The Old Man and the Sea question #7

Ernest Hemingway uses many techniques in "The Old Man and the Sea" in order to engage the audience and make the story effective. One of the first techniques he uses is the fact that the book is shorter and is not broken into chapters like other books. I think this keeps the reader from stopping since there really is no identifiable stopping point. This also makes the book easier to read and more convenient since you can read it in fewer sittings. Another technique Hemingway uses is symbolism. This is kind of what takes the book even deeper than just a story about a man at sea. Some symbolism used is what and who the marlin, the sharks, and Santiago represent. The giant prize of the marlin fish represents the perfect opponent. The marlin makes the perfect opponent in the way that he brought out great traits in Santiago. These include respect, power, determination, and love. Another symbolism used was the sharks. These can represent defeat and the people trying to tear you down. In "The Old Man and the Sea" the sharks were against Santiago and tried to eat his prize. Santiago did not give up without a fight though. He killed several sharks and never accepted defeat. One last use of symbolism used was the way Santiago symbolized Christ. This was displayed with the way his palms and back were injured and the way he fell asleep when he finally got home. "He pulled the blanket over his shoulders and then over his back and legs and he slept face down on the newspapers with his arms out straight and the palms of his hands up" (Hemingway, 122). Another technique Hemingway used was suspense. He used this in two major ways, the fight to kill the marlin, and the journey home against the sharks. The epic battle to reel in the great marlin took three whole days and then the numerous shark attacks made it seem like Santiago would never get home.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.