Ernest Hemingway biography

Ernest Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois, and was educated there in the public schools. Rather than attend college, however, Hemingway decided to work for the Kansas City Star newspaper. In World War I Hemingway served as a Red Cross ambulance driver until he was severely wounded in action. After recuperating in Italy, he settled in Paris, where he began his serious writing career while spending time with other American expatriates, including Ezra Pound and Gertrude Stein. In 1926 Hemingway published his first major novel, The Sun Also Rises, a depiction of what Stein referred to as the "lost generation" of young people in the 1920's. This novel not only established Hemingway as the preeminent writer of his generation, but revealed two key principles that would inform the writing of most of his career. First, he demonstrated his determination to strip language to its most essential components by omitting any word not absolutely necessary. Second, he stressed the importance of authentic experience in his work, confessing, "I found the greatest difficulty, aside from knowing what you really felt, rather than what you were supposed to feel, and had been taught to feel, was to put down what really happened in action: what the actual things were which produced the emotion that you experienced." During the following decade Hemingway traveled to Spain, Africa, and Florida, gaining material for his future works through his experiences as bullfight aficionado, big game hunter, and deep-sea fisherman. He served as a war correspondent during the Spanish Civil War -- which eventually became the background for his 1939 novel For Whom the Bell Tolls -- and World War II. Hemingway's short novel The Old Man and the Sea won the Pulitzer Prize in 1953, and contributed to his winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. By the 1960's, however, Hemingway was in poor health, depressed, and losing his memory, and he committed suicide in Ketchum, Idaho on July 2, 1961.

Character Profiles
Santiago (The Old Man): The story revolves around this down-on-his-luck Cuban fisherman, who serves as the novel's protagonist. In his youth Santiago had been a sailor, and traveled to Africa, where he saw the lions, which figure, so prominently in his dreams.

The old man continually recalls the past -- of a victorious arm- wrestling match, of previous fish caught, of the aforementioned lions -- to give himself the strength to persevere through his three days of suffering at sea. Despite his simple, compassionate nature -- most evident in his interactions with the boy -- Santiago remains one of literature's finest examples of a character exhibiting what Hemingway called "grace under pressure." Even though only the end of the story leaves his marlin’s carcass, Santiago may be considered victorious because he never quit, valiantly fighting off the sharks until there was nothing left to fight for. Manolin (The Boy): This is Santiago's loyal young sidekick, who helps take care of the old man, even though his parents have ordered him to find a luckier fisherman to sail with. Whenever Santiago is not sailing, the boy faithfully remains nearby to listen to the old man's stories or bring him whatever Manolin thinks he may need. Although he is not with the old man physically during Santiago's journey, Manolin provides the old man with his primary inspiration to endure -- as if he were praying to give himself strength, Santiago continually meditates, "I wish the boy was here" (50). At the novel’s end, Manolin appears to be the only character that realizes the significance of the tragedy Santiago has just been through, as he breaks down and cries several times. Fittingly, in the final image Manolin sits by the sleeping Santiago "watching him" (127). The Marlin: This 18 foot, 1500-pound fish serves as Santiago's first great obstacle during his three-day trial at sea. The marlin, which tows the old man's skiff across the sea for two straight days, parallels Santiago's struggle to endure as it stubbornly and honorably refuses to die. After the old man harpoons the marlin and attaches it to the outside of his boat, a series of sharks mutilate the fish by tearing out chunks of meat. By the end of the novel nothing remains but "the long backbone of the great fish that was now just garbage waiting to go out with the tide" (126). The Mako Shark: This is the first shark -- the first of a series of ruthless antagonists -- to attack the dead marlin attached to Santiago's skiff.

Although the old man successfully kills the Mako, the victory comes at a great price: the shark takes forty pounds of marlin meat, Santiago's harpoon and rope, and, most importantly, makes the marlin bleed again, ensuring that other sharks will soon appear.





