How did Hemingway reflect modernism in “The Old Man and the Sea?” [2019]

Modernism focuses on isolation, struggle, courage, and man’s search for meaning in a changing world. Santiago, the old fisherman, reflects these ideas through his fight against the marlin, his loneliness, and his quiet endurance. Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) clearly demonstrates these elements in “The Old Man and the Sea” (1952).

Struggle and Isolation: Santiago lives a lonely life in his poor shack. He is isolated from society and spends his days alone at sea. Yet, he faces life bravely. His eyes remain “cheerful and undefeated.” Like a modern hero, he depends only on his own strength. The sea becomes his testing ground. 

Search for Meaning: The old man’s struggle is not only to catch a fish. It is a search for purpose in life. He fights the marlin for three days, though his hands bleed and his back burns. He says, 

“Fish, I’ll stay with you until I am dead.”

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