In The Old Man and the Sea, Hemingway uses many different techniques in his writing. Many authors use techniques such as symbolism, imagery and humor to keep the reader interested. In this book however, one of the things that makes his story more interesting and different from the rest is the simplicity of it. The writing style and the characters themselves seem so simple at the beginning. The reader eventually realizes though, that underneath the simplicity of it all there is much emotion. This is one of my favorite writing styles because it is simple and staright to the point, but you still get the whole point of the story because you begin to see all of the things underneath.
Hemingway also uses alot of similes and metaphors throughout the story. For example, he describes Santiago's eyes as being "the same color of the sea and were cheerful and undefeated." (Hemingway, ) I like the usage of similes and mataphors in a book because it gives you an idea about what the character can be compared to. Also in the book, Santiago compares himself to a bird. when he describes the bird, he is also describing himself. It helps the readers get closer to the characters and relate better.
I also love the way Hemingway decribes the sea. He tells us alot about the sea, what it looks like, what it smells like, and how the weather is. Some of that I believe comes from the author's own experince with the sea, but the other reason he puts that stuff in there is so that the readers feel connected to the sea just like Santiago. Even if you have never set foot on a boat or gone to the ocean, the way Hemingway describes it makes you understand what Santiago is talking about and what he feels.
Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scibner Paperback
Fiction, 1995. Print.
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