NON AFRICAN PROSE
ERNEST HEMINGWAY: The Old Man and the Sea
Comment on the narrative techniques used in the novel.
Explanation
The story of Santiago who goes out to sea and returns with the skeleton of the largest fish he has ever caught is captivating because of Hemingway's choice of narrative technique.
The story begins to be told from the third person or authorial point of view. "He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days flow without taking a fish". Santiago's physical build-up, his humble, virtually lonely life and sea fishing activities are told in the voice of this third person who seems to know so much about fishing and describes in detail all the kinds of equipment Santiago possesses and all the activities he goes through at sea, including weather-watching and fighting the sharks that attack his fish. This third person also seems to like Santiago very much, and approves of his attitude said empathizes with his disappointment and suffering.
But much of the story is also told in dialogue between Santiago and Manolin, the little boy who is always there for him, even when his parents order him to join another boat, since the old man is luckless, "salao". The bond between the old man and the boy is strongly (bit throughout their interactions and even when the old man is at sea and alone, he never ceases to miss the company of Manolin. There is also the use of the interior monologue, much of which is evident in Santiago's engagement with the marlin and the sharks. He is often seen talking to himself and giving himself encouragement when all seems to be lost. He even talks to the big fish, and sees himself in a contest of will and endurance with it. He respects its nobility and fights the sharks to preserve it until they unrelentantly eat it up Much of Santiago's thoughts and responses are presented in this manner with great pathos.
The use of flashback is also a narrative technique, which Santiago relies on to recall past incidents. Thus, Hemingway's use of the four modes of narration enables Santiago's story to be told from different perspectives, so that the reader's interest is sustained throughout.