'The Old Man and The Sea' Metaphors

[Scheherazade]

I have just finished re-reading The Old Man and The Sea after 20 years' gap (first time in English) and been thinking about the meaning of the book and the metaphors and imagery used by Hemingway. Was he picturing humanbeing's struggles and sufferings in this world through Santiago's struggle to capture and bring the fish home? Or was he getting back at those who were critical of his literary skills?

If you have read it too, what are your thoughts/interpretations?

[mister_noel_y2k]

its been nearly a year since i read it for the first time but the thing i remember thinking about when i was reading it was to do with dreams. santiago hasn't caught a fish in 88 days or something (a long time anyway) and people are saying that hes past it but then he catches the biggest fish in his entire life and manages to attach it to his boat but on the way home the sharks eat it. what i thought about was that people were saying that hemingway was past his prime as a writer and that he hadn't scored a success in a while but then he writes the old man and the sea (the biggest story of his career) but the critics (sharks) tear it apart before he can show people what its like. its a bit of a vague idea of mine i know but one i remember thinking was kind of funny, hemingway getting his own back at the critics. but of course, unlike santiago, hemingway does manage to show his marlin (book) to everyone and is rewarded with the nobel prize in 1954. good for papa!

the ending to that book always had me stumped though, any ideas?

:banana:

[mono]

A few months ago, after my first read of Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea, I typed away at another little thread (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4571). I can certainly see what you, mister noel, mean, and my interpretation of Hemingway seems similar, but not quite as based on the author. I would like to think that Santiago's constant endeavors, even after his, I think, 84-day period of no luck, and catching the marlin symbolizes much the need for human dignity over material proof and a flaunting of his 'trophy.'
What I typed in the other thread:

In another thread, I mentioned reading this short novel, The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway in a very brief time. In a few words, I found this story absolutely amazing, and I wondered of others' thoughts.
The main character, in a way, feels so comforted by his life at sea, despite his unlucky eighty-four days of catching no fish, yet so rejected by life at land by his peers, not including the young boy who follows and fishes with him, periodically.
The marlin, I believe, somehow attributed to Santiago, the main character, with striking similarities: they both traveled the sea (or la mer) alone, both searching for means of survival, and both carrying themselves with much pride, the large fish, obviously, through a less verbal manner. True, Santiago did express his excitement in his reward for boasting his catch (during his "lucky" eight-fifth day) to his fellow fishermen, and contemplated of how much he could sell the meat resources, but, I believe, he more prized his dignity in treasuring his life at sea, and finally succeeding the big catch he had anticipated for months.
For those who have never read the novel, but intend to, I recommend not to continue reading this message.
For those who have, we know the result: after Santiago's big fight, miles from his home in Havana, he ties the marlin to the side of his second-rate boat (reflecting his poverty) with utmost pride. During his long journey back home, he uses all of his defending weapons on sharks attacking the large, dead fish, who, in turn, consume all of it, excepting the tail, the head, and the cartilage skeleton. The old man, then, returns to his abode, sadly, exhausted, and wounded, retaining only his dignity with no proof.
Hemingway speaks loud, I think, in communicating the great difference between rewards, dividing human dignity from the very common need to prove one's accomplishment to others. The old man certainly could have used the money, in selling the marlin's resources, but he returns from sea with less than he left, having wasted every item on his boat when fighting with the hungry sharks.
With this moral, digging deeper into human instinct, Hemingway, similar to William Golding in Lord of the Flies, emphasizes the instinctive greed involved in all human endeavors. The parents of the young boy forbade him to spend time with Santiago, considering him bad luck for his eighty-four day streak of catching no fish, despite his diligence; while fighting with the marlin for days, the old man prayed to succeed, so as to sell and consume the fish, essential for survival; also during his struggle, a small bird perched on the boat, in the middle of the sea, and Santiago could but pity the bird for his escape from other larger, hunting birds on his return to land; lastly, the fight to the death of the sharks attacking the marlin, also for need of survival.
Hemingway, a devoted hunter and fisherman, would recognize this greed-driven struggle, necessary for life, if anyone knew, I think.

[Scheherazade]

I agree with your interpretation of the 'reward', Mono. Although during the 85 days when Santiago could not catch any fish, everyone seemed to be concentrating on the material gains of a good catch, when he returned with nothing more than the bones of the big fish, people had a new found respect for him (including the boy's parents who would let him go fishing with Santiago again). He 'proved' himself in such a way that no amount of financial gain would make up for it, which was hard for the tourists to understand at the end of the book.