The Old Man and the Sea Question 5

Okay so I am at the question, “How does this novel reflect the history, behavior, and social issues of the time period and setting?” The Old Man and the Sea was written in 1951 in Cuba by Ernest Hemingway.  Although the novel was written in 1951, its time period is in the 1940s.  At this time in the United States, World War II was still going on and the Great Depression had just ended.  Also during this time period people were very racist.  I don’t know how much different Cuba was from the United States at this time, but I know racism was a worldwide thing and it still is today.  In The Old Man and the Sea, I did not see any racism remarks, which I am very glad. 

Like I said before in on of my previous blogs, Santiago uses a boatload of Spanish words.  Cuba is a Spanish country.  “The official language of Cuba is Spanish and the vast majority of Cubans speak it” (Cuba). This explains why Santiago uses Spanish.  While researching Cuba, I came across something I found very interesting.  “Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city” ().  I found it blog worthy because the old man’s name is Santiago.  It makes me wonder if he was named after the Cuban city. 

The main symbol in The Old Man and the Sea is the striking, stunning marlin.  The creature of a fish brought out the best qualities of Santiago that he usually does not show.  They are strength, courage, love, and respect. “After the marlin is hooked, but before Santiago sees him, the old man thinks the fish ‘is wonderful. … Never have I had such a strong fish nor one who acted so strangely. … He cannot know that it is only one man against him, nor that it is an old man. But what a great fish he is’” (Oliver).

"Cuba." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 15 June 2012. Web. 15 June 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba>.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.

Oliver, Charles M. "The Old Man and the Sea." Critical Companion to Ernest Hemingway: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. 15 June 2012.

"The Old Man and the Sea." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 11 June 2012.