The old Man and the Sea Question 8

After reading this novel, it is obvious that the author believes that responsibility exists between the elderly and the young. This is displayed by the several interactions between the Old Man and the boy. He clearly believes that it is the elderly's duty to teach the young, as it can be seen in the Old Man teaching the boy about fishing. "How old was I when you first took me in a boat?" "Five and you nearly were killed when I brought the fish in too green and he nearly tore the boat to pieces. Can you remember?" (Hemingway 12) I would say that the author gained this belief from some elderly figure in his life, such as a grandfather, or an elderly neighbor. The novel has also accurately recorded events in history, such as that baseball existed in this time. It is obvious that Hemingway loved baseball, or he wouldn't have kept praising the great DiMaggio. "Have faith in the Yankees my son. Think of the great DiMaggio." (Hemingway 17) "But I must have confidence and I must be worthy of the great DiMaggio who does all things perfectly even with the pain of the bone spur in his heel." (Hemingway 68) This is also one of the very few ways that the book even mentions the outside world, which can be a good thing. It just bothers me that he picked baseball to do this with. I suppose he had to give the Old Man a hero, or a role model, but why baseball? He could have chosen someone who actually did something, like a world war one veteran, or something. None the less I wont be losing any sleep over this. To answer your other question, a bone spur is simply extra bone growth that causes pain. Hemingway most likely obtained this love of baseball due to some obscene obsession with the sport, as most people did obsess over the ridiculous sport.

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