"The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway

[chad]

Hi Everyone!

Join me here for a brief look at the "Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway. For those of you who follow my literary tour, we just left the Civil War and jumped to just about the beginning of the Vietnam war- "The Old Man and the Sea" was written in 1951. 

Merely a fish tale? Perhaps on its surface. Is the old man struggling with the sea, a fish, or his age? An important question to ask yourself when we travel to a time when both Cuba and U.S. struggled to retain their youths.

Chad  

[chad]

"The old man was thin and gaunt with deep wrinkles in the back of his neck. The brown

blotches of the benevolent skin cancer the sun brings from its [9] reflection on the tropic sea were

on his cheeks. The blotches ran well down the sides of his face and his hands had the deep-creased

scars from handling heavy fish on the cords. But none of these scars were fresh. They were as old as

erosions in a fishless desert.

Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were

cheerful and undefeated."

Aging is not only the result physical changes in our bodies, but is also a result of the changes in our minds as well. "Your only as old (or as young) as you feel are" is a popular and wise phrase I often hear people say. In the "Red Badge of Courage", the line between youth and old age is battlefront, or a trench, over which we gather courage to move across. But the ocean has no lines- something I personally love about it. Although we are in the process of delimiting ocean space, it is virtually impossible to draw a line in the ocean (for the Marine Policy fools). For this reason, the ocean will always remain young, and also the fisherman, who relies on the ocean for his survival.

Chad

Message Edited by chad on 03-09-2009 12:15 PM

[chad]

This might be jumping ahead, but I should mention that we delineate the oceans in several ways. For example, we have a territorial sea and an "exclusive economic zone." And there are still boundaries in the ocean in dispute. But "The Old Man and the Sea" posits a different way of viewing a maritime boundary.  Is the line nothing more than an old civilization trying to retain its youth? Or the question might be: should a state be able to draw a line in the ocean, when the form of government is ineffective, too old or dying?- a question for our marine policy analysts. Did our government, or other forms of governments around the world ever become ineffective due to their ages?

Chad

Message Edited by chad on 03-09-2009 05:11 PM

[chad]

Just a bit further before we move on: 

Hemingway contrasts the age of the old man's skin, like a "fishless desert", and his eyes, like a "blue sea." You immediately perceive a land/sea and an old/young contrast. The land ages and becomes wrinkled with lines, like skin. But the color of our eyes usually remains the same and represents our youth, like the sea.

Therefore, there seems to me to be a part of the ocean that will always remain young- it's difficult to draw a line in water. And a nation state, or a world, that delineates ocean space seems to be something akin to an old man trying to retain a part of his youth...

Chad  

[chad]

A nation-state may claim ocean resources within 200 nautical miles of its border (you may correct me if I'm not exact) My point for this story is that a nation-state is a "luckier" fisherman with an EEZ, than without.

Chad

[chad]

"He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish."

Our story begins with an old man whose "luck has run out"- "he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish."  The local fisherman or the fishing villlage obviously measured how "lucky" a fisherman was by the number of days gone by without a fish. We usually measure luck by using numbers- statistics and probabilities. My chance of winning "Powerball" might be 1:5,000,000, for example. And once I win the lottery, or if I win a lottery, my money can be a meausre of how "lucky" I am in life. We draw lines of probability- a measure of "luckiness", if you will.

I think Hemingway would like you to consider that most lines we make are, in fact, lines of probability. The borders of countries are merely lines on a map drawn to ensure their chances for survival. Santiago de Cuba, for example, was a settlement built to ensure the survival of Spain- our "modern day" Cuba is the result. Moreover, the U.S. was originally  a group of thirteen colonies of European nation-states ensuring their chances of survival- and our "modern-day" United States is the result. And when both countries ousted the old rule, new lines of probability were drawn. 

Nation-states continue to extend their "lines" out into the sea to increase the odds- for fish and survival.

Chad

[ConnieAnnKirk]

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chad wrote, in part:

Moreover, the U.S. was originally  a group of thirteen colonies of European nation-states ensuring their chances of survival- and our "modern-day" United States is the result. And when both countries ousted the old rule, new lines of probability were drawn. 

Nation-states continue to extend their "lines" out into the sea to increase the odds- for fish and survival.

---

Not originally.  Many nations of native peoples pre-date the 13 colonies.  What do you make of the "lines," or lack of them, in their territorial lands?

[chad]

Good point Connie!

I should first mention that it is easier to draw a line on the land rather than in the sea.

Have you been to the Smithsonian Native American Museum? I recommend it highly. I spoke with a Native American who worked there after I thought about a "peace" which may or may not have existed before the white settlers arrived. Native Americans did have "boundaries" and were "warring" nations. I do feel the boundaries were perhaps more "set" in the minds of the elders, or the chiefs of the tribes, rather than on paper. And in some cases, the natural boundaries surrounding tribal land (i.e. mountains, rivers, trees, etc.) actually became the spirits of the tribe. The boundaries actually became the Native American culture and defined the culture more than boundaries defiine cultures today. I believe Hemingway posits that boundaries are now only lines of probability which continue to extend into the youthful and rebellious sea.   

