The Old Man and the Sea: History & Society

Because the novel takes place mainly in the ocean, little talk of society and newsworthy events occurred. The old man mentioned nothing about political or historical news, but focused mainly on the latest score of the New York Yankees game. However, by reading between the lines and analyzing the actions made by the main characters, several point of the Cuban society in the 1940's can be found. For example, all of the fishers in the novel were men. Judging by what we know about history, it is most likely that the roles of the household involved the man working and having a career while the woman stayed home cooking, cleaning, and raising the kids. Although women and races were mentioned very little, if at all, in the novel, readers are still able to get an idea of the society and roles due to the actions of the characters.

The struggle endured in The Old Man and the Sea was another great reflection of history. Poverty has always been a large issue in this country, and the novel shows no exceptions of that fact. Apprenticing was also mentioned between the old man and the young boy, Manolin. Learning the tricks of the trade was often passed down generation to generation through mentors. Unlike today, schooling and education wasn't always necessary for some careers. However, this action of learning from the professional is still used today with interns and assistants.

Like I said before, Santiago wasn't much for politics or the latest breaking news. Instead he followed baseball and his favorite player, Joe DiMaggio. "Have faith in the Yankees my son. Think of the great DiMaggio (Hemingway 17)." He would say. With the major role that fishing and baseball played in this novel, it is obvious that Ernest Hemingway was influenced largely by sports. Hemingway was known for being an avid sports fan, and used his knowledge of baseball as a way of timelining this novel. Sports influenced many aspects of The Old Man and the Sea, including the never give up message and Santiago's competitive spirit.

[Bibliography]

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.