The Old Man and the Sea

Trained as a journalist to report the facts clearly, Hemingway wrote in a direct, concise style that presents the surface features of characters and events so they are simple and clear yet radiant with deeper meaning. He called this his “iceberg theory,” by which the things left unsaid improve a story.

In The Old Man and the Sea, Hemingway uses his iceberg technique to craft vivid scenes that contain implicit depths. For example, he mentions briefly Santiago’s birthplace, the Canary Islands, and describes the dreams the old man has about his youth aboard square riggers. This simple device provides the reader with a back story that suggests a sailor of great experience who has traveled widely and knows well the vagaries of the ocean.

Elsewhere, Santiago recalls his time as an arm-wrestling champion who once went 24 hours with an opponent, outlasting the other in strength and spirit. Without saying it directly, this passage, in combination with the dream passage, make clear the strength, skill, and endurance that Santiago must draw on in his fight with the fish—qualities that, were he to lack them, would make such a titanic struggle impossible. In both passages, simple descriptions hide deeper implications.