Chad 

Message Edited by chad on 03-11-2009 05:05 PM

[ConnieAnnKirk]

---

chad wrote:

Good point Connie!

I should first mention that it is easier to draw a line on the land rather than in the sea.

Have you been to the Smithsonian Native American Museum? I recommend it highly. I spoke with a Native American who worked there after I thought about a "peace" which may or may not have existed before the white settlers arrived. Native Americans did have "boundaries" and were "warring" nations. I do feel the boundaries were perhaps more "set" in the minds of the elders, or the chiefs of the tribes, rather than on paper. And in some cases, the natural boundaries surrounding tribal land (i.e. mountains, rivers, trees, etc.) actually became the spirits of the tribe. The boundaries actually became the Native American culture and defined the culture more than boundaries defiine cultures today. I believe Hemingway posits that boundaries are now only lines of probability which continue to extend into the youthful and rebellious sea.   

Chad 

Message Edited by chad on 03-11-2009 05:05 PM

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Thanks, Chad.  I have not had that opportunity yet, but it's definitely on my list to make it to the Native American museum in DC at some point. 

I agree that 'boundaries' were probably set by the natural lay of the land such as rivers, etc.  I'm finding your pinning of youth and sea and the difficulty of drawing lines in the sea--all that, interesting!

[chad]

Connie- 

Nature creates her own lines with precision. You could consider a beach or a coastline to be a natural line of probability. Chance, or "the sea", separated the original supercontinent "Pangaea", to form the continents we know today. See  http://www.pangaea.org/continen.htm.

"Man-made" boundaries tend to follow the earth's natural boundaries, but not always. Africa is mentioned by Hemingway and remains an interesting example. What we know as "Africa" is, more or less, the natural border of Africa. That is, there is no "man-made" African boundary, and currently no unification of the continent. Fighting still takes place along borders within the continent and so resembles the sea more so than other continents like North America- this may not always be true.

Chad

PS- I'm glad I took a jump up to the 1950's, it is interesting in light of the 1800's themes. I should also mention that attempts at African "Unionization" (the OAU and the AU) are being made.

Message Edited by chad on 03-12-2009 12:53 PM

[ConnieAnnKirk]

---

chad wrote:

What we know as "Africa" is, more or less, the natural border of Africa. That is, there is no "man-made" African boundary, and currently no unification of the continent. Fighting still takes place along borders within the continent and so resembles the sea more so than other continents like North America- this may not always be true.

---

So, following your analogy--does that make Africa "younger" than other continents, since it's more like the sea, and its boundaries are less 'fixed?'  We often speak of the 'developing' countries of Africa, for example.

Message Edited by ConnieK on 03-12-2009 01:51 PM

[chad]

Hi Connie:

I think Santiago certainly identifies his youth with the beach in Africa (There also existed a youthful "beach-blanket bingo" culture in the 50's and 60's I should mention, although Santiago identifies with the white sands of Africa in contrast)

But consider the following:

"He was asleep in a short time and he dreamed of Africa when he was a boy and the long golden

beaches and the white beaches, so white they hurt your eyes, and the high capes and the great brown

mountains. He lived along that coast now every night and in his dreams he heard the surf roar and

saw the native boats [24] come riding through it. He smelled the tar and oakum of the deck as he

slept and he smelled the smell of Africa that the land breeze brought at morning... 

He no longer dreamed of storms, nor of women, nor of great occurrences, nor of great fish,

nor fights, nor contests of strength, nor of his wife. He only dreamed of places now and of the lions

on the beach. They played like young cats in the dusk and he loved them as he loved the boy."

And (sorry Connie, without making this the abstract literary tour, but here we go again) I would say that we draw a line between youth and old age. Without a line, we become ageless. The line between the sea and Africa ia a sandy white beach. Without the beach, well, not only would I be out of a job, but also, Africa would cease to exist. Age is relative- the sea may be older or yonger than Africa. It is interesting that there still is a debate over the how much water there was to land at the beginning of the earth's formation- it's kind of a "chicken and egg" question.

Chad 

PS- Sometimes I feel people have indulged in a little too much "fishing" in Africa, that is if we compare Africa to an ocean, and this is now part of the world's problem(s).

Message Edited by chad on 03-12-2009 06:22 PM

[chad]

We associate different places on the planet with our youth and returning to places in our youth is a form of time travel (Please see Mrs. Shelley in "Frankenstein"). If we can return to our youth in our dreams or in our minds as Santiago does, then the only line between youth and old age can sometimes be just a line in the earth or an entire sea, as the case may be.

Chad

Message Edited by chad on 03-13-2009 11:39 AM

[ConnieAnnKirk]

---

chad wrote:

Hi Connie:

And (sorry Connie, without making this the abstract literary tour, but here we go again) I would say that we draw a line between youth and old age. Without a line, we become ageless.

