THE OLD AN AND THE SEA GUIDE QUESTIONS Flashcards
Who is Santiago? Describe him and his equipment. How are his eyes characterized?
Santiago is an old fisherman with worn-out equipment. His eyes are bright and undefeated despite his hardships.
Give a description of his emotions, passions, and feelings (love, hope,
confidence, pride, humility). Is there a single object that guides his life? Keep
this question in mind throughout the story.
He is humble yet proud, driven by perseverance and hope. His guiding object is proving his worth through the great fish.
What is distinctive about the old man’s sail and shirt? What might this signify?
His sail is patched like a flag of defeat, symbolizing endurance.
What is the relationship between Manolin and Santiago? Keep a running
account of this relationship throughout the story.
Manolin deeply cares for Santiago, looking up to him while Santiago mentors and depends on him.
What do you make of the conversation about doubt, obedience, faith, and
unbelief (pp. 10-11)?
The conversation reflects the tension between faith and doubt, mirroring Santiago’s struggle.
Describe the relations between Santiago and the rest of the fishermen and
villagers. Continue to observe these relations.
The villagers pity Santiago but respect him; some mock his misfortunes.
What happens to the sharks that are caught? How do the sharks help the
fishermen (see p. 37)? Do Santiago and the other fishermen in general “like”
sharks? A question to keep in mind throughout: What is the characteristic role
of the sharks in this story?
Sharks are both useful for fishermen and hated predators, symbolizing destruction and loss.
Early on, Santiago says, “I am a strange old man.” What else is described as
“strange” in this story? What is the relationship between these things? What
seems to be the criterion for ascribing “strangeness to something? Compare:
18, 48, 66, 67, 84, 101.
Santiago, his struggle, and the marlin are all described as “strange,” meaning unique and set apart.
See p. 14. Manolin says: If you hook something truly big, we can come to your aid.” As you read, begin to cogitate on the reasons why this is an impossibility, not only for Santiago, but for any man who lives in Santiago’s
world.
No one can truly aid another in their defining struggles, as each must face their own fate.
How does Santiago describe himself to Manolin?
Santiago calls himself old but strong, still capable of greatness.
What does the boy do for the old man? What does the old man give to the
boy? Continue to keep an account of their relationship. What is the role of
each in the story?
The boy brings Santiago food and bait; the old man gives him knowledge and inspiration.
See p. 22. What is it that Joe DiMaggio might understand if he went fishing
with Santiago (cf., p. 68)? Who else in the story understands this? What does
Manolin’s father understand?
DiMaggio, like Santiago, endures pain but performs with excellence. Manolin’s father lacks this deep understanding.
What is the old man’s attitude toward food and drink?
Santiago eats simply, valuing nourishment over indulgence.
Describe Santiago’s shack. Why has he taken down the picture of his wife?
His shack is bare and poor; he removed his wife’s picture because it made him sad.
What kinds of dreams does Santiago have and not have a this point? What
does this say about Santiago? Compare pp. 66, 81, 127.
He dreams of lions, symbolizing youth and strength, rather than struggles or loss.
Why is Santiago sorry for the birds, especially the tens?
He pities birds because they are fragile in a cruel world.
Consider the quotation: “Why did they make birds so delicate and fine as
those sea swallows when the ocean can be so cruel?” (p. 29) Who are “they”?
“They” refers to nature or God, questioning why beauty exists in a brutal world.
How does the old man think of the sea? Is it a friend or foe? How do some of
the other fishermen think of the sea?
Santiago respects the sea as a lover, while other fishermen see it as an enemy.
Describe the old man’s fishing technique. Why is he so precise?
He fishes with precision, showing respect for his craft.
Find a definition for the word “luck.” What role does it play in the story? Who
or what controls luck?
Luck is an uncontrollable force; hard work influences but does not guarantee success.
Why does Santiago think of the Portuguese man-of-war as a “whore”?
The man-of-war deceives beauty with danger, much like life itself.
