The Symbolic Significance of Baseball in Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea
Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea utilizes baseball as a symbol of struggle, perseverance, and redemption in the character Santiago's journey. The love of baseball in Cuba, the setting of the novel, intertwines with Santiago's personal battles, drawing parallels to Joe DiMaggio's determination. Through Santiago's admiration for DiMaggio, baseball represents an ideal of endurance and purpose, shaping Santiago's resolve as he faces the challenges of life and the sea.
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Presentation Transcript
The Symbolic Significance of Baseball in Earnest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea Asst. Prof. Aseel Hatif Jassam
THE SYMBOLIC SIGNIFICANCE OF BASEBALL Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea takes place in and around Cuba. The love of baseball began to grow in Cuba during the late 1800s, and by the time of the action in The Old Man and the Sea, baseball had become a national sport and pastime, much like, say, hockey in Canada or soccer (football) in Brazil. So an old Cuban fisherman who talks about baseball is realistic in Hemingway's setting. Santiago's continual references to Joe DiMaggio, though, go much further than just establishing a realistic setting. To Santiago, Joe DiMaggio who was and still is considered the greatest baseball player in history represents what a man should be. Santiago idolizes DiMaggio in part because he (DiMaggio) suffered through the pain of a bone spur to make a great comeback.
This idea of struggling and persevering in order to ultimately redeem one's individual existence through one's life's work is central to the conflict of The Old Man and the Sea. As Santiago struggles with the marlin, he equates his struggle with the pain of DiMaggio's bone spur and tries to live up to DiMaggio's example by not giving up on the marlin. Ernest Hemingway's use of baseball and mention of Joe DiMaggio in ''The Old Man and the Sea'' come to represent an ideal to the fisherman Santiago, one that he continues to compare himself against to measure his success and worth.
In Cuba, the setting of Hemingway's novel The Old Man and the Sea, the game of baseball is a national sport and pastime. It holds a special place in everyone's heart. Santiago also discusses baseball with himself. It is a way for him to stay focused and not become delusional. When he is on the sea holding onto the big fish he has hooked, he recognizes that he is ''tired inside.'' Santiago realizes that all he has left to think about is the fish. ''That and baseball.'' These thoughts help him stay determined and focused despite his exhaustion
