Quiz on The Old Man and the Sea

Who is Santiago? How is he described in the story?

• He is the ship's captain. He is tall and muscular and looks almost arrogant.

• He is the richest man in the village. He is short, but carries himself proudly, so that he looks tall. He has a birthmark on one side of his face.

• He is one of the businessmen who buys the fish. He has a greasy, dishonest look about him.

• He is the old fisherman. he is gaunt and weather-worn with many scars.

Who is Manolin?

• Manolin is Santiago's younger brother who is going to take over the fishing chores.

• Manolin is the leader of the village. He is trying to get Santiago to stop fishing.

• Manolin is Santiago's son who doesn't want to be a fisherman.

• Manolin is a young boy who often fishes with Santiago.

Identify Martin.

• Martin is the teacher in the village. He is trying to convince the people to try new ways.

• Martin is the owner of a pub-type restaurant. He sent food with Manolin to Santiago.

• Martin is the most successful fisherman in the village. He doesn't want any competition from Santiago.

• Martin is the doctor who is trying to convince Santiago to rest more because of his poor health.

Why is the boy not fishing with the old man anymore? Does he want to?

• Santiago is having a streak of bad luck. The boy's parents won't let him fish with Santiago even though he wants to.

• The boy has been offered a better paying job by one of the businessmen.

• The boy has had an accident while fishing. he is recuperating.

• Santiago and the boy had a fight because the boy was stealing fish. Santiago refused to take him fishing anymore.

What did the other fishermen think of the old man?

• They thought he was a good example of the virtues of hard work and honest living. They encouraged their sons to emulate him.

• They thought he was just a crazy old man and they ignored him.

• They felt sad and sorry for him. No one would steal from him.

• They thought he was possessed by an evil spirit. They were afraid to go near him and also kept their families away.

Describe Santiago's house.

• It was large, but in a state of disrepair because he couldn't afford to fix it.

• It was small and had only the necessities for the old man's everyday life. It was neat and clean.

• It was not a typical house. He brought the boat up on the beach at night, put a tarpaulin over it, and slept in the bottom of the boat.

• It was of average size for the village with comfortable furniture. He had left everything the way his dead wife had arranged it.

What's the point behind the conversation about yellow rice with fish and the cast net?

• It is a repetition of the first conversation they ever had.

• It foreshadows Santiago's later good fortune.

• It shows that Manolin really has a double personality; he is outwardly kind but inwardly mean.

• It is a joke or perhaps a wish between the two friends. There really is no rice or net.

Why is there so much talk about baseball, specifically Joe DiMaggio?

• Santiago identifies with DiMaggio, and sees that success is sometimes possible, no matter what the odds, if you want it enough.

• Baseball was the fishermen's only means of escape from the harshness of their existence.

• Santiago and the other men in the village had pooled their small savings and bet on DiMaggio's team to win. They listened to the games, hoping to become rich.

• DiMaggio's ancestors were from the village where Santiago lived. Santiago had known DiMaggio's grandfather when they were boys. The people of the village felt a personal kinship with him.

"There are many good fishermen and some great ones. But there is only you." What does the boy mean?

• It is a thinly disguised insult. Manolin has lost faith in Santiago.

• Manolin doesn't want to tell Santiago outright that he is really too old to be out fishing, so he tries to make subtle hints.

• Manolin means that Santiago is special. It could also mean that one has to use the talents one is given in life.

• He means that experience is the best teacher.

What is Hemingway's point to having the old man say, "I may not be as strong as I think . . . But I know many tricks and I have resolution?"

• He is telling the other fishermen that he doesn't want their help or their pity.

• Hemingway wants to make sure the readers fully understand the fisherman's character and motivations.

• Santiago is insulting the other fishermen, telling them that he is much wiser and more experienced. He is bitter because they don't respect him.

• Pure strength isn't the only important thing for a fisherman to have. If one is smart and persistent, he can accomplish great things without tremendous strength.