What does the author reveal about his values in The Old Man and the Sea? What perspective is this novel written in?

In The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, the reader can tell that the author values sacrifice. The reader can determine this through all of the sacrifices that the protagonist, named Santiago, must go through in this story. While Santiago achieves his goal in this novel, it does not come without its consequences along the way. One of the first sacrifices that Santiago makes in the novel is not letting the boy go with him fishing (Hemingway 10). Santiago loves the boy and would like him to come along, but knows that he is does not catch enough fish for it to be worthwhile for the boy (Hemingway 10). The boy would provide some comfort to Santiago, but he sacrifices his comfort for the good of the boy. Santiago's next sacrifice that he is forced to make ends up being much more major than not letting the boy come. Santiago is out on his boat when he finds one of his fishing lines is weighed down by a fish (Hemingway 43). Santiago soon finds that the fish is bigger than he ever imagined, and embarks on a struggle with the fish that lasts a few days. Santiago needs to pull the fish up to the surface, and has to hold onto the line for several days while he waits for the fish to come up (Hemingway 57). This struggle causes not only external conflict for Santiago, but internal conflict as well. A part of Santiago loves the fish that he has hooked , but knows that he must kill him (Hemingway 54). He admires the marlin's strength and beauty, and finds him to be a truly noble creature (Hemingway 92). Several times through the story, Santiago refers to the fish as his brother and does not want to kill him (Hemingway 92). Yet, Santiago also knows how many people the fish will feed and how much money he is worth, so Santiago must sacrifice the marlin's life (Hemingway 97).

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway is written in third person omniscient. Since this book is written in third person omniscient, the reader knows what Santiago and other characters are feeling and thinking.

Bibliography: Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. 2003 ed. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.