If you're looking to reel in hesitant readers, you're fishing at the right place. Short but sweet, Ernest Hemingway's classic novella The Old Man and the Sea is as approachable as it is significant to English literature. Hemingway's concise sentences demonstrate a clear shift in American prose from the elaborate writing style introduced only a few decades prior. Through Hemingway's voice, students can learn or review basic literary elements without the intimidation of dense text.

The Old Man and the Sea's primary conflict—man vs. nature—is unique, as more often, this type of conflict takes a backseat to man vs. man or man vs. self. For the majority of the novella, protagonist Santiago is at war with the elements, with creatures of the ocean, and, because he must face the realities of aging, with time itself. Ask your students to assign symbolic meaning to the old man's battles: What do his triumphs and failures at sea suggest about the nature of humanity? Can we ever truly overcome the course of nature? Why or why not?

Outside deeper ideas about humanity, Hemingway's tale may also be interpreted as a metaphor for certain aspects of his life. Santiago's struggle as a has-been fisherman symbolizes Hemingway's feelings of inadequacy as a novelist. At the time Hemingway was writing The Old Man and the Sea, he hadn't published a successful novel in over a decade—hadn't "caught a fish," so to speak. Hemingway had a resume of failed marriages and a poor relationship with his mother. He chooses a violent sea as Santiago's antagonist, arguably a representation of the mystery, mistrust, and bitterness with which the women in his life had plagued him. Be sure to provide students with extensive background on Ernest Hemingway's intricate career and personal life, as the opportunities for parallelism there are boundless.

Read on to sea what we're talking about!

The Old Man and the Sea

The Old Man and the Sea

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Summary of The Old Man and the Sea

Key Facts:

  • Publication Date: 1952
  • Length: 127 pages
  • Recommended Grade Band: 7-8
  • Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (1953); Nobel Prize in Literature (1954)

Ernest Hemingway's novella regales readers with a wild tale of an aging fisherman named Santiago and his quest to prove that he's still the greatest in his trade. The story begins by introducing Santiago and his apprentice and dear friend, a boy named Manolin, whom Santiago taught to fish. They often chat about baseball together while drinking coffee. After eighty-four days of returning from the sea empty-handed, Santiago sails out farther than usual and hooks a huge marlin; however, returning the fish to dry land proves to be more challenging than expected. Despite his best efforts to fight them off, sharks attack his boat and slowly pick away at the old man's biggest catch. By the time he returns three days later, only a skeletal fish remains. Having been worried about the old man, Manolin greets Santiago enthusiastically, and the two resume their routine of drinking coffee and recapping baseball in the daily paper.

What Your Students Will Love About The Old Man and the Sea

  • Action-packed battles with sharks
  • Easy to read

Potential Student Struggles With The Old Man and the Sea

  • The novella's plot develops slowly.
  • Sports references may not be easily recognizable.

Learning Objectives for The Old Man and the Sea

  • Identify instances of figurative language in the text, particularly imagery and simile.
  • Analyze the symbolic significance of the ocean, Santiago's lion dreams, and references to Joe DiMaggio's career.
  • Define The Old Man and the Sea's primary conflict as man vs. nature and consider what Santiago's struggles demonstrate about humanity.
  • Discuss how Hemingway's strong, succinct writing style influenced modern American prose.
  • Determine whether Santiago's venture can be considered a success.
  • Interpret Santiago's story as a metaphor for aspects of the author's life.

Literary Elements in The Old Man and the Sea

  • Conflict
  • Imagery
  • Metaphor
  • Motif
  • Setting
  • Simile
  • Symbolism
  • Theme

Major Themes in The Old Man and the Sea

Strength and Determination — The old man demonstrates physical strength, as well as resolve to prove himself as a great fisherman. Both illustrate the perseverance of humanity itself, despite the ever-present antagonists of time, age, and wear.

Related Works:

Memory — Out at sea alone, Santiago must ponder his own life. He often thinks about lions, which represent his youthful prime.

Related Works:

Pain — Pain is a necessary evil in the case of overcoming challenges. Santiago endures both physical and psychological pain during his fight to catch and secure the marlin.

Related Works:

Other Resources for The Old Man and the Sea

  • The Old Man and the Sea has been adapted to film three times—in 1958 as a full-length movie, 1990 as a miniseries, and 1999 as a short animated movie.
  • The 1958 film, directed by John Sturges and starring Spencer Tracy, received mixed, though overall positive, reviews from critics. It made a splash at the Oscars in 1959; Dimitri Tiomkin won the Oscar for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, and Spencer Tracy was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Watch the trailer!
  • NBC's 1990 miniseries, directed by Jud Taylor and starring Anthony Quinn, has received mixed reviews. Some call it an "excellent TV adaptation," while others believe it "pales in comparison" to its predecessor from 1958. Check out the trailer!
  • The 1999 feature, starring Gordon Pinsent and directed by Aleksandr Petrov, received generally positive feedback from audiences and praise for its striking animation. It even won the Oscar for Best Short Film, Animated, in 2000. Watch the full short film here!
  • The likely real-life inspiration for Hemingway's classic Read about him!
  • RACC Article about the biographical nature of The Old Man and the Sea
  • Biography of Hemingway from The New York Times
  • Book pairing suggestions from Common Lit