How does the novel reflect the history, behavior and social issues of the time period and setting? What is the book's symbolic and thematic significance?
The old man continually brings up Joe DiMaggio through out the novel, who is not even a fisherman. DiMaggio was a baseball player. What's a fisherman from Cuba have to do with a professional baseball player? Just looking at the surface of the story, the old man just wanted to make small talk with his friend and chose a sport, like most men (and some girls) would do. But actually, he is much more than that. DiMaggio was a professional baseball player around the time the book was set, and suffered a bone spur in one of his feet. That was considered a handicap for a man who got paid to run around in a circle. The man is old, which could also be considered a handicap. See the similarities now? Joe DiMaggio was a very successful baseball player, despite his injury. The old man was also successful in catching a huge fish, even with his "handicap." DiMaggio was a symbol for perseverance and pushing through pain to achieve a goal.
The setting of the story was very boring. Most of the story took place out at sea, which is not nearly as exciting as if the story took place in the middle of an underground volcano. But I guess the title would have to be changed to The Old Man in the Belly of the Volcano. The book portrays fishing as the profession of a poor man, and the old man proved that when he didn't catch a fish for 84 days. Society would have looked down on the man during the time period, and he would have had to overcome the social stigma put on him.
Another symbol in the story is the loins that the old man dreams about. Of all animals, why would the old man dream about lions? Why not the birds? I mean, he did say the birds were his friends. I believe that he dreamed about lions because a lion is a strong, powerful animal. The old man remembered back when he was younger and was like the lions, and he wanted to get back to those days. His dreams were filled with his past memories that were translated into nature (lions) because the old man had a close connection to nature.
Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner Paperback Fiction, 1995. Print.
The old man continually brings up Joe DiMaggio through out the novel, who is not even a fisherman. DiMaggio was a baseball player. What's a fisherman from Cuba have to do with a professional baseball player? Just looking at the surface of the story, the old man just wanted to make small talk with his friend and chose a sport, like most men (and some girls) would do. But actually, he is much more than that. DiMaggio was a professional baseball player around the time the book was set, and suffered a bone spur in one of his feet. That was considered a handicap for a man who got paid to run around in a circle. The man is old, which could also be considered a handicap. See the similarities now? Joe DiMaggio was a very successful baseball player, despite his injury. The old man was also successful in catching a huge fish, even with his "handicap." DiMaggio was a symbol for perseverance and pushing through pain to achieve a goal.
The setting of the story was very boring. Most of the story took place out at sea, which is not nearly as exciting as if the story took place in the middle of an underground volcano. But I guess the title would have to be changed to The Old Man in the Belly of the Volcano. The book portrays fishing as the profession of a poor man, and the old man proved that when he didn't catch a fish for 84 days. Society would have looked down on the man during the time period, and he would have had to overcome the social stigma put on him.
Another symbol in the story is the loins that the old man dreams about. Of all animals, why would the old man dream about lions? Why not the birds? I mean, he did say the birds were his friends. I believe that he dreamed about lions because a lion is a strong, powerful animal. The old man remembered back when he was younger and was like the lions, and he wanted to get back to those days. His dreams were filled with his past memories that were translated into nature (lions) because the old man had a close connection to nature.
Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner Paperback Fiction, 1995. Print.
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