What image predominates in regard to the relations between the various living
beings encountered so far in the story? That is, consider the birds, sharks,
dolphin, flying fish, Portuguese men-of-war, turtles, etc. What place does
Santiago have in these relationships? That is, what is the relationship between
human beings and other animals in Santiago’s world?
The ocean is a battlefield where every creature fights to survive, including Santiago.
Why is Santiago sorry for the turtles? What do you make of the comparison he
makes between himself and the turtles? In what way might this image typify
Santiago’s world?
He compares himself to turtles because of their resilience.
When did the old man start to talk aloud to himself when he was alone? Why?
He started talking to himself after losing his wife, reinforcing his isolation.
What is the status of Santiago’s invocations of God and Christ when the marlin
is playing with the hook and line?
His invocations of God are habitual but lack deep religious faith.
Santiago says: “I’m being towed by a fish and I am the towing bitt.” Is this “that
for which Santiago was born” (see pp. 40, 50) Explain this.
He accepts his struggle as his destiny, tying him to the marlin’s fate.
At what point does Santiago first wish for the presence of Manolin? Why does
the old man continually wish for the boy’s presence throughout the struggle
with the marlin (cf., pp. 45, 48, 50, 51, 52, 56, 62, 83, and passim)? What might
the absence of Manolin mean for the kind of world Santiago inhabits? (Recall
question #9, and p. 14 and also question #28.)
He wishes for Manolin because his struggle is lonely, yet no one can truly help.
What choice binds together the old man and the fish? Why is the old man’s
choice such that no one can be with him, not even the boy?
Santiago and the fish are bound by fate, and no one else can share that burden.
What game does Santiago refer to when he tells this to the small bird: “Go in
and take your chance like any other man or bird or fish.”? (p. 55)
He references a game of chance, highlighting the randomness of life.
What is so bad about the cramped hand? Compare pp. 61-62.
His cramped hand weakens him, symbolizing his battle against aging.
What do the hawks and other birds signify about the kind of world Santiago
(and presumably all human beings) inhabits? Compare page 55.
Predatory birds reinforce the idea that nature is harsh and indifferent.
See pages 45, 52, 58, 60, and 92. What do you make of the repeated allusions
to “forever”?
“Forever” suggests the endless cycle of struggle and endurance.
What attributes does the old man ascribe to the great fish? How does the old
man understand his relationship with the fish?
The marlin is noble and worthy, making Santiago’s struggle honorable.
Why does the old man pray? Characterize the prayers. Are his prayers
answered? What is the effect of the prayers? Compare pages 64-65, 87, 116.
His prayers are desperate but unanswered, reflecting his inner solitude.
What do you make of Santiago’s reverence for Joe DiMaggio? In what way, and
to what extent, does the reference to DiMaggio provide point of view for the
story?
DiMaggio represents perseverance despite pain, mirroring Santiago’s resilience.
Why does Santiago recall the hand fight with the Negro from Cienfuegos? Why
did Santiago beat the Negro so easily the second time? Why did Santiago
discontinue these matches?
The arm-wrestling match proves Santiago’s former strength, now challenged by age.
Why does the old man not give up his resolve to kill the great fish even though
he is sorry for it? What is he glad he is not required to try to kill? Why?
He must kill the marlin despite admiring it, but is glad not to hunt men.
Santiago says that those who will eat the fish are not worthy of it. Does he
think that he is worthy of catching it? If so, what is the difference between
those who eat and Santiago?
He feels worthy of the fish because of his struggle, unlike those who will eat it.
How does Santiago conceive the differences between himself and the great
fish? Why is it that he, a man, can endure pain longer than fish or beast?
Humans endure more than animals because of their will and consciousness.
What does Santiago call “the greatest healer that there is”? How does this
image fit with the portrayal of the sea in the story?
Sleep is the greatest healer, reinforcing the sea’s dual nature of cruelty and renewal.
