Daniel Villines's Reviews > The Old Man and the Sea

I initially read The Old Man and the Sea years ago and remembered it as a great example of Hemingway's writing. I love his sparse use of prose and the imagery that forms in my mind based on the experiences-in-common between the writer and me. Hemingway knew, for instance, that I would have enough life experience to fully comprehend an image of a swordfish leaping from the sea at the end of a fishing line without writing pages of descriptive narrative.

After this second read, my first impression still remains in tact but I also picked up on some of the secondary themes within the story. I perceived the tragedy that is old age in that the physical failings of the human body prevent life experience from being brought to bear against physical challenges. The theme of grace under pressure is present as Santiago continuously analyzes and adapts to the ever-changing challenges that confront him while alone at sea. Also, the lines between necessity, pride, and greed are explored. Santiago's blind desire to catch a fish that will revive an image of youthful strength and save himself from working for a prolonged period of time obscures his ability to consider the obvious impossibility of ever bringing the fish to port and to market.

As for the symbolism, I believe that Hemingway is simply drawing from common experiences at large in order to develop scenes within the minds of his readers. While there can be no doubt about the intended similarities of Santiago stumbling while carrying the mast of his boat and the story of Jesus stumbling while carrying the cross, the latter is simply a well know image of suffering that occurred after a long travail. This image simply and efficiently works with the corresponding moment in the story. From here, however, an entire fantasy could be constructed that weaves this and other elements from the book into a symbolic story that would be appropriate for the bible.

From all the biographical information that I have read on Hemingway, I just cannot believe that an underlying symbolic story would be a preconceived goal for this book. Hemingway approached everything that he did in life head-on. The writing of a book that said one thing in words and imagery while attempting to convey a different story through symbolism would probably be perceived by Hemingway as a cowardly and dishonorable way to write something worth writing.