THE OLD AN AND THE SEA GUIDE QUESTIONS

Question 1

Who is Santiago? Describe him and his equipment. How are his eyes characterized?

Answer 1

Santiago is an old fisherman with worn-out equipment. His eyes are bright and undefeated despite his hardships.

Question 2

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.

Answer 2

He is humble yet proud, driven by perseverance and hope. His guiding object is proving his worth through the great fish.

Question 3

What is distinctive about the old man’s sail and shirt? What might this signify?

Answer 3

His sail is patched like a flag of defeat, symbolizing endurance.

Question 4

What is the relationship between Manolin and Santiago? Keep a running
account of this relationship throughout the story.

Answer 4

Manolin deeply cares for Santiago, looking up to him while Santiago mentors and depends on him.

Question 5

What do you make of the conversation about doubt, obedience, faith, and
unbelief (pp. 10-11)?

Answer 5

The conversation reflects the tension between faith and doubt, mirroring Santiago’s struggle.

Question 6

Describe the relations between Santiago and the rest of the fishermen and
villagers. Continue to observe these relations.

Answer 6

The villagers pity Santiago but respect him; some mock his misfortunes.

Question 7

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?

Answer 7

Sharks are both useful for fishermen and hated predators, symbolizing destruction and loss.

Question 8

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.

Answer 8

Santiago, his struggle, and the marlin are all described as “strange,” meaning unique and set apart.

Question 9

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.

Answer 9

No one can truly aid another in their defining struggles, as each must face their own fate.

Question 10

How does Santiago describe himself to Manolin?

Answer 10

Santiago calls himself old but strong, still capable of greatness.

Question 11

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?

Answer 11

The boy brings Santiago food and bait; the old man gives him knowledge and inspiration.

Question 12

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?

Answer 12

DiMaggio, like Santiago, endures pain but performs with excellence. Manolin’s father lacks this deep understanding.

Question 13

What is the old man’s attitude toward food and drink?

Answer 13

Santiago eats simply, valuing nourishment over indulgence.

Question 14

Describe Santiago’s shack. Why has he taken down the picture of his wife?

Answer 14

His shack is bare and poor; he removed his wife’s picture because it made him sad.

Question 15

What kinds of dreams does Santiago have and not have a this point? What
does this say about Santiago? Compare pp. 66, 81, 127.

Answer 15

He dreams of lions, symbolizing youth and strength, rather than struggles or loss.

Question 16

Why is Santiago sorry for the birds, especially the tens?

Answer 16

He pities birds because they are fragile in a cruel world.

Question 17

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”?

Answer 17

“They” refers to nature or God, questioning why beauty exists in a brutal world.

Question 18

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?

Answer 18

Santiago respects the sea as a lover, while other fishermen see it as an enemy.

Question 19

Describe the old man’s fishing technique. Why is he so precise?

Answer 19

He fishes with precision, showing respect for his craft.

Question 20

Find a definition for the word “luck.” What role does it play in the story? Who
or what controls luck?

Answer 20

Luck is an uncontrollable force; hard work influences but does not guarantee success.

Question 21

Why does Santiago think of the Portuguese man-of-war as a “whore”?

Answer 21

The man-of-war deceives beauty with danger, much like life itself.

Question 22

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?

Answer 22

The ocean is a battlefield where every creature fights to survive, including Santiago.

Question 23

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?

Answer 23

He compares himself to turtles because of their resilience.

Question 24

When did the old man start to talk aloud to himself when he was alone? Why?

Answer 24

He started talking to himself after losing his wife, reinforcing his isolation.

Question 25

What is the status of Santiago's invocations of God and Christ when the marlin is playing with the hook and line?

Answer 25

His invocations of God are habitual but lack deep religious faith.

Question 26

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.

Answer 26

He accepts his struggle as his destiny, tying him to the marlin’s fate.

Question 27

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.)

Answer 27

He wishes for Manolin because his struggle is lonely, yet no one can truly help.

Question 28

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?

Answer 28

Santiago and the fish are bound by fate, and no one else can share that burden.

Question 29

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)

Answer 29

He references a game of chance, highlighting the randomness of life.

Question 30

What is so bad about the cramped hand? Compare pp. 61-62.

