The Old Man and the Sea- Setting

The Old Man and the Sea took place during the late 1940's. The story was located at a small fishing village near Havana, Cuba. A lot of the setting took place on the sea, which was along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Fishing was a big deal in that area, at that time. Most people that lived their were fishers, or at least had it in their family. People pretty much relied on what they catched that day. They obviously had other things to eat, but they tried to catch something so they could feed their families. Santiago kind of lived in a very pressured environment. It seemed like people were really just catching big things, so they could be the best fisherman. Santiago, for instance, wanted to prove to his former assistant, Manolin, that he could g0 far out, and catch a big fish. When he got back after three days, and showed Manolin his marlin, Manolin pledged to go back to fishing with Santiago. The community they lived in was driven on how good you fished, and the better you fish the more people like you and accept you. The other setting, besides the water, was at Santiago's house. Santiago did not have a big house, because he was the only one who lived there, and he was just a fisherman. I do not think his house was always the cleanest, because he lived by himself, and he was getting to the age where he could not do as much. While at home, it seemed like he did not have much to do besides rest, eat, and read the latest articles in the paper about baseball. He also had a boy, Manolin, that was his best friend forever. Manolin was there a lot, and they always were talking. Those two went through a lot together, and would do anything for each other. Santiago was in a pretty safe environment, and had someone who loved him.