Old Man and the Sea. How Religion Played a Role

Many times in the book Old Man and the Sea the author, Ernest Hemingway, used his religion in the story. His religion being of the Christian faith. Although I am not entirely sure he realized how much he used this in the book because it was so known to him that it would only make sense that that would be what his characters know as well. From the very beginning the book talks about God and Jesus multiple times just in the old mans everyday dialogue and thoughts. (Hemingway) It is obvious that Hemingway was very religious. He had all his characters believe in Jesus because that is all he truly believed. It did not make sense for his characters to not have the same outlook on life as he does. Many authors have done this because it is easier to write about things one knows than things that are foreign to someone. Just as it is easier for me to write about a girl character than a boy character because I am a girl. The same goes for things as religious views, general wealth (or lack of), and age can all play into how someone writes. Sometimes this can hinder a writer because it causes the book to be very opinionated, making it hard for many readers to get lost in the book. Which in my opinion is how a book should be, the reader should just be able to be lost into it. When an author begins to put his or her own opinions and thoughts, their thoughts might not be versatile enough for the reader to relate. In Old Man and the Sea, if the reader is not of the Christian faith it might cause them to not like the book because its hard for them to relate. This can also help an author if it is done right. The reader can feel more of a connection to the book if it does relate to them and/or their beliefs. Also many readers do become interested in books about people with totally different lives because it gives them an outlook they aren't used to seeing. So opinionated writing can go both ways depending on how opinionated it is and the reader themselves.



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