Yes, a simple story on the surface, but also a tale with a much deeper message and a relevance that transcends time and place. It speaks to the universal truths of a man’s existence within this world, where pride, respect, tenacity, and dreams fuel a man in his quest to thrive in the face of struggle. It is a story about the indomitable spirit of man; Santiago stands as a symbol of an attitude toward life, and his fight with the mighty marlin offers numerous lessons to all men.
How about interpretations? Many people see it as allegorical: the artist (the fisherman) must go off alone to create the one great piece of art in his life (the marlin). It almost kills him, but he recognizes its beauty. However, it is torn to pieces by critics (the sharks) and the common readers can't understand it (the woman on shore that thinks its a shark).
Nope. Hemingway himself said this novel is not allegorical, symbolic or metaphorical. The old man is simply an old man, the marlin is simply a marlin and the sea is simply the sea. End of story.
sharks might be an enemy. I didn't feel like they were though. maybe only the ugly scavenging ones though. He seems to respect the mako (I think it was makos) ....OMG I need to get off u tube and finish my GD paper. NO MORE POSTING. for real.
Actually he consider him as a competitor , he even respect him by callig him "he " instead of "it" . even if he killed him it is not because he was a killer but he only did his job as long as he is a fisherman .
There is also some themes of Christianity found in the book; the three days represent life such as the first day is his youth, the second day is when he's maturing and battling the fish, and the third day is well when he reaches an old age. What else is interesting that I found in the book is when he captures the marlin, he treats it like a piece of himself, for instance when the sharks attack him he says "Oh, they're hurting me". But that's just my 2 cents.
And the Christianity motif serves a purpose. He makes it so that he, like Jesus, was too good for this world and that would be the reason he's rejected. This is Hemingway coming to terms that the stern view of the world he's had since his childhood might not conjoin with happiness. Santiago calling the stars his brothers shows this: they're so familiar to him, but they're unreachable. The reunion with his "family" can never be.
I thought the book was boring when I initially read it, but reading it a second time (given the task to annotate and analyze) gave me a truer understanding of the book's major themes. I have a much greater appreciation for the novel now.
I studied it and I got the impression that fish was not his enemy and their was deep mutual respect between Santiago and the marlin as they both struggled and kept their desire and determination.
I loved the internal battle the old man has that he has to kill fish in the first place, he has real empathy with all life in the sea, and contemplates a life without being a Fisherman ....before saying it what he was born to do
Fantastic short-story, securing Mr. Hemingway's place in the literary-pantheon, this occurring very late in the writer's career. With this tale, one of such deceptively-simple elegance, one so evocatively & straightforwardly written, the author achieved a timeless-saga of compelling human-interest, which should be read by everyone on the planet.
I would argue that in fact the marlin is not the antagonist but is in fact a companion and a similar character to the old man, as revealed by his thought on the voyage.
The Lord of the Rings, Shakespeare, Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, Ivanhoe. If you have done any of those, sorry for not remembering. But if not please please do them!
When covering screen adaptations, you forgot Anthony Quinn's portrayal of Santiago on screen. Also, only one lady thought the Marlin was a shark and that was because she didn't understand the explanation that it was sharks that did the damage.
Please don't accept these analyses without applying some critical thinking of your own. Hemingway himself says this: “there isn’t any symbolism. The sea is the sea. The old man is an old man. The boy is a boy and the fish is a fish. The sharks are all sharks no better and no worse. All the symbolism that people say is shit. What goes beyond is what you see beyond when you know.” - Letter to the critic Bernard Berenson, 13 September 1952, publ. In Selected Letters (ed. Carlos Baker, 1981). Please stop ruining the book by jamming 9th-grade-literary-analysis buzz words into it.
Can anyone tell me what's so great about The Old Man and the Sea? I'm just a beginner in reading so would you recommend this book to me? Is it hard to comprehend?
My mother had tea parties with his mother. He was pissed off at her because he gave her the rights to his first big book in exchange for some cash for gambling and carousing in Paris. My grandfather had a fist fight scheduled with H. by his older brothers, who said their little brother could whip him. I always thought his writing read like soaps for girls. Maybe only the fish tale wouldn't appeal to girls. While Hemingway was having parties and weeping about the human condition, Patton and his friends were taking apart tanks, bolt by bolt, and trying to make them faster and optimally armored. People who followed Hemingway went down the way he went, bitching at his mother to give him back the rights to his book, so he could drink and keep the party going.
They didn't think the bones were a shark. Only the tourist accepted that it was a shark when they didn't give the waiter a change to explain sharks ate the marlin.
Darcy Collins It just works if you have really tight space between your teeth, because the grain of salt will not pass through, only the water, right. Pretty much like an filter works on a fashion style.
