The theme of the The old man and the sea

1. • Presented by: Sanjay A. Dharaiya
• Paper no. 10 The American Literature
• Topic : The Themes of The Old Man and The Sea
• Course : M.A. Sem 3
• Email id : dharaiy9@gmail.com
• Submitted : S.B.Gardi Department of English MKBU

2.  He was an American novelist, short-story
writer, journalist, and sportsman.
 His adventurous lifestyle and his public
image brought him admiration from later
generations.
 Hemingway produced most of his work
between the mid-1920s and the mid-1950s,
and he won the Nobel Prize in
Literature in 1954.
 Many of his works are considered classics
of American literature.
(July 21, 1899 –
July 2, 1961)

3.  The Old Man and the Sea illustrates the theme of perseverance
in different ways and on different levels.
 First, although the old man has not caught a fish in 84 days, he
does not bemoan his fate or rage against his detractors.
 Santiago defeats the mighty fish after all because he is willing
to endure exhaustion, hunger, thirst, and pain.
 Returning home with nothing but the skeleton to bear witness
to the greatest catch of his life and his skiff badly damaged,
Santiago is not defeated, nor is his spirit broken.

4.  The theme of pain and suffering is intricately connected to that
of perseverance and appears in several ways. Pain is the price a
fisherman must pay for a bountiful catch.
 The old man's hands are marred with scars, speaking to a
lifelong history of struggles with opponents out at sea.
 The capacity to endure pain and suffering distinguishes
humans from other creatures.
 His capacity for pain and suffering distinguishes Santiago from
other fishermen.
 The old man's ability to endure pain and suffering establishes
him as a hero who rises above others.

5.  The old man muses that the sea, a
symbol for nature itself, is
simultaneously beautiful and cruel
because it gives life and takes it away.
 Sea turtles swallow jellyfish, hawks
hunt warblers, sharks devour marlins,
and men catch fish. Each creature has
its place in the food chain that keeps
the circle of life going.
 The death of one creature provides life
for another. The seemingly opposing
forces of life and death are in fact in
perfect balance.

6.  In his epic struggle with the marlin, the old man makes up
for that loss of vitality and strength with superior
knowledge and skill.
 He knows exactly how far to push himself and how to
counteract the harrowing effects of the long struggle on
his physical strength.
 He knows exactly when to eat and when to rest, and he
uses his skill to overcome his limitations.
 Throughout the story, it becomes clear that despite the old
man's physical prowess, skill, and willingness to take risks,
he lacks luck and therefore cannot find material success

7.  Although the old man is humble and seems to care little
about the other fishermen's opinions, he is proud of his skills
and wants recognition for them.
 Defeating it in a struggle that takes everything the old man
has in turn demands respect from others.
 The villagers' admiration for the magnificent skeleton tied to
the old man's skiff shows there is honour in honest defeat.
 It is the struggle itself that counts, the willingness to exert all
of one's strength, no matter what the outcome may be.

8.  Hemingway's lifelong interest and skill in athletic
activities and physical adventures such as deep-sea
fishing, bullfighting, and hunting inform much of his
literary work.
 His idea of virility includes strength, physical prowess,
and perseverance.
 Many of his heroes combine these qualities, strive toward
them, or suffer from their loss.
 The Old Man and the Sea tackles themes that occupied
Hemingway for his entire life.