Is it accidental that the sharks pursue the great fish? By extension, is it
accidental that Santiago wins one fight only to lose another? Is the loss
peculiar to Santiago or applicable to all humans?
The sharks’ attack is inevitable, symbolizing that victory is always followed by loss.
What does Santiago say about the defeat and destruction of a man? Why is the human made for one and not the other? In what way does this apply to
Santiago? Manolin? Manolin’s father? The tourists at the end of the story?
A man can be destroyed but not defeated, shown through Santiago’s perseverance.
Does the old man come to any resolution concerning the question of sin?
What are the possibilities adumbrated by Santiago? Why are they inadequate
solutions?
He questions if killing the fish was sinful, but finds no clear answer.
Santiago claims “everything kills everything else in some way.” Sketch and
reflect on the images of circularity present in the story.
Life is cyclical; everything preys on everything else in some way.
Santiago first says that fishing keeps him alive. Then he says that the boy
keeps him alive. Are there two different senses of “to be alive” at work here?
What might they be?
Fishing sustains him physically, but Manolin sustains him emotionally.
Note the shark attacks. What is his response when the second of the sharks
appear (p. 107)? What is the apparent allusion?
His response to the second shark attack reflects his acceptance of fate.
See pages 101, 102, 104, 112, 115, 116, 118, 119, 120. Describe the alternations
of hope, resolution, winning, and losing. (Recall question # 44.)
The story oscillates between hope and despair, mirroring life’s unpredictability.
Why does Santiago wish he had never caught the great fish?
He regrets catching the fish because it led to its destruction.
What does Santiago think of his village and the villagers as he is coming in (p.
115)? Is there any difference between this evaluation and his comportment
toward them at the first of the story? (Recall question #6.)
He respects the villagers but sees their understanding as shallow.
Santiago says, “I’d like to buy some [luck] if there’s any place they sell it.” Is it
possible to buy luck in the world in which the old man lives? Why or why not?
(Recall question #20.) Related this to Santiago’s prayers. Compare this with
Ecclesiastes.
Luck cannot be bought; it is random, much like life’s fate.
Respond to the following quotation: “Now it is over, he thought. They will
probably hit me again. But what can a man do against them in the dark without
a weapon?” (p. 117) Describe the world in which Santiago lives. Compare and
contrast his world with that of Ecclesiastes.
Santiago fights against fate, much like Ecclesiastes’ view of human struggle.
At various times on the way home, Santiago imagines that he is only dreaming
or that he may be dead. What calls him back to reality, or assures him that he
is not yet dead?
Physical pain reminds him he is still alive.
What does Santiago conclude beats him? What does the narrator conclude?
What does Manolin conclude (compare pp. 120, 124)? Do any of these
perspectives provide point of view for the story?
Santiago believes he was beaten by bad luck, but Manolin sees him as victorious.
After three days and nights at sea, what does Santiago do as soon as he lands
his skiff and secures it against the tide? Could the reader have expected
anything else?
Upon returning, he simply carries his mast, symbolizing his burden and endurance.
What happens to the old man on the way to his shack? How is he pictured
sleeping?
He collapses in exhaustion, sleeping as if dead.
What is Manolin’s response when he sees Santiago sleeping the next
morning? Why is he unashamed at this response?
Manolin weeps at Santiago’s suffering but is not ashamed, showing deep admiration.
What pleasure does the narrator ascribe to Santiago after he awakens from
sleep?
Santiago dreams of lions again, returning to the innocence of youth.
Why is Manolin now prepared to disobey his father on the question of fishing
with Santiago? What has changed for Manolin during the course of these three
days and nights?
Manolin defies his father, committing to support Santiago despite his failure.
What do the tourists see of the great fish? What do they think of the fish?
Santiago? Life?
The tourists only see the fish’s skeleton, failing to understand the struggle behind it.
What do you make of the numerous allusions to Jesus in this story? Is
Santiago “Christ-like” or even a “Christ figure”?
Santiago’s suffering parallels Christ’s, making him a symbol of sacrifice and endurance.
