The Old Man and the Sea

702 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Aging in modern society

The Old Man and the Sea

I believe that in the past three decades, the way society has treated he elderly has remained primarily the same. Some younger citizens have looked up to the elderly with respect, yet most continue to shun them and consider them useless and hopeless in a society such as ours. I think that the elderly population is continually losing respect from the new generations. Santiago, the elderly man in the novel The Old Man and the

Sea, is respected by a young boy, Manolin, yet he is also looked down upon by many of the younger fishermen in the Cuban fishing village where he lives. This book is set in the late 1930's and, I as I see it, shows that societies all around the world have had a decline in respect for the older people in their environment since the beginning of the nineteenth century.

An enormous number of issues have changed since Santiago's time, allowing the elderly to have the ability to do more in their old age and live in areas specifically designed for their needs. However, there is still an enormous lack of respect for the older people in society, and it is becoming worse every day. Younger citizens of our country make fun of

older people, call them names, and believe that they are incapable of doing most things that the younger ones are capable of doing. When we believe they can no longer support themselves, we place our elderly relatives into retirement homes and "old folks' homes" as many call them. Sometimes they, themselves, do not wish to go to such a place, but we force them to, which many times is the wrong choice. Some younger people help the elderly, though, and try to support them, but few of these people can be found. It

is a fact that when people get beyond a certain age, their memories begin depleting and they atrophy physically. However, as Santiago shows in the novel, older people have much knowledge about the world around them and enough strength to make it through hard situations if they are determined and have the will and courage to believe in a better tomorrow.

In Santiago's community, it is shown that their is still a natural respect for elders, as is seen in Manolin's support of the old man. He was one of the dying breed that truly looked up to his elders and regarded their feelings and experiences with much respect.

Show More
Related

  • Aging In Pixar's Up

    1331 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to ALFA ageism is the discrimination of a person based on their age and it robs seniors of their independence (website at bottom). Not only are these stereotypes negative to the elderly, but it may also shorten their lives.(dittman) In Levy’s research she found that older adults who had a more positive perception of themselves lived 7.5 years longer than those with a negative perception. (dittman) Carl was perceived as a grumpy old widower and a menses to the community because of his seclusion and unwilliness for change. Because of this the judge decided he would be best off in a retirement home. It’s that assumption and attitude that Carl was too old to continue to take care of his home and be a productive citizen that creates this stereotyping. (paper) It can be assumed that Carl quit his job willingly to retire with Ellie so they could travel to South America, but unfortunately she passed. It is likely if Carl wanted to return to work that he would be turned away due to age. Okinawan people believed that retiring early made for an early death and even to this day they don’t have a word for retirement 75(book). Even young Russell displays ageism in UP, when he specifically chooses Carl to achieve his assisting an elderly badge because he assumes that because Carl is a senior that he in fact needs help. Russell would soon realize that Carl has more spunk and push in him than he first

    Read More

  • Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea

    1221 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Old Man and the Sea tells the story of Santiago, a very old fisherman, and his quest to catch a fish after eighty four days of failing to catch any fish at all. When his young apprentice, Manolin, is forced to abandon him by his parents, Santiago sets out farther than he has ever traveled at sea in hopes that larger fish will be available for catching. Not only does he spend several days fighting with a great marlin that he manages to hook before finally killing him, he also battles with hungry sharks, as well as his own body, which, at times, seems to be failing him.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Cormac Mccarthy's 'No Country For Old Men'

    518 Words  | 2 Pages

    world tends to let the decrepit fade out of existence. It is also about the stereotypical sense of older means wiser, which is

    Read More

  • Summary Of The Old Man And The Sea By Ernest Hemingway

    1303 Words  | 3 Pages

    The main arguments in this source is the old man 's dependents on the boy, feminizing the sea and the respectful engagement of its feminine presents, and Interspecies kinship—brotherhood between man and animals, as well as with nature. The purpose of this source is to show the reasons why the old man feels defeat with old age. This source relates to The Old Man and the Sea because many times throughout the novel when Santiago was in the sea, he wished Manolin was there to help him because he has a rough time doing some things nowadays, but his old age still does not stop him from catching that

    Read More

  • Labeling Theory And Stereotypes By Sociologist Emile Durkheim

    3248 Words  | 7 Pages

    ...a minor section of the society to ruin the good relations and the respect that has continuously existed among the society members and families in particular. As many consider ageism as a man made disease, it can be healed by the same man through propagation of media and society to consider old as gold and uncommon source of knowledge that is highly useful in the society. Sociologist should come up with theories on how to end this prejudice, rather than postulating theories that propagate ageism and age prejudice, as well as stereotypes. Ageism should be treated just like any other form of prejudice, such as ethnicity, racism and others, as a means to eliminate it. Lastly, it should be understood that whatever you do to an older person, the same will be done in your older age, although this time it will not be in the same measure you did, but a top up will be added.

    Read More

  • What Are The Common Mistaken Views Of Aging?

