the giant marlin finally surfaces, his tail “was higher than a big
scythe blade and very pale lavender above the dark blue water.”

7. Where had the old man gone in his youth that he dreamed about every night?

He had gone to Africa in his youth. When he was young, he journeyed to the beaches of Africa and saw
lions playing on the beach.

8. What is the symbolic importance of the sea in the novel? Give examples.

The sea represents the life of the fisherman. The old man saw the sea a feminine creature that gave or
withheld great favors.

9. A tragedy is defined as a tale of sorrows and sufferings in which the hero shows the highest qualities
of patience. courage and sacrifice. According to this definition, can "The Old Man and The Sea" be
considered a tragedy? Why? Give examples.

I Think that The Old Man and the Sea is a tragedy, because it has a lot experiences of tragic lost, for
example when sharks end up eating the entire marlin he has worked so hard to catch. The old man had
bad luck over the last three months. The old man failed in his fishing journeys, and has a lonely life. The
old man attaches his entire life and purpose to a single task: the catching of the giant marlin.

10. How many different types of fish does Santiago confront on the course of his adventure? How would
you describe his relationship with the Marlin?

The different types of fishes are: Bonito, Albacore, Flying fish, big blue runner, Yellow Jack, Dolphin,
Marlin, Sharks.
Santiago wishes to meet the Marlin because he respects the incredible strength and determination of
the fissh to stay alive equal his own. Santiago identifies with the fish. Santiago and the marlin display
qualities of pride, honor, and bravery. Santiago finds the marlin like a good opponent. After sharks have
destroyed the marlin, the old man apologizes with the Marlin.

11. What is the Theme of the novel? Elaborate.

I Think the Theme is life and death, because he muses that the sea, a symbol for nature itself, is
beautiful and cruel because it gives life and takes it away. "The Sea", is the power and playfulness of
nature. He see the sea with a mix of affection and respect for its power. He loves it but he know that is
dangerous and brave, and that it can take away as much as it gives. The novel is a story of man’s battle
against the natural worl. I also think that he speaks of pride and perseverance because Santiago does
not give up when he wants to fish the Merlin, he uses all his strength to achieve it.

12. In many points of the story, the voice of the Narrator is mixed up with Santiago's own words.
Sometimes, Hemingway uses inverted commas to indicate that Santiago is speaking, but in other
sections, those inverted commas do not appear and both styles of narration mingle. Why does the
writer employ this resource?

I Think he employ this resource because some facts comes from Hemingway own experience. He can
explain the story like his life and sometimes the events of the story seem to be based on a real incident.

13. QUICK RESEARCH II

Read Ernst Hemingway's biography in https://www.gradesaver.com/author/ernest-hemingway
After reading it, answer this question: Can you find similarities between Hemingway's real life and
Santiago's adventure in "The Old Man and The Sea"?

Yes I found similarities, for example young Hemingway preferred to accompany his father on hunting
and fishing trips; both of them were struggling: Hemingway had not written a successful novel in ten
years, and Santiago had not caught a fish in 84 days; they both had to prove themselves again. In 1934,
Hemingway went on safari in Africa like Santiago. Hemingway was loneliness, he has failed marriages
and ejection by Adriana, like Santiago who is lonely and his wife is dead.