The Old Man and the Sea Active Reading Activities

Part I: As you continue with the reading, determine the symbolic significance to the following:

The old manthe boysea (la mer)

Sea (el mer)various birdsDiMaggio

Lionsmastinjuries (cut hands, sore back)

Flying fisharm-wrestling matchbig fish

Continue to write this list down with an explanation in your note-taking section of your notebook.

Part II: Take note on Hemingway’s writing style, particularly with the following passages:

1. page 9, first paragraph

2. page 34, two main paragraphed

3. page 51, top paragraph

4. page 62 bottom paragraph into page 63 top paragraph

5. page 78, main paragraph

6. page 99 bottom paragraph into page 100 top paragraph

7. pages 123—126, all

Part III: Answer the following questions and hand in by the end of class. Each set of questions will be counted as a class work grade. Answer each question in complete sentences and answer specifically based on the events in the novel. If you do not finish these questions in class, then they become homework. Each set of questions will be counted as a homework grade.

The Old Man and the Sea Homework #1, Pages 25-50

  1. How does the man-of-war bird help the old man? What does this reveal about his relationship with nature?
  2. Hemingway’s style has been criticized and even satirized because it is simple and direct. How does the style of the long paragraph on page 35 differ from his usual style?
  3. What is Santiago’s reaction to the Portuguese-Man-of-War? How is his reaction different from any we have seen so far?
  4. Why do you think Santiago talks to himself?
  5. Why does Santiago wish Manolin was with him?
  6. The sun sets and it begins to get cold. What might happen to Santiago during the night?
  7. Santiago begins to pity the fish, and he remembers a sad time when he killed a female marlin in front of her mate. What does this tell you about him?

The Old Man and the Sea Homework #2, Pages 51-75

  1. Why was the slight injury to the old man’s hand important?
  2. What does Santiago call the fish on page 59?
  3. On page 61, the old man says the light will make better weather for him than the fish. What do you think he means by this?
  4. Santiago was finally able to see the fish. Describe what he saw.
  5. Why do you think Santiago likes to sleep and dream about lions?
  6. Could the line, “Unless the sharks come, God pity him and me” be foreshadowing? What would happen if the sharks came?
  7. How does Santiago know the fish is getting tired?
  8. What do you think Santiago means by “’I’m glad we do not have to kill the stars’” (Hemingway 75)?

The Old Man and the Sea Homework #3, Pages 76-100

  1. Why couldn’t Santiago ever really get comfortable in the boat?
  2. On page 84, why didn’t Santiago’s pain matter?
  3. As Santiago dozes in the boat, he has three dreams. What are they, and what do you think they mean to Santiago and/or symbolize in this novel?
  4. Santiago often expresses pity for the fish and calls it his friend. Why then, does he want to kill it so badly?
  5. Santiago pleads, “’Last for me, head. Last for me. You never went” (Hemingway 91). Is this true as far as you know? Has Santiago been clear-headed throughout the novel?
  6. Notice the contrast in the sentence “Then the fish came alive, with his death in him” (Hemingway 94). How can someone or something come alive as it is dying?
  7. Consider the image on page 99 of Santiago side by side with the fish. What does this represent?

The Old Man and the Sea Homework #4, Pages 101-127

  1. The author says, “He was full of resolution but he had little hope” (Hemingway 101). What does this mean?
  2. Discuss Santiago’s statement on page 103, “A man can be destroyed but not defeated” (Hemingway). How can this be true?
  3. Hemingway describes the shovelnose shark attacking the fish, “He came like a pig to the trough”. What makes this simile effective?
  4. One page 119, Santiago knows finally that he is beaten. Is his reaction one of despair?
  5. What is Manolin’s reaction when he finds Santiago asleep in the morning?
  6. How does Manolin comfort Santiago?
  7. Most critics feel that Santiago is a hero. Define hero and explain whether or not you think Santiago is one.
  8. “Grace under pressure” and “fighting the good fight” are themes found in most of Hemingway’s novels and stories. Explain how these themes are treated in the Old Man and the Sea.