Maybe it's because I'm so young, but the only reason I clicked on this link was because I just heard that new Pierce Fulton song "Old Man and the Sea". Look it up if you enjoy electronic music :D
Love Hemingway, yet I did not care so much about this book. I preferred his other works.. maybe it was that I had to read it over & over & over again for my classes
Well im not but i just wanted to sound like i needed help it is a fairly simple book and im reading it in class and im only on chapter 2 and just want answers
This is actually a great book if you understand the symbolism. Some people read this and only see the story as an old man fishing, when in reality, it is Hemingway's autobiography. Not only does it talk about how Hemingway writes, the book also talks about Hemingway's depression, and his suicide note is hidden inside.
"No good book has ever been written that has in it symbols arrived at beforehand and stuck in," says Hemingway. "That kind of symbol sticks out like raisins in raisin bread. Raisin bread is all right, but plain bread is better." He opens two bottles of beer and continues: "I tried to make a real old man, a real boy, a real sea and a real fish and real sharks. But if I made them good and true enough they would mean many things. The hardest thing is to make something really true and sometimes truer than true
I love how many stupid kids are in the comments saying "it was boring" maybe if you understood the book, or you wern't playing call of duty all the time, you would like it.
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I have been told, by some people, that the Earnest Hemingway wrote his books 90% of the time while drunk. I wonder if there is indeed any truth to this.
Actually no. If he ever wrote drunk it was an extremely rare thing for him. He valued his writing too much to do it drunk, so he would wait until after he was done writing for the day to go drinking.
Someone (nova noon) has pointed out that Hemingey has said there is no symbolism in his tale but nonetheless I'd say that if we're to say who the antagonist is I would not choose the marlin but perhaps the sea which could represent that life itself is our antagonist...
For English class I had to do a presentation on how the setting affected the story. The presentation was supposed to be a couple minutes, but it was like ten seconds. Couldn't say much lol. Not a bad book though
Yes, a simple story on the surface, but also a tale with a much deeper message and a relevance that transcends time and place. It speaks to the universal truths of a man’s existence within this world, where pride, respect, tenacity, and dreams fuel a man in his quest to thrive in the face of struggle. It is a story about the indomitable spirit of man; Santiago stands as a symbol of an attitude toward life, and his fight with the mighty marlin offers numerous lessons to all men.
How about interpretations? Many people see it as allegorical: the artist (the fisherman) must go off alone to create the one great piece of art in his life (the marlin). It almost kills him, but he recognizes its beauty. However, it is torn to pieces by critics (the sharks) and the common readers can't understand it (the woman on shore that thinks its a shark).
woah !
Nope. Hemingway himself said this novel is not allegorical, symbolic or metaphorical. The old man is simply an old man, the marlin is simply a marlin and the sea is simply the sea. End of story.
Thank you for putting this right! Saves me my comments. Greetings from Germany.
"You must get well fast for there is much that I can learn and you can teach me everything" this was beautiful.
Hard to believe someone that understood this book could refer to the marlin as an enemy.
Exactly. I'm glad someone else knows so.
Enemies were sharks not marlin. Amazing book it is - would Yoda say! :)))
sharks might be an enemy. I didn't feel like they were though. maybe only the ugly scavenging ones though. He seems to respect the mako (I think it was makos) ....OMG I need to get off u tube and finish my GD paper. NO MORE POSTING. for real.
I cringed as soon as I heard the narrator address the marlin as the antagonist.
Actually he consider him as a competitor , he even respect him by callig him "he " instead of "it" . even if he killed him it is not because he was a killer but he only did his job as long as he is a fisherman .
There is also some themes of Christianity found in the book; the three days represent life such as the first day is his youth, the second day is when he's maturing and battling the fish, and the third day is well when he reaches an old age. What else is interesting that I found in the book is when he captures the marlin, he treats it like a piece of himself, for instance when the sharks attack him he says "Oh, they're hurting me". But that's just my 2 cents.
And the Christianity motif serves a purpose. He makes it so that he, like Jesus, was too good for this world and that would be the reason he's rejected. This is Hemingway coming to terms that the stern view of the world he's had since his childhood might not conjoin with happiness. Santiago calling the stars his brothers shows this: they're so familiar to him, but they're unreachable. The reunion with his "family" can never be.
ShinbrigTV
The author himself said there is no simbolism
I thought the book was boring when I initially read it, but reading it a second time (given the task to annotate and analyze) gave me a truer understanding of the book's major themes. I have a much greater appreciation for the novel now.