---

Nice analogies with Santiago and his youth, beach blanket bingo, etc.  Of course, the beach does seem like a place of youth, especially, since the sea is recasting the landscape at that very place.  Land that was there a season ago is gone the next, etc.  Neat.

The statement above, though, seems to suggest we cross a 'line' directly from youth to old age.  What about that proverbial wasteland that seems to keep expanding in length in both younger and older directions--middle age?

[chad]

Another good point you make... 

I think Manolin's parents represent middle age. "Middle age" is the line between youth and old age. Lines begin to form in youth and then fade away again in old age. So there tends to be a special relationship (I hope) between grandchildren and grandparents. There obviously is a special relationship between Manolin and Santiago and baseball helped bridge the generation gap between them, ensuring both Santiago's and Manolin's survival. What can I say? Manolin's parents probably will not become professional baseball players- they are "middle-aged."

Collectively, nation-states rely on professional sports for their survival. The question is: "Do they rely on sports too much? Are professional sports out of control with their attendances, salaries, stadiums, etc.? 

Chad 

PS- It's interesting that one website describes the Sea-God Proteus as "40ish"- http://www.olympian-foundation.org/proteus.htm

Message Edited by chad on 03-14-2009 12:48 AM

[chad]

Hemingway obviously included aspects of Dimaggio's life. DiMaggio came from a poor fishing family to become one of the world's greatest baseball players. A batter's hitting average mirrors the "luck" of the old fisherman in "the Old Man and the Sea" That is, there is a point in a baseball player's career when a batting average declines and a point in a fisherman's career when he simply does not catch as many fish. 

Baseball, and other professional sports, are not free of "scandal" by the way. A scandal in sports is generally something that  affects "chance" or the "probability of the outcome"  of teh game in some way. A scandal could be over a batting average, a contractual agreement or the winner of the world series (i.e. the "say it ain't so joe" scandal and shoeless "joe jackson"). Professional sports need to be as "chancey" as the sea itself, with little intervention in the games.

Chad

PS- Professional basball, and other sports, took shape in the 1920's- before the crash of 29'.

[chad]

I used several words as the sea: chance, luck, probablity and risk (this is a new one I found). To clarify: the sea might best represent "randomness." Chance, luck, probability and risk would be ways to delineate "randomness." Realize that the sea is bordered by land and has currents, most notably the "Gulf Stream." In this respect the sea is not an entirely "random" entity, but it may be the best example of "randomness" on earth. Hemingway would agree that "randomness", like the ocean, is necessary for our survival.

Economists usually do not factor the need for randonmness in economic models. Economists might attempt to do so, but if we attempt to measure the amount of randomness needed by society, or the world,  then "randomness" is lost.

Do we have any economists? We might have a few comments they can make here...

Chad

PS- For Marine policy analysts: a portion of the ocean needs to be the "high seas."In other words, we need a portion of "undelineated" sea.  

Message Edited by chad on 03-15-2009 05:12 PM

[chad]

I don't know too much about Cuba, but the classic writers are always a good place to start an understanding. I never really wanted to travel to Cuba- it has always been a place that I'm not sure I would really like to go vacationing(i.e., like, maybe I would never be able to leave once arrived, Guantanamo Bay, etc. etc.).

Cuba (Havanna in particular) had its "heyday" in trade and as a tourist destination. A large Cuban population (Cuban-American?, American? or all three) exists in Miami, in particular, and the two civilizations now influence each other. Cuba's history might is best described as grimly as our own- beginning with the domination of a European civilization over the native inhabitants and the subsequent enslavement of populations, both native and imported. The major difference between the two nation-states would be the amount of natural resources. The small island state of Cuba relied on trade, tourism, some agriculture and fishing to survive, but her scare resources lended themselves to a more tumultuous political environment throughout her history, beginning with Spanish settlements like Santiago de Cuba.

The Spanish colonies, like Santiago, were much like insurance- minimizing Spain's risks in the gold trade. The inhabitants would eventually find Spain's old "lines of probability" (or "lines of risk aversion" if you will) too restrictive, and create a new lines of their own, and they would continually "redraw" these lines throughout her history. The need for randonmness and the sea are obviously  important parts of the history and the culture of Cuba. Randomness and the ocean are manifested in the Christian religion in the form of the Virgin de Cobre- a multi-"race" figurine of the Virgin mary who supposedly first appeared to a boat in the sea off the island of Cuba.

Chad 

Message Edited by chad on 03-19-2009 12:25 PM

[chad]

I should mention that the lines in nature are often white sand beaches or snow-capped mountains. That is, Natural lines seem to have a purity and innocence compared to "man-made" or lines made by dirty old men- heh, heh, heh....

Chad

[chad]

I did not want to offend anyone by mentioning the proverbial "dirty old man", but the classics are always a little controversial. If they were not, they would not be classics. Santiago did come across to me as something of a dirty old bird with his tricks and the way tempts the fish to his line, and I think Hemingway intentionally writes Santiago as somewhat "devilish." But perversion, if perversion exists, falls along pyschological and societal lines, as most pyschologists would probably agree....maybe more on this later....

Chad