The point of view in The Old Man and the Sea is third-person omniscient. What that means for an analysis of the novel is that the reader need not have the same concerns they might have about narrator unreliability, or limited narrator awareness, as if the point of view had been first person or a different kind of third person. Omniscient third-person narrative was very common in older novels, but as the twentieth century wore on, it became increasingly more usual for authors to choose a restricted third-person narrative, wherein the point of view is still centered on one (or several) characters and what they know of the situation, rather than being completely omniscient, as it is here. However, in The Old Man and the Sea, we can be assured that the narrator, whoever he or she may be, knows everything that is going on in the heads of both...
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the boy and the old man in the story. (Effectively, it is a disembodied voice, not representative of any character in the novel, who tells the story.)
The point of view is third person omniscient. Third person means a narrator who isn't a character in the story is telling the story. Omniscient, meaning "all-knowing", is when the narrator knows what many or all of the characters are thinking and feeling. This type of narration gives the reader a broader view of all the characters, not just one.
What point of view is used in The Old Man and the Sea?
Whenever we think of points of view or narration in fiction, there are three main types of point of view that are adopted. Firstly, there is first person narration, where the narrator is a character who appears in the story and relates it from his or her point of view, using the first person, "I." Secondly, there is third person limited, where the narrator is not a character in the story, but is exterior to it, choosing to follow around only one character and having access to their thoughts and feelings alone. The story is told in the third person, "he," or "she." Finally, there is the omniscient narrator, where again the narrator is exterior to the story and the tale is told in the third person, but the narrator can see the feelings and thoughts of all characters, having a god-like perspective on the action.
A quick examination of the text of this great novella reveals that the point of view is omniscient, as the narrator stands outside of the story and takes a wider perspective on it. It does, clearly, follow Santiago around for the majority of the tale, but it equally follows Manolin, revealing his thoughts and feelings, and the thoughts and feelings of other characters, such as what the other fishermen think of Santiago:
The older fishermen... looked at him and were sad. But they did not show it.
This reveals that the point of view is that of the omniscient narrator, which allows the universal significance of the tale to be more clearly suggested.
What is the main theme of The Old Man and the Sea?
The main points of any story are usually entertaining and enjoyable or thought-provoking. The Old Man and the Sea is both of these: it is enjoyable because it is dramatic, and it is thought-provoking in its reflections on the human spirit and life.
One component of drama is suspense, and there is plenty of suspense in the story of The Old Man and the Sea. For the most part, readers are kept in suspense because they want to know if the old man will catch the fish. They also want to know if the old man will survive for so long at sea, and they want to know how the old man will be received by all those who doubted him when he returns to land. Another component of drama is tension, and this is created by the battle between the old man and the marlin. This tension is sustained for most of the story, as the old man refuses to give up in his pursuit of the marlin.
The second point of many stories is to be thought-provoking. The Old Man and the Sea might make the reader think, for example, about the human spirit and how much the human spirit can endure. It might also make the reader think about the importance of friendship. Indeed, the boy demonstrates that true friendship is defined by loyalty, selflessness, and love. The story might also make the reader think about the value of a human life and whether that value is determined by the friendships one acquires, the battles one endures, or the successes one achieves. While out at sea, the old man ponders questions such as these, and the reader is encouraged to do likewise.
What perspective is The Old Man and the Sea narrated from?
The Old Man and the Sea is narrated in third person, but the narrator focuses primarily on the thoughts and actions of the old man, Santiago. One of the first things we learn about him is his optimism. He has faith that things will get better when they are hard, and the fortitude to work through his struggles. He does not despair even though he hasn't caught a fish in 85 days, and cannot afford his own dinner. He is good friends with Manolin, a young boy who he has mentored since Manolin was five. We get to see Manolin's perspective briefly at the end of the book, when Manolin finds Santiago asleep after his unsuccessful return. Manolin's chief qualities are his loyalty, his faith and his gratitude to Santiago. Some of Santiago's main traits are his pride in his trade, his optimism, and his love of the sea.