The Old Man and the Sea - Time Period

In Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, many reflections of the time period are made throughout the story. I felt that Hemingway really understood the troubles and conflicts of the time because he was able to acturately portay the time in which the book took place. Resemblances of the nineteen twenties through the forties are fluent through Hemingway’s themes.  In the story, the old man wanted to catch the big fish very much. He showed a side of human nature that allows one to never give up on what they are fighting for, and to persevere through anything they must and that would allow for one to survive.

 In the decade before this story is told to take place, the Great Depression settles itself into American lives across the nation until about the early forties. Even then, the Depression continued to plague Cuba and other nations around it. The people during these times, the hardworking and little paid ones, knew the true meaning of perseverance. They knew that if they gave up, they would die. During that time, they learned how to never give up, even when it was hard. The children during that time are the ones who fought especially hard for their survival.  Just like the old man, they knew that eventually their time would pass. Despite this, they realized that if they tried hard enough, they would get that meal that could keep them going for another day. In these hard times, it was difficult for people who could not work much to get money. The old man knew that the marlin would bring him a lot of money, as well as a lot of self achievement.  If any citizen during that time had a chance to acquire that sum of money, I’m sure they would dive in headfirst and do anything they needed to secure that they would receive it. The Great Depression probably is the main event in known American history that would have inspired Ernest Hemingway in writing his novella The Old Man and the Sea. His themes are derived from the inspirational lives of the men, woman, and children who lived through it all. Because of this, he did a remarkable way of staying true to the time period of the story.

Hemingway also did a remarkable job at capturing the social behaviors of the time. The relationship between the old man and the boy is a good example of Hemingway's ideal relationship between old people and younger people. The old man shares his experience with the boy in teaching him how to fish and lets him learn by trusting him with jobs (Hemingway 18). The boy helps the old man fish by bring him freash bait and other things (Hemingway 13). Because they help each other, there is a strong bond between them and love each other (Hemingway 13). In their relationship, both of them are happy to help. The boy's new boss, however, does not let the boy help him (Hemingway 18), so when he helps the boy by waking him up, the boy sees it as a bit insulting rather than as help (Hemingway 17). Because the old man and they boy help each other, there is love rather than disliking between them. I believe that back then, bonds were easier formed between young and old people than they are today. Their entire relationship seemed very realistic for their time period. Hemingway obviously understood how society and life worked during the forties.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.