Study Questions & Essay Topics
Study Questions
1. What is the
role of the sea in
The Old Man and the Sea?
2. Santiago
is considered by many readers to be a tragic hero, in that his greatest
strength—his pride—leads to his eventual downfall. Discuss the role
of pride in
Santiago’s plight.
3. Discuss
religious symbolism in
The Old Man and the Sea.
To what effect does Hemingway employ such images?
Suggested Essay Topics
1. Discuss Hemingway’s “iceberg”
principle of writing in relation to The Old Man and the
Sea.
2. What significance do the lions
on the beach have for the
old man?
3. “A man can be destroyed but
not defeated,” says the old man after the first shark attack. At
the end of the story, is the old man defeated? Why or why not?
4. The Old Man and the
Sea is, essentially, the story of a single character. Indeed,
other than the old man, only one human being receives any kind of
prolonged attention. Discuss the role of Manolin in the novella.
Is he necessary to the book?