I studied it and I got the impression that fish was not his enemy and their was deep mutual respect between Santiago and the marlin as they both struggled and kept their desire and determination.
naveen garikapati
naveen garikapati
Greatest book I read along with catcher in the rye. Thank you Ernest. Great story
I loved the internal battle the old man has that he has to kill fish in the first place, he has real empathy with all life in the sea, and contemplates a life without being a Fisherman ....before saying it what he was born to do
its amazing how many times these notes videos have lined up with books ive been readying and writing about for school, its been really helpful
Fantastic short-story, securing Mr. Hemingway's place in the literary-pantheon, this occurring very late in the writer's career. With this tale, one of such deceptively-simple elegance, one so evocatively & straightforwardly written, the author achieved a timeless-saga of compelling human-interest, which should be read by everyone on the planet.
This was my favorite book when I was in high school.
I would argue that in fact the marlin is not the antagonist but is in fact a companion and a similar character to the old man, as revealed by his thought on the voyage.
Im reading this for my English II Honors summer reading assignment. I actually really like this book!
Despite being so short, this is one of the most poignant stories I've ever read.
I know they have to keep it short but #10 vastly understated what an epic life Hemmingway had
people saying that they hated this great book !
then what are you doing here
The Lord of the Rings, Shakespeare, Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, Ivanhoe. If you have done any of those, sorry for not remembering. But if not please please do them!
Please do one for "John Livingston Seagull"!
It's a good book and worth reading
Just imagine, how many great talents were buried during wars.
Top 10 most amazing animated musical numbers.
Read it, loved it.
Be sure to vote for the next MojoNotes we do!! www.watchmojo.com/suggest/Which+MojoNotes+Would+You+Like+to+See+Next%3F
When covering screen adaptations, you forgot Anthony Quinn's portrayal of Santiago on screen. Also, only one lady thought the Marlin was a shark and that was because she didn't understand the explanation that it was sharks that did the damage.
Please don't accept these analyses without applying some critical thinking of your own. Hemingway himself says this: “there isn’t any symbolism. The sea is the sea. The old man is an old man. The boy is a boy and the fish is a fish. The sharks are all sharks no better and no worse. All the symbolism that people say is shit. What goes beyond is what you see beyond when you know.” - Letter to the critic Bernard Berenson, 13 September 1952, publ. In Selected Letters (ed. Carlos Baker, 1981). Please stop ruining the book by jamming 9th-grade-literary-analysis buzz words into it.
Can anyone tell me what's so great about The Old Man and the Sea?
I'm just a beginner in reading so would you recommend this book to me? Is it hard to comprehend?
Paranoid1996 you are 5 years older now friend. Is it coming clear yet?
i wish i had watchmojo while writing book reports in school
Where was this last summer when it was my summer reading book
this would have helped me out so much if it was posted before wednesday for that was my english exam and i had to right about this T^T
English exam tomorrow. How fitting.
It is a book about writing -- the struggle and then the critics -- until the great work is reduced to bones.
My mother had tea parties with his mother. He was pissed off at her because he gave her the rights to his first big book in exchange for some cash for gambling and carousing in Paris. My grandfather had a fist fight scheduled with H. by his older brothers, who said their little brother could whip him.
I always thought his writing read like soaps for girls. Maybe only the fish tale wouldn't appeal to girls.
While Hemingway was having parties and weeping about the human condition, Patton and his friends were taking apart tanks, bolt by bolt, and trying to make them faster and optimally armored.
People who followed Hemingway went down the way he went, bitching at his mother to give him back the rights to his book, so he could drink and keep the party going.
Hahaha! Just in time! We just started reading this book in english today!
at 6:02 did anyone see that dog is just sitting there looking at the wall
We read this book about 7 times in school!
I say, this is most peculiar because Friday I watched Midnight in Paris and then read The Old Man and the Sea Sunday.
This book might be boring but it's really good
lol... just remembered "The Old Gnome And The Sea" Achievement from WoW..
watchmojo really scrathing the barrel for top tens!
I've read the book and watched the movie, both are good.
Please do The Old Man and the golden fish.
They didn't think the bones were a shark. Only the tourist accepted that it was a shark when they didn't give the waiter a change to explain sharks ate the marlin.
My Dad's favorite book/movie :)
The ocean water is drinkable, but we have to drink it slower and through the teeth to separate the water from the salt.
that's not even sort of correct. look up desalination.
How are you still alive? O_o
WIll891410 Yea the teeth are excellent at filtering salt from water.
Every liter of sea water is like losing half a liter of water... so no.
Darcy Collins
It just works if you have really tight space between your teeth, because the grain of salt will not pass through, only the water, right.
Pretty much like an filter works on a fashion style.
This is my dads favorite book
Useful ❤️
Its so sad how he loses his marlin in the end... He deserved it :(
The old man and the seat !
You're not even going to mention the 1990 adaptation with Anthony Quinn cast as Santiago? He was probably the best person to be cast as Santiago.