Chapter 1
Hemingway's story begins by depicting the interaction between the Two primary characters as they prepare their fishing gear for the Following day near a Gulf Stream harbor in the 1940's. The opening profile is of Santiago, the "old man" in the title, and The main character throughout the story. He is a Cuban fisherman, described as being old in every way except his eyes, which "were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated" (10). Although Santiago has not caught a fish for eighty-four days, he ignores the jeers and pity of other fishermen, and returns to the sea in his skiff day after day. For a more detailed character outline, see the Character Profiles section. The second character described is Manolin, a young boy whom Santiago taught to fish. Manolin had fished with Santiago before his parents made him stop, citing the old man's fishless streak as "the worst form of unlucky" (9). Despite working for another boat Manolin remains Santiago's one loyal friend, always willing to obtain meals, coffee, and bait for the penniless old man, and, more importantly, to provide companionship.
After reminiscing about a fish that nearly ripped apart Santiago's boat -- foreshadowing the old man's inevitable encounter at sea --they carry the sail, lines, and harpoon back to Santiago's shack. The foreshadowing continues as the old man, in anticipation for the following day, offers, "Eighty-five is a lucky number...How would you like to see me bring one in that dressed out over a thousand pounds?" (16). The boy brings Santiago supper, and they discuss their favorite conversation topic: baseball -- the New York Yankees and Joe DiMaggio, in particular. For a more detailed look at Santiago's continual fixation with DiMaggio, see the Metaphors section. Manolin leaves for the night, and Santiago sleeps, dreaming of the Africa he remembers from his youth. The old man dreams nightly of the African coast, as "he no longer dreamed of storms, nor of women, nor of great occurrences, nor of great fish, nor fights, nor contests of strength, nor of his wife. He only dreamed of places now and of the lions on the beach. They played like young cats in the dusk and he loved them as he loved the boy" (25). Santiago rests, unaware that in the morning he will embark upon a three-day journey of epic proportions.

Chapter 2
The first day of the old man's adventures at sea begins with Santiago waking the boy, and having a quick pre-sunrise coffee together. After wishing each other luck the old man sets out alone in his skiff -- with only a bottle of water for the day's nourishment -- rowing out of the harbor in the dark.

Although Santiago rows so far away from the harbor that no other boats and people are visible, he begins to talk to himself aloud, a habit formed after the boy stopped working with him. Santiago admits, "If the others heard me talking out loud they would think that I am crazy...But since I am not crazy, I do not care" (39). Through this habit the reader gains constant insight into the old man's thoughts. As he prepares his fishing lines, for example, Santiago begins the first of continual reflections on the many tropical life forms inhabiting the sea, including flying fish, birds, man of wars, and turtles. At the heart of Santiago's observations, however, lies his relationship with the sea itself. The old man views the sea "as feminine and as something that gave or withheld great favours, and if she did wild or wicked things it was could not help them" (30). Santiago's acknowledgment of the sea's variability sets the stage for his coming triumphant gain and tragic loss as the sea proceeds to alternately provide and destroy.
In the midst of his meditation Santiago sees that a fish is taking the bait on one of his lines, and begins the careful process of ensuring that the fish swallows the hook, which it does. When the old man attempts to pull the fish up, however, Santiago finds he "could not raise him an inch," (44) and the fish begins to tow him farther and farther out to sea. Santiago holds the line against his back, hoping to wear the fish down so that he can kill it. The fish -- invisible to Santiago as it remains in deep water -- continues pulling for hours, until the sun goes down. Despite being towed out of sight of land, and only having a bottle of water and whatever fish he can catch as nourishment, Santiago remains calm and holds on for the long haul, vowing, "Fish, I'll stay with you until I am dead" (52).

Chapter 3
Just before sunrise on the second day, Santiago begins to pity the great fish towing him. The old man reflects, "He is wonderful and strange and who knows how old he is" (48). A shared bond between the two is thus established, as Santiago has previously called himself "a strange old man" (14). In addition, the old man begins to call the fish his brother, and reveals that he loves and respects the fish. Throughout the rest of the novel Hemingway details and deepens the parallel between Santiago, who perseveres through the night to stay with his fish, and the fish, who swims resiliently against the inevitability of death.

Santiago begins to feel the fish slow its speed, and he hopes the fish will jump, so that "he'll fill the sacks along his backbone with air and then he cannot go deep to die" (53). The fish gives a sudden, unexpected pull, which causes the fishing line to slice through Santiago's hand. For a more detailed look at Christian imagery, see the Metaphors section. In spite of his bloodied hand, which quickly begins to cramp, Santiago endures the pain and holds on to his line. Finally, the fish jumps: a marlin, which bulges out of the water "unendingly" (62). For Santiago, the fish that is two feet longer than his skiff is "the biggest fish that he had ever seen and bigger than he had ever heard of" (63). To comfort himself in the midst of his challenge, the old man thinks of the three key images repeated throughout the book: The Great DiMaggio, the lions on the African beach, and the boy, Manolin. Santiago continually wishes that the boy were with him, even though he knows that it is an impossibility; yet, just the thought of Manolin seems to give the old man strength and courage to endure. For a more in-depth look at these repeating images, see the Metaphors section. After catching a fish and eating it, the old man positions himself to get a few minutes of sleep without losing his hold on the fish, determining that the marlin must "pull until he dies" (78). Santiago knows it is nearly time to kill the fish, and again reassures himself by thinking, "If the boy was here he would wet the coils of line... Yes. If the boy were here. If the boy were here" (83). Santiago's time of triumph quickly nears, yet the old man realizes that even if he catches the marlin his ordeal is not over, as he thinks, "Man is not much beside the great birds and beasts. Still I would rather be that beast down there in the darkness of the sea. Unless sharks come. If sharks come, God pity him and me." (68)



