A Biographical Analysis of “the Old Man and the Sea”

A Biographical Analysis of “the Old Man and the Sea”
Many of Ernest Hemingway’s stories are either literally or figuratively based on his experiences. Philip Young, a literary critic and authority on Ernest Hemingway, concurs: “Many of the stories…are very literal translations of some of the most important events in Hemingway’s own life” . The Old Man and the Sea contains this autobiographical tradition. First of all, The Old Man and the Sea can be interpreted as an allegory of Hemingway’s career at the time he wrote it. In addition, Hemingway was lonely when he wrote The Old Man and the Sea, and his loneliness is apparent in the protagonist’s loneliness and isolation. Furthermore, in this novel, women are described in a negative way, which is a result of Hemingway’s failed relationships with women, including his mother.
Hemingway’s struggle as an author is similar to the protagonist’s struggle as a fisherman.The metaphors need almost no translation” . Literary critic Sonny Elizondo agrees: “The Old Man and the Sea was published in1952, after the depressing ten years in Hemingway s literary career .Hemingway was one of the most creative and successful writers of the 1920s and 1930s, but in 1950, after nearly ten years without publishing a novel. According to James R. Mellow, “Across the River and Into the Trees is the worst of the Hemingway novels published during Hemingway’s lifetime…” .
Similarly, Santiago, the protagonist, was once a great fisherman, but now he is regarded as a has-been, because he has gone “84 days…without catching a fish” . Therefore, “many of the fishermen…make fun of the old man…” .

Because of Hemingway’s negative experiences with women, most of the references to females in The Old Man and the Sea are negative. One of Santiago’s, and Hemingway’s, beliefs is that females lack self-control…..etc.