Old Man and the Sea-Attitudes and Values

In the book the Old Man and the Sea, the author reveals many values and attitudes through the characters. The author portrays the old man as a very patient, kind, and caring person. Many times throughout the story, the author illustrates situations in which the old man shows great patience. For example, when the old man goes eighty four days without a single catch, he shows patience by continuing to go out to sea (Hemmingway 9). Also, the old man is very laid back, he shows little resentment to anyone who believes he is unlucky. The old man is also a very positive person, because if he had a bad day he just looks forward to making the next day better. The author portrays the old man as being kind as well as being caring. The author briefly shows the relationship the old man has with a young boy, whom is an apprentice to him. The author often shows the young boy doing nice and kind things for the old man, and the old is very appreciative and kind in return. Even after the young boy tells the old man he is not allowed to fish with him anymore, the old man shows only kindness towards him. Kindness is a main value used by the author in this book. He portrays kindness through both the old man and the young boy several times throughout this book. Everyday, the young boy brings the old man coffee and then shares some of his catch with him. The author does a great job showing how much the old man and the young boy care for each other. The author wrote this book in a third person perspective, which I think helped me as a reader get a better understanding of each character. In a book that is told in first person, you are basing your opinion about each character entirely on how that narrator describes them. By using a third person perspective, we are not basing our opinions on what we are told by another character from the book.

Bibliography

Hemmingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1996. Print.