The Old Man and the Sea
Reader’s Guide
Mr. Plinsky
1. (pre-reading) Explain in 2-3 sentences how the Realists view nature. You should
look at the notes we took in class to answer this question.
2. (pre-reading) Describe in 3-4 sentences any experience you have had with
fishing. What emotions do you associate with that experience?
3. (pre-reading) How do you think your experience and/or emotions might differ if
you fished for a living?
4. (p. 9-21) Describe the relationship between Santiago and the boy (Manolin).
Quote details and cite page numbers that support your description.
5. (p.22-25) Why do you think Santiago dreams of lions playing on the beach in
Africa?
6. What larger symbolic importance do you predict that these dreams might have in
the book? (In other words, why does Hemingway include them here?)
7. (p. 29-30) How does Santiago perceive the ocean differently than the young
fishermen in their motorboats?
8. (p. 30-34) List and explain three things Santiago does to be as effective as
possible at fishing.
9. (p. 35-37) Explain Santiago’s contrasting viewpoints on jellyfish (the Portuguese
man-o-war) and turtles.
10. (p. 38-47) How does Santiago know he has caught a large fish?
11. (p. 48-50) What point do you think Hemingway is making with Santiago’s
memory of the male and female Marlin?
12. (p. 51-60) What weakness is Santiago experiencing in his own body?
13. (p. 61-64) What is Santiago’s impression of the fish when it jumps out of the
water?
14. (p. 64-65) What do the prayers tell the reader about Santiago?
15. (p. 66) Quote the lines on this page that are Hemingway’s response the
philosophy of Naturalism.
16. (p. 67-68) Why does Santiago think about Joe DiMaggio? What effect do these
thoughts have on Santiago?
17. (p. 69-71) What is Hemingway trying to accomplish with the story of Santiago’s
victory over the negro from Cienfuegos?
18. (p. 72-76) What steps does Santiago take to prepare for the night?
19. (p. 77-84) How does the marlin’s behavior change while Santiago is sleeping?
Why is this good for Santiago?
20. (p. 85-90) What weakness in his own body is Santiago struggling with?
21. (p. 91-95) How does Santiago eventually kill the marlin?
22. (p. 96-102) What attacks the marlin, forcing Santiago to kill it? What does
Santiago lose in this attack?
23. (p.103-111) What does Santiago use to kill the shovel nosed sharks?
24. (p.112-120) What condition is the marlin in when Santiago returns to the harbor?
25. (p. 120 – end) What is Hemingway’s purpose in having the tourists comment on
the skeleton at the end of the story?