Chapter 4
Santiago awakes from his quick nap to the marlin jumping from the water more than a dozen times. As the sun rises on Santiago's third day the fish finally begins to circle the boat. Although the marlin has weakened, the old man is also suffering from fatigue, as he begins to experience faintness and dizziness, and feels "tireder than I have ever been" (89). Yet, Santiago refuses to break down either physically or mentally, and continues working his great marlin closer to the skiff. Finally, the marlin circles close enough for the old man to spear it with his harpoon, which he drives in with all the strength he can summon.

The dying fish musters its final power, and "rose high out of the water showing all his great length and width and all his power and his beauty. He seemed to hang in the air above the old man in the skiff. Then he fell into the water with a crash..." (94). As blood from the marlin's heart discolors the sea, Santiago attaches the marlin to the outside of the skiff with rope, and starts sailing for home.
As the old man's worst fears begin to come true, it is only "an hour before the first shark hit him" (100). A Mako shark, attracted by the trail of marlin blood, attacks the attached fish, ripping out forty pounds before Santiago kills it with the harpoon. With the marlin bleeding again, and without his harpoon, which went down with the shark, Santiago realizes that his great prize, won after two long days of struggle, may be destroyed much quicker. After the first attack the old man's hope begins to diminish, and "he did not like to look at the fish anymore since he had been mutilated. When the fish had been hit it was as though he himself were hit" (103). This continues to recall the parallels made earlier in the novel between Santiago and his marlin.
Two more sharks arrive to feed on the marlin, only to be killed by Santiago, who ties his knife to an oar to make a substitute harpoon. The old man's knife snaps when he kills the next shark, leaving him with a club to use against the ceaseless barrage of sharks. As the sun goes down on Santiago's triumphant and tragic third day the old man recognizes that fighting the sharks is useless, but continues clubbing them until they take the club from his hands. Santiago resiliently uses his boat's tiller as a weapon until it breaks when he kills his last shark, and he realizes, "That was the last shark of the pack that came. There was nothing more for them to eat"
(119).
With all 1500 pounds of marlin meat stolen by the sharks, Santiago acknowledges defeat and sails for the harbor, ignoring the sharks still hitting the bare carcass. Upon arriving in the middle of the night, Santiago pulls his boat in, puts the mast on his shoulders, and, burdened with his particular cross, makes the slow walk back to his shack. For a closer examination of Christian imagery, see the Metaphors section.

Chapter 5
The boy arrives at Santiago's shack the morning after the old man returns, as he has each of the previous mornings. Manolin has already been to the harbor, and has seen Santiago's skiff and the 18-foot long marlin skeleton. When he sees the sleeping old man's hands the boy begins to cry.

As he passes other fishermen to obtain coffee for Santiago, he "did not care that they saw him crying" (122). The old man finally wakes up with the boy by his side, and they talk briefly. Santiago learns that the coast guard and airplanes had been searching the ocean for him during his three day absence. In addition, the boy informs Santiago that they will fish together again, in spite of Manolin's parents' orders. When the old man protests that he is not lucky anymore, the boy replies, "The hell with luck. I'll bring the luck with me" (125). after Santiago reveals that he suffered "plenty," (126) Manolin leaves -- crying again -- to bring food, newspapers, and medicine for Santiago's hands.
Down at the harbor several tourists see the marlin's long white spine "in the water among the empty beer cans and dead barracudas" (126). When they ask a waiter what it is, the man replies, "Eshark," (127) trying to explain what had happened. The tourists misunderstand, believing they are seeing a shark's skeleton, and remain oblivious to the three day saga that destroyed, but did not defeat, the old man. After his time of suffering Santiago finally rests, and the novel ends how it began, as "Up the road, in his shack, the old man was sleeping again. He was still sleeping on his face and the boy was sitting by him watching him. The old man was dreaming about the lions" (127).