The Old Man And The Sea By Ernest Hemingway - 1744 Words

â€Å"The Old Man and The Sea† by Ernest Hemingway is a story about an old man named Santiago who has to overcome many obstacles in his time at sea and in life (Hemingway). Despite being a fisherman, Santiago has not caught fish in 84 days and is faced by numerous dilemmas and shortcomings as things seem to always go wrong for him (Hemingway). This paper provides an analysis of the novel by interpreting it as a secular humanist epic. This paper hypothesizes that the character of Santiago is guided by secular principles and values which act as both a moral compass as well as societal fundamentals that are based on secular humanism. Therefore, â€Å"The Old Man and The Sea† is promoting these secular humanist values and principles by depicting how†¦show more content†¦There is no God who is transcendent above and beyond created reality†¦ The secular humanist presupposes that the only thing which can exist and have importance to mankind is that which is open to empirical verification and observation by man† (1). â€Å"The Old Man and The Sea† can be considered a secular humanist epic for various reasons. The themes covered by the story explore secular, human and everyday problems and issues. These include numerous subjects such as ageism, relationships/friendships, pride, perseverance, reputation in society, and so on. Each theme covered will be used to show that secular and humanist values are important for survival and prosperity in society. Firstly, the author indicates that despite his old age, Santiago’s perseverance sets him apart from others in society. The Council for Secular Humanism writes that â€Å"Secular humanism has provided an impetus for humans to solve their problems with intelligence and perseverance, to conquer geographic and social frontiers, and to extend the range of human exploration and adventure† (â€Å"A Secular Humanist Declaration†). This theme of perseverance is epitomized by Santiago’s battles with a large fish which he manages to capture. This is evident when the old man states that he will attempt to catch the fish even if it means risking his own life: â€Å"Fish, he said softly, aloud, I ll stay with you until I am dead.†Show MoreRelatedThe Old Man And The Sea By Ernest Hemingway1599 Words   |  7 PagesNew York, NY USA 10027 Dear Pulitzer Prize Judging Board: The Old Man and the Sea by American author, Ernest Hemingway deserved the Pulitzer Prize it received because of the author s use of craft elements, the realness of all of the characters and events, and the lasting themes that are relevant to the year it was written that were created by this realness, which in turn created a legacy. The first reason The Old Man and the Sea deserved its Pulitzer Prize is because of the author’s use of craftRead MoreThe Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway1734 Words   |  7 Pages Ernest Hemingway was a man among men. He painted his life through written words. In his life Hemingway experienced events that would change him and shape the man that he was. Hemingway wrote about his time he spent in World War I in his first novel, The Sun Also Rises, and in his last novel, The Old Man and the Sea, he writes about his fishing exploits, both of which Hemingway experienced himself. By comparing these two works that he has written, a reader can perceive his linguistic style and theRead MoreThe Old Man And The Sea By Ernest Hemingway1952 Words   |  8 Pagesinternal conflicts; there are many internal and external conflicts in the novella. One of the main conflicts is that Santiago couldn’t catch the marlin. This is resolved by Santiago eventually catching the fish thre e days after he returned back to sea after he had an eighty four day unsuccessful streak; this solution is believable because he was determined to catch the fish which he did. A secondary conflict in this novella was that Santiago began to talk to himself because Manolin is no longer withRead MoreThe Old Man And The Sea By Ernest Hemingway2056 Words   |  9 Pagesâ€Å"The Old Man and The Sea† by Ernest Hemingway Plot Summary: â€Å"The Old Man and The Sea† relates the difficult life of an old Cuban fisherman that struggles in his profession for a long period of time until he catches the biggest fish in his life. The story begins presenting readers the fact that Santiago, the old fisherman, has been eighty-four days without catching a fish. This uncomfortable situation leads Manolin, a teenager who works with Santiago, to leave him under his father’s command.Read MoreThe Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway Essay589 Words   |  3 PagesThe Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway After reading this novel, The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway, I was confused about something the old man kept repeating. During the course of the book, the old man, Santiago, refers to having gone out to far to catch the fish. To me, this sounds as though he is making excuses for himself as to why he could not bring the fish in. On the other hand, he may have realized that he should not have gone out so far because it was not worth it forRead MoreAn Old Fisherman in The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway939 Words   |  4 Pages On July 21, 1899, Ernest Hemingway was born to Grace Hall-Hemingway and Clarence Edmonds Hemingway in Oak Park, Illinois. He started off his writing career in high school, when he was writing sports articles for the high school newspaper. From there, he moved on to writing for the Kansas City Star, where he learned to write in his unique short sentences, declarative, writing style. From journalism, Hemingway moved on to the military life an d met a nurse in Milan that was his inspiration for â€Å"ARead MoreErnest Hemingway s A Old Man And The Sea1588 Words   |  7 PagesErnest Hemingway, an Intense Macho Bullfighting Woodsman of an author, If you met him in person you would not beleive him when he told you he s an author. However Ernest Hemingway is a very accomplished author, well known as the Chronicler of the lost generation, and for his Pulitzer Prize winning Old Man and the Sea. Hemingway also was known for his collection of short stories, like In Another Country and The Snows of Kilimanjaro, as with many of his stories these two are set in 2 places he hasRead MoreErnest Hemingway s The Old Man And The Sea942 Words   |  4 PagesSome believe to live is to endure, and in Ernest Hemingway s The Old Man and the Sea This idea is explored in a simplistic style of writing called Iceberg Theory, a style unique to Hemingway. In this powerful, yet simple novel Ernest Hemingway eloquently portrays the hardships of the average man. Old Man and the Sea is based on an old man named Santiago and his battle with a giant Marlin in the middle of the sea. The old man s experience with the marlin is one of misfortune, pride, and accomplishmentRead MoreThe Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway Essay983 Words   |  4 PagesThe Old Man and the Sea There is a scene in Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, when after a shark has taken a big chunk about forty pounds off Santiago prize marlin catch, Santiago begin to doubt whether he should have gone out to sea and wishes that he had never hooked the fish and was alone in bed with his newspaper (103). Immediately after the Santiago says, â€Å"But man is not made for defeat a man can be destroyed but not defeated† (103). The life of Ernest Hemingway intertwines to theRead MoreRelationship Between The Old Man And The Sea And Ernest Hemingway1075 Words   |  5 Pagesthe author of The Old Man and The Sea, Ernest Hemingway. Gertrude, an American novelist, poet, playwright and art collector, served as a mentor for Ernest. The novelist also served as a godmother to Ernest along with her companion, Alice B. Toklas. Ernest Hemingway used his experience with Gertrude in his 1952 book, The Old Man and The Sea. Santiago and Manolin share a relationship similar to Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein. Throughout The Old Man and The Sea, Ernest Hemingway provides many details