Biggest Theme to Take Away

What was the main idea Hemingway wanted to show readers?

I thought that the most important theme to take away from this book is the power of perseverance, which I have already spoken about. The man battles the fish for 3 days, ultimately defeating it. Additionally, the special relationship between the boy and the man is something that Hemingway greatly emphasizes. They have an important bond and love each other. I combined the two of themes to realize what Hemingway is truly trying to emphasize; the theme of masculinity. This unites the major ideas and is prevalent throughout the book.

Men are creatures who typically do not talk very much and demonstrate their feelings physically. The boy and the man care very much for each other, but they do not speak to one another about their emotions. Hemingway is implying that talk is generally for women, not men. He says that men quietly do their work and keep their emotions to themselves, so they do not show any weakness. Take this passage for example:

“He did not remember when he had first started to talk aloud when he was by himself. He had sung when he was by himself in the old days and he had sung at night sometimes when he was alone steering on his watch in the smacks or in the turtle boats. He had probably started to talk aloud, when alone, when the boy had left. But he did not remember. When he and the boy fished together they usually spoke only when it was necessary. They talked at night or when they were storm-bound by bad weather. It was considered a virtue not to talk unnecessarily at sea and the old man had always considered it so and respected it. But now he said his thoughts aloud many times since there was no one that they could annoy.”

(Hemingway 39).

The old man likes to talk but believes it not to be masculine. This shows that men have emotions too, but are not supposed to show them, although they probably want to. Without anyone else with him, the man talks constantly, whether that be with the fish, or the birds that rest on his boat. Their respect for each other is not spoken about with dialogue but is shown through their actions.  Santiago mentors the boy, and the boy takes care of the man. The old man “taught the boy to fish and the boy loved him.” (Hemingway 10). After the old man lies about having his own food the boy brings him back a meal and says, “You'll not fish without eating while I’m alive.” (Hemingway 19). Hemingway shows the relationship between males in society through the boy and Santiago. He also shows the idea of masculinity in other aspects of the book; most notably with the epic battle with the fish.

Hemingway shows the competitive side of masculinity with the battle between Santiago and the great fish. The old man is a joke in the village, nothing like the fisherman he once was. When Manolin and Santiago “sat on the terrace and many of the fishermen made fun of the old man and he was not angry” (Hemingway 11). Santiago wants to impress the boy and the other fisherman. He is not mad at those who make fun of him, and knows that he must catch a large fish, or else he cannot call himself a man. When the great fish takes his bait, the old man knows that it would be a way to regain his honor. Hard work, an attribute of masculinity, and his scars reflect masculinity. Rather than seeming disgusting and strange, his “brown blotches of benevolent skin cancer” and his “deep creased scars” show the man’s perseverance. Hemingway shows that a true man is respected through his actions rather than his words or his appearance.

Hemingway is known for being a very manly person. Bull fighting, fist fights, and hunting were things that greatly interested him, and are seen in his novels. It is no surprise that this book is focused on the idea of masculinity.

Thanks for reading my blog everybody. I have really appreciated the positive and encouraging comments.