Question 7: Old Man and the Sea

Hemingway seems to use many techniques to get the reader's attention and to get them involved. Character development seems to be a good technique used by Hemingway. Suspense is another technique. At least, these are the two techniques that kept me engaged in Santiago's story.

Characters were always developing throughout this novel. The old man seemed to develop the most, in my opinion. He would always talk about his thoughts on life. Those thoughts kept me interested. At times I found the book very dull, but those times were never when Santiago was thinking and giving his opinions on life. Those parts always kept me interested. I would feel like he was speaking the truth and everything great with the way it was written, and then when he changed his mind I agreed with that as well. There was never a dull moment when Santiago shared his views on life. Hemingway made Santiago an amazing character that the reader could love. I know I did.

Along with using character development, Hemingway also seemed to use suspense. For example, the fight with the fish was very suspenseful (Hemingway 25). He talked to the fish and to himself during this struggle. It was a very long struggle, but you were not bored at all because of the way Hemingway wrote it. You can tell how much the old man feels for the fish. He tries to convince the fish and himself to win this struggle for himself. It is full of suspense. You know one of them will die, you just do not know which one it will be. It could not get more suspenseful than that!

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