Answer 30

His cramped hand weakens him, symbolizing his battle against aging.

Question 31

What do the hawks and other birds signify about the kind of world Santiago (and presumably all human beings) inhabits? Compare page 55.

Answer 31

Predatory birds reinforce the idea that nature is harsh and indifferent.

Question 32

See pages 45, 52, 58, 60, and 92. What do you make of the repeated allusions to "forever"?

Answer 32

“Forever” suggests the endless cycle of struggle and endurance.

Question 33

What attributes does the old man ascribe to the great fish? How does the old man understand his relationship with the fish?

Answer 33

The marlin is noble and worthy, making Santiago’s struggle honorable.

Question 34

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.

Answer 34

His prayers are desperate but unanswered, reflecting his inner solitude.

Question 35

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?

Answer 35

DiMaggio represents perseverance despite pain, mirroring Santiago’s resilience.

Question 36

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?

Answer 36

The arm-wrestling match proves Santiago’s former strength, now challenged by age.

Question 37

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?

Answer 37

He must kill the marlin despite admiring it, but is glad not to hunt men.

Question 38

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?

Answer 38

He feels worthy of the fish because of his struggle, unlike those who will eat it.

Question 39

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?

Answer 39

Humans endure more than animals because of their will and consciousness.

Question 40

What does Santiago call "the greatest healer that there is"? How does this image fit with the portrayal of the sea in the story?

Answer 40

Sleep is the greatest healer, reinforcing the sea’s dual nature of cruelty and renewal.

Question 41

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?

Answer 41

The sharks’ attack is inevitable, symbolizing that victory is always followed by loss.

Question 42

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?

Answer 42

A man can be destroyed but not defeated, shown through Santiago’s perseverance.

Question 43

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?

Answer 43

He questions if killing the fish was sinful, but finds no clear answer.

Question 44

Santiago claims "everything kills everything else in some way." Sketch and reflect on the images of circularity present in the story.

Answer 44

Life is cyclical; everything preys on everything else in some way.

Question 45

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?

Answer 45

Fishing sustains him physically, but Manolin sustains him emotionally.

Question 46

Note the shark attacks. What is his response when the second of the sharks appear (p. 107)? What is the apparent allusion?

Answer 46

His response to the second shark attack reflects his acceptance of fate.

Question 47

See pages 101, 102, 104, 112, 115, 116, 118, 119, 120. Describe the alternations of hope, resolution, winning, and losing. (Recall question # 44.)

Answer 47

The story oscillates between hope and despair, mirroring life’s unpredictability.

Question 48

Why does Santiago wish he had never caught the great fish?

Answer 48

He regrets catching the fish because it led to its destruction.

Question 49

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.)

Answer 49

He respects the villagers but sees their understanding as shallow.

Question 50

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.

Answer 50

Luck cannot be bought; it is random, much like life’s fate.

Question 51

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.

Answer 51

Santiago fights against fate, much like Ecclesiastes' view of human struggle.

Question 52

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?

Answer 52

Physical pain reminds him he is still alive.

Question 53

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?

Answer 53

Santiago believes he was beaten by bad luck, but Manolin sees him as victorious.

Question 54

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?

Answer 54

Upon returning, he simply carries his mast, symbolizing his burden and endurance.

Question 55

What happens to the old man on the way to his shack? How is he pictured sleeping?

Answer 55

He collapses in exhaustion, sleeping as if dead.

Question 56

What is Manolin's response when he sees Santiago sleeping the next morning? Why is he unashamed at this response?

Answer 56

Manolin weeps at Santiago’s suffering but is not ashamed, showing deep admiration.

Question 57

What pleasure does the narrator ascribe to Santiago after he awakens from sleep?

Answer 57

Santiago dreams of lions again, returning to the innocence of youth.

Question 58

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?

Answer 58

Manolin defies his father, committing to support Santiago despite his failure.

Question 59

What do the tourists see of the great fish? What do they think of the fish? Santiago? Life?

Answer 59

The tourists only see the fish’s skeleton, failing to understand the struggle behind it.

Question 60

What do you make of the numerous allusions to Jesus in this story? Is Santiago "Christ-like" or even a "Christ figure"?

Answer 60

Santiago’s suffering parallels Christ’s, making him a symbol of sacrifice and endurance.