The Old Man and the Sea - Author Information

I boast so much about Old Man and the Sea, but I feel like credit should be given where credit is due. The mastermind behind this magnificent short story is none other than Ernest Hemmingway. He was born in Oak Park, Illinois (Illinois native!) in 1899. At a young age, Hemmingway served in the Red Cross during World War I as an ambulance driver. A rather interesting job choice if I do say so myself. His writing career began when he moved to Paris in 1921. It is here he began to change the way American writing would be distinguished. One unique trait the author is notorious for is his use of short, declarative sentences. The Nobel Prize for Literature was granted to him in 1954. Something I had no idea about until I read up on it was the fact that Hemmingway had a passion for bullfighting and big-game hunting (his short biography also states he enjoys fishing, but that one came as no shocker to me seeing as how vivid the old man’s journey at sea was). Hemmingway died in Ketchum, Idaho on July 2, 1961.

After reading a little about The Old Man and the Sea author, I now have a better understanding of why he wrote the novella. Being a WWI ambulance driver, I am sure Mr. Hemmingway had his fair share of grueling and bloody scenes. After dealing with that for some time in your life, I would want to write a peaceful novel too. I found a quote by Hemmingway regarding his novella The Old Man and the Sea. "No good book has ever been written that has in it symbols arrived at beforehand and stuck in. ... I tried to make a real old man, a real boy, a real sea and a real fish and real sharks. But if I made them good and true enough they would mean many things.” I find this quote very interesting because like his writing, he describes Santiago and his adventures at sea in a very simple, yet meaningful way. Overall, Hemmingway was a very bright and intelligent man that was able to create a story that will forever be a classic in American history.

*All information regarding the author Ernest Hemmingway I found on the back of the novella*

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

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