Maybe it's because I'm so young, but the only reason I clicked on this link was because I just heard that new Pierce Fulton song "Old Man and the Sea". Look it up if you enjoy electronic music :D
What the fuck
The Bell was tolling for Marlin that day =)
Keep an eye out for "Hemingway and Gellhorn" with Clive Owen and Nicole Kidman! Its worth a look...
You forgot the television adaptation starring Anthony Quinn as Santiago.
I really enjoyed this episode. This is one of my favorite books.
WatchMojo.com can you do a Top 10 Notes: The Silver Sword?
You should do one of these for Brave Little Toaster!!!!! It is a really good story!!!!
Can we have a Top 10 notes for Slaughterhouse 5 already?
I liked this book.
The dark Tower! 10 Notes!
just finished the book
Y'all should do a top 10 boss battles in video gaming
You tell him how sorry you are the boy thanks lol
If infographics found this video he will make an infographics
I read that book
Great Vid. I wish I had the the descriptive ability to say more..
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lol i have to write a book report of this!!
Top ten tv vehicles
Do top 10 LDS movies
lolololol. thanks for the hacks. i have to do this in school tommorow.
Love Hemingway, yet I did not care so much about this book. I preferred his other works.. maybe it was that I had to read it over & over & over again for my classes
#10: About the Author - His house is full of cats.
do top 10 cereals
watchmojo if you didnt do this DO TOP TEN CRIME SHOWS LIKE NCIS CSI MONK ELEMENTARY
go to their HP, sign in and suggest it there and people will give their votes...
ok thnxs
I take this 'novela' in my project 🤔
Please please do the giver I am having a hard time understanding some aspects of it
How so? It should be simple, it's a child's dystopian novel after all.
Well im not but i just wanted to sound like i needed help it is a fairly simple book and im reading it in class and im only on chapter 2 and just want answers
Well, keep reading then! I totally recommend the following three in the series.
YAYYY I'm really happy that there is 2 sequels. Now I'm on chap 5. Stirrings
No, there are three sequels lol. Have fun!
This is actually a great book if you understand the symbolism. Some people read this and only see the story as an old man fishing, when in reality, it is Hemingway's autobiography. Not only does it talk about how Hemingway writes, the book also talks about Hemingway's depression, and his suicide note is hidden inside.
"No good book has ever been written that has in it symbols arrived at beforehand and stuck in," says Hemingway. "That kind of symbol sticks out like raisins in raisin bread. Raisin bread is all right, but plain bread is better." He opens two bottles of beer and continues: "I tried to make a real old man, a real boy, a real sea and a real fish and real sharks. But if I made them good and true enough they would mean many things. The hardest thing is to make something really true and sometimes truer than true
Is the marlin mistaken for a shark? Or is the question from the tourist answered by what happened to the marlin, rather than the type of fish itself?
Do lovecraft next.
I love how many stupid kids are in the comments saying "it was boring" maybe if you understood the book, or you wern't playing call of duty all the time, you would like it.
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top 10 foo fighters songs
top 10 john butler trio songs
top 10 jack johnson songs
top 10 my chemical romance songs
top 10 hopsin songs
I have been told, by some people, that the Earnest Hemingway wrote his books 90% of the time while drunk. I wonder if there is indeed any truth to this.
Actually no. If he ever wrote drunk it was an extremely rare thing for him. He valued his writing too much to do it drunk, so he would wait until after he was done writing for the day to go drinking.
In his final days he had several problems with alcohol. But I agree with Zack.
Awww didn't even talk about the lions and the dreams.
The old man and the C-
Yesss my name is santiago
Great Gatsby next, okay?
add it to the list! www.watchmojo.com/suggest/Which+MojoNotes+Would+You+Like+to+See+Next%3F
THE EQUALIZER!!!!!
Y U Know Do 1084
do 10 ten easiest video games!
12th!
مين الى جاى من كتاب الإنجليزى اولى اعدادى 😂😂😂
Despite the old man's age, he respects him? What is that supposed to mean?
can you really call that animated? it was paintings that was made that they took pictures of so it was more of a stop motion then an animation
This is a good Topic for a video you guys made.
P.S. Second :D
I recommended a Poop Who Took a Pee.
Sounds like a really good book
قصه جميله جدا انا اخدها في المنهج بتاعي
Someone (nova noon) has pointed out that Hemingey has said there is no symbolism in his tale but nonetheless I'd say that if we're to say who the antagonist is I would not choose the marlin but perhaps the sea which could represent that life itself is our antagonist...
Ok you got to do top ten fairy tail characters pls pls pls!!! I will die if aI don't see this pls!
For English class I had to do a presentation on how the setting affected the story. The presentation was supposed to be a couple minutes, but it was like ten seconds. Couldn't say much lol. Not a bad book though