    852 Words  | 2 Pages

    Some of the many common mistaken views of aging would involve our society seeing aging as something that will be a big problem for us and bring about burden. Other issues to consider are that aging is for everyone, not just the elderly. In many people’s minds, you say “aging” and the first thing that comes to mind is an elderly lady or man, retired, grey hair, and no longer full of life. However, children, young adults, and older adults are aging every day. As mentioned in Aging Concepts and Controversies page 91, “…half a million people over age 60 are studying on college campuses.” It also mentions how military officials are retiring in between 40 and 50, and grandmothers are appearing as early as their 30’s. For myself, I noticed that this discrimination was

    Read More

  • Stereotypes In Older Adults

    1879 Words  | 4 Pages

    Aging is universal and it is a process that everyone has to go through. The only difference is that everyone goes through this process at their own pace influenced by factors that will be discussed later on in this paper. When we think about factors that have an influence on older adults and how their life may be affected, we must consider the different social institutions while analyzing influences from social factors, cultural factors, and personal values. Abuse to older adults, stereotyping and informal care and technological advancements that affect older adults are the three topics that will be discussed in this reflection. Furthermore, will connect the three topics I have chosen to the knowledge that I have gained from my interaction

    Read More

  • The Perception of Age and Aging in the United States

    1989 Words  | 4 Pages

    As individuals we are all guilty of planning for our retirement, yet some of us look at individuals who are in retirement in a negative way. In this essay, I would strive to look at factors which may have triggered negative perceptions and discernment and how it ties in to the term ageism and the effects it has on elders. The essay would also explore the theories modernization and egalitarian and will also look at ways in which the society can change their perception of the elderly.

    Read More

  • Benefits Of Ageing

    1730 Words  | 4 Pages

    In today’s society, what was once said to be true and taken as fact regarding older people is no longer the whole story. As Laslett states, “At all times before the middle of the twentieth century and all over the globe the greater part of human life potential has been wasted, by people dying before their allotted time was up.” (1989a), and to a great extent a lot

    Read More

  • Success in The Old Man and the Sea

    679 Words  | 2 Pages

    First, the old man receives outer success by earning the respect and appreciation of the boy and the other fishermen. The boy is speaking to the old man in his shack after the old man’s long journey, “You must get well fast for there is much that I can learn and you can teach me everything” (Hemmingway 126). The boy appreciates the fact that the old man spends time to teach him about fishing. He respects him a great deal for he knows that the old man is very wise and is a magnificent fisherman. The fellow fishermen also show respect towards the old man as they note the size of the fish after the old man returns home, “What a fish it was, there has never been such a fish” (123). The men admire the fact that the old man has caught the biggest fish that they have seen. Many fishermen resented Santiago at first, however their opinion changed once they realized what the old man has gone through. Being admired by others plays a major role in improving one’s morale.

    Read More

  • Themes in The Old Man and the Sea

    948 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Old Man and the Sea is a heroic tale of man’s strength pitted against forces he cannot control. It is a tale about an old Cuban fisherman and his three-day battle with a giant Marlin. Through the use of three prominent themes; friendship, bravery, and Christianity; the “Old Man and the Sea” strives to teach important life lessons to the reader.

    Read More

  • The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

    1637 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Old Man and the Sea is novella written by Ernest Hemingway in 1952. It tells the epic journey and struggles of the old fisherman, Santiago, and his younger fishing partner, Manolin. The story goes into detail the day to day life struggles that a fisherman off the coast of Africa endures. The majority of the story focuses on one particular trip out sea. In life, one will go through a number of stages in life. Infancy, Youth , Adulthood, and Old Age are all key stages. As one grows, they mature through these various stages. When one reaches old age, there is often a lot of doubt surrounding their lives. Serenity, and independence are often the two most questioned. These are some questions that Santiago has to ask himself as well.

    Read More

  • The Character Santiago in Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea

    1899 Words  | 4 Pages

    The great stories behind The Old Man and the Sea are what make it so wonderful. Because of this novels success released in 1952, it helped Hemingway ring in the Nobel Prize for 1954 for Hemingway (Hurse). He had a way of writing a good hearted, high spirited hero, who seemed in many ways to be at one with nature and himself. It is believed that Hemingway conjured up the character Santiago from a 92 year old man who crossed to Florida with other Cuban refugees (Baker 910). This makes sense considering Santiago is the main character, who is of old age. His characters although having many great qualities, still had struggles. Santiago is the man of hour, when speaking of The Old Man and the Sea. H...

    Read More

  • Interview A Senior Citizen Essay

    1174 Words  | 3 Pages

    Aging is about the experiences and there are several chapters in older people’s lives. We can learn from the elderly and their lives. (Tappen, 1981). The interview was very interesting to discover how people thought and lived in the 1930s and 1940s. In addition, how hard it was to get opportunities to get educated and get a job. People were stricter about specific topics such as sexual orientation, morality, sex. The majority of older people lived in poverty, and they married underage, as well as they had a lot of children. Also, older people had to do hard work because they don’t have a chance to get a college degree. Parenthood was very different in these days, and they were stricter to their children, and the

    Read More

  • Old Man and the Sea and Our Relationship with the Sea

    1477 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... foreign and mysterious. The people of that time period didn’t really know what to expect. They sought the sea as a counter-purposive nature - a wild, sublime nature which its audience could imagine as being so very unlike the familiar and domesticated nature of pastoral England. They simply didn’t know enough about it and had the worst fears about it. Their fears proved somehow true and real in the incident shown in the painting. The view we should follow in the 21st century is that of the depiction in the Old Man and the Sea. We need to learn how to deal with the sea; how to live with it, cherish it and protect it because the sea is a gift, a gift of wonder. We can’t do without it. We need it. We need to learn how to protect it and leave the humans’ selfish ways out of it. The old man fished and left behind some for the future; we need to do the same.

    Read More

More about The Old Man and the Sea

Open Document