The Old Man & The Sea essays

The Old Man & The Sea essays The Bible, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Catcher in the Rye. All books. Old books that are still enjoyed by old and young readers alike. But what makes these books different from other books? Why are these classics and yet other books arent? Arent ALL old books classics? As we all know, and this paper will prove, is that not all old books are classics. There is a formula, or a blueprint that often can make the book great. The Old Man s known nothing in life other than fishing. And baseball. But theres more than that. Underlying topics, unanswered questions and a great struggle plague the reader as hes reading, and even after completing the book, leaving a sense of wonder much like other classics. First, we start with some undefined hints in the book. The novel uses its characters and events in a way that draws many comparisons to Jesus Christ. For example, if the fish was Jesus, it was consumed by the shark (death), but still his bones (the spirit or message of God) had a profound impact on the people who passed it and saw. Also, if the man is representing the worlds believers, and the fish is their faith and salvation, he should be wary of the evil of the world trying to take it away from him. Besides the obvious, more straightforward symbolism (the man carrying the beam, 3 days at sea, etc.), these demonstrate an aspect for the reader to ponder. Like this book, many classics have themes that are not as easily seen, like racism, religion, and capital punishment to name a few. These themes are often controversial, which is why these books are frequently challenged. Next are the unanswered questions. What happened to the boys family? Or Santiagos wife? What happens between the boy and Santiago at the end? Does Santiago adopt him? All of these are le...