Hemingway's Gender Ideals in The Old Man and the Sea
Kaitlin Lee
December 5 2012
Miss Bone
Honors English – Period 1
Masculinity and Gender in Hemingway 's The Old Man and The Sea One of the most predominantly accepted themes of Ernest Hemingway 's assorted works is the importance of masculinity. His experiences in the war and personal values are reflected in his work, and are particularly clear in his prize winning novella, The Old Man and The Sea. The Old Man 's connections and relationship with the natural world around him and his responses to the people living in his society clearly emphasize the weight Hemingway put on gender and the importance of men acting masculine. These ideals are often considered outdated by today 's standards, though some could argue that they are still extremely applicable. Hemingway 's Old Man has, in many ways, a direct connection to the very marlin that is his downfall in the novella. In The Old Man and The Sea, the Old Man, Santiago, was once a great fisherman, el champion, the best of the best. But after not catching a fish for eighty-three days, he has begun to lose hope in himself. People do not refer to him by his name anymore, but instead as Old Man, a demeaning and condescending way of speaking to one who was once so great. The only time Hemingway ever refers to the Old Man as “Santiago” is when he wins an arm wrestling match in a show of extreme physical masculinity. Even through his mental struggles, the Old Man is ever just the Old Man to the reader, the people of his society, and even to himself. However, when the Old Man is fighting the marlin, he tells himself repeatedly that he is capable of this feat. When he finally reels the fish in, he is feeling strong and powerful, his masculinity returned to him through this physical victory. “Then his head started to become a little unclear and he thought, is he bringing me in or am I bringing him in?” (99) The Old Man and the marlin are going back to shore side by side. Through the entire battle with this fish, it
December 5 2012
Miss Bone
Honors English – Period 1
Masculinity and Gender in Hemingway 's The Old Man and The Sea One of the most predominantly accepted themes of Ernest Hemingway 's assorted works is the importance of masculinity. His experiences in the war and personal values are reflected in his work, and are particularly clear in his prize winning novella, The Old Man and The Sea. The Old Man 's connections and relationship with the natural world around him and his responses to the people living in his society clearly emphasize the weight Hemingway put on gender and the importance of men acting masculine. These ideals are often considered outdated by today 's standards, though some could argue that they are still extremely applicable. Hemingway 's Old Man has, in many ways, a direct connection to the very marlin that is his downfall in the novella. In The Old Man and The Sea, the Old Man, Santiago, was once a great fisherman, el champion, the best of the best. But after not catching a fish for eighty-three days, he has begun to lose hope in himself. People do not refer to him by his name anymore, but instead as Old Man, a demeaning and condescending way of speaking to one who was once so great. The only time Hemingway ever refers to the Old Man as “Santiago” is when he wins an arm wrestling match in a show of extreme physical masculinity. Even through his mental struggles, the Old Man is ever just the Old Man to the reader, the people of his society, and even to himself. However, when the Old Man is fighting the marlin, he tells himself repeatedly that he is capable of this feat. When he finally reels the fish in, he is feeling strong and powerful, his masculinity returned to him through this physical victory. “Then his head started to become a little unclear and he thought, is he bringing me in or am I bringing him in?” (99) The Old Man and the marlin are going back to shore side by side. Through the entire battle with this fish, it
Cited: Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and The Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.