The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway: A Novel with Infinite Interpretations
The Old Man and the Sea is a novel with infinite interpretations. In fact, one of the most remarkable aspects of this book is its ability to allow the readers to construe the piece any way they see fit. It is written in such a way that the audience can have their own personal take on it, regardless to what Ernest Hemmingway was trying to say. The Old Man and the Sea can be inspirational to anyone willing to decide for themselves what it means. The readers are immediately drawn into Santiago’s story, and learn from him just as Manolin has. To state the obvious, the Old Man and the Sea was not just about an old, unlucky fisherman. To me, it is about life, death, and the struggles in between.
Early on in the story, Santiago first speaks of his dreams. “He no longer dreamed of storms, nor of women, nor of great occurrences, nor of great fish, nor fights, nor contests of strength, nor of his wife. He only dreamed of places now and of the lions on the beach. They played like young cats in the dusk, and he loved them as he loved the boy. He never dreamed about the boy.” By listing all of the things that he no longer dreamt of, I believe that the old man was explaining what he has either given up or lost throughout the years. He is expressing that he is not the same person he was at a younger age. When Santiago said that he didn’t dream of the boy, I think that this is because he still has the Manolin in his life. The boy is one of the only things he loves that he is still attached to in present day. The lions on the beach are connected to Santiago’s childhood, so dreaming about them now could be a link from the beginning of his life to the very end. As if the place with the lions on the beach is the afterlife itself.
The old man hasn’t caught a single fish in eighty-four days, but he is still considered to be a great fisherman. He doesn’t seem particularly concerned that he hasn’t caught a fish in so long, and that the rest of the town mocks him, until that eighty-fifth
Early on in the story, Santiago first speaks of his dreams. “He no longer dreamed of storms, nor of women, nor of great occurrences, nor of great fish, nor fights, nor contests of strength, nor of his wife. He only dreamed of places now and of the lions on the beach. They played like young cats in the dusk, and he loved them as he loved the boy. He never dreamed about the boy.” By listing all of the things that he no longer dreamt of, I believe that the old man was explaining what he has either given up or lost throughout the years. He is expressing that he is not the same person he was at a younger age. When Santiago said that he didn’t dream of the boy, I think that this is because he still has the Manolin in his life. The boy is one of the only things he loves that he is still attached to in present day. The lions on the beach are connected to Santiago’s childhood, so dreaming about them now could be a link from the beginning of his life to the very end. As if the place with the lions on the beach is the afterlife itself.
The old man hasn’t caught a single fish in eighty-four days, but he is still considered to be a great fisherman. He doesn’t seem particularly concerned that he hasn’t caught a fish in so long, and that the rest of the town mocks him, until that eighty-fifth