Old Man and the Sea 8

This novel seems to be relatively accurate with the time period, but there is not really anything that shows it. There are a few references to Joe DiMaggio, but not much more. It is not based on a real event that happened, but instead just a fictional story created by Ernest Hemmingway. It is just simply an old man going out at sea to catch a fish.
Hemmingway shows responsibility for the group that Santiago and Manolin are in. They are good friends, but Santiago is more like a father or grandfather to the boy. They are nice and compassionate towards each other, and clearly have a good relationship. Near the end of the story when Santiago gets back home, Manolin is nothing but helpful to the old man. He runs out to get him coffee which shows that the boy is glad to see him back and just wants to help. Although there is a large age difference, these two are really good friends.
Another group the author takes responsibility for is adversaries. The old man and the marlin are in a struggle against one another, but Santiago shows respect for the fish. He says “the fish is my friend too… I have never seen or heard of such a fish. But I must kill him” (Hemmingway, 75.) He knows it will be a challenge, but he has to kill his friend the fish.
A lot of things probably influenced the author. Joe DiMaggio was a big influence for the main character. He talks about him having a bone spur, and how difficult it must be to live with that. This also persuades him to fight on when he gets a hand cramp. Another influence on the story is fishing. The whole story is centered on fishing, so this must have been pretty important to Hemmingway. He uses a lot of fishing jargon that he most likely picked up from a lifetime experience of fishing.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.