by Neil Deo

Created on: July 17, 2008   Last Updated: September 10, 2008

On reading Ernest Hemingway's brilliant and engaging novel I asked myself if it might not have been named "The Old Man and Manolin," or "The Old Man and the Marlin," or even "Santiago's Moby Dick." And of course, I was happy to ponder the nuances in the title chosen by Hemingway himself.

Sometimes, a novella such as THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA shares longevity, notoriety and relevance with powerful and concise poems. In a review of Andrew Marvel's poem, DOVER BEACH (1867), I noted the writer covered many big questions of life - existential questions - in 37 lines. I have a similar laudatory response for what Ernest Hemingway achieved in THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA in less than 120 pages. There are few life concerns (and American pasttimes) that are not mentioned, or addressed, by Hemingway in this slender but powerful work. A by no means exhaustive list includes: US-Cuba relations, the big fish that got away, alone-ness versus loneliness, boxing and prize-fighting, Dangers and draws of the Sea, endurance versus intelligence, man versus nature, the limitless potential of the human spirit, the spiritual gifts within humans, age and wisdom, ingenuity and experience, youth and awareness, respect of peers and ignorance of the rich (tourists), the relevance of baseball to life's challenges, DiMaggio's legacy, lionhunting and African safari, indigenous respect for the hunted, the Old Man - Santiago's - bond with the marlin, symbolism in dreams.

In terms of the plot of THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA, I shall briefly say something on each of the following elements: Exposition, Complication, Climax and Resolution.

(i) EXPOSITION:
At one level, Hemingway who experienced hunting (safari in Africa), witnessed the running of the bulls in Spain, and lived large in Florida and in France, tells an apparently tall tale of the biggest fish (marlin) ever caught. But in that the Sea is a powerful force and harbors several mysteries, the title must be respected for more than a simple story; a simple story might have been something like THE OLD MAN AND THE MAGNIFICENT MARLIN. The story is, therefore, also a bonding of man and marlin against the horrible torpedoes of the sea, sharks.

This novella follows the plot development sequentially, and the time-line is straightforward, except a case may be made for Hemingway hinting at the complication (plot element #2) in his second sentence. I shall quote both of them, because the opener is wonderful and an excellent summary of the exposition:
"He was an old

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Next Page >>