Background to Old Man and the Sea and The WaveMr. Pettine – October 5/6, 2015

The Wave

The Wave

• The Wave is a young adult novel published in 1981.

• The novel is a literary version of a ABC afterschool special shown on television.

• It was originally a short story by Ron Jones. Novel is written by Todd Strasser.

Historical Background

• The Wave is loosely based on a real life classroom experiment in 1969.

• A social studies teacher was faced with students who could not understand how or why the German population followed Adolf Hitler in the 1930s and 1940s

• The teacher, Ron Jones, is the basis for “Ben Ross” in the novel.

Nazi Germany

• Adolf Hitler was the leader of the National Socialist Party in Germany.

• Born in 1889 in Austria, served in German army during World War I

• Became active in politics following war, wrote Mein Kampf (My Struggle) in 1925

• Work revealed Hitler to believe in “master race” of Aryans (Northern Europeans / Germans)

• “Jewish Peril” – Jewish race viewed as enemy of Aryan race and threat to German people

Fascism

• Hitler increasingly powerful in government and politics as 1930s approach

• National Socialists (Nazis) win most seats in 1933 German election, Hitler named chancellor

• By mid-1933, has solidified power by banning opposing parties

• 1933-1939: Focus on economic conditions (nationalization) and removal of treaty requirements of World War I.

Fascism

• Fascism as a word is derived from “fasci” – a bundle of hay tied together.

• Nationalism (the priority of the nation over all) is founding principle of Fascism

• Community takes priority over individual• Traces power of nation to racial distinctions• Demands strong totalitarian leader (Hitler in Germany,

Benito Mussolini in Italy)• Resulted in World War II (around 60 million total deaths)

and Holocaust (systematic genocide of six million Jews and other “undesirable” peoples)

The Wave

• The Wave is set in a California high school• It explores questions of the priority of community /

individual, the dangerous trends seen in group movements, and the rights of dissenters among a majority

Old Man and the Sea

Ernest Hemingway

• Ernest Hemingway is one of the most famous American authors of the 20th century.

• Hemingway was born in Chicago in 1899.• A man of extremes – married four times, alcoholism,

feuds with other writers, sporting (bullfighting, fishing, safari hunting), wounded in World War I, reporter during Spanish Civil War

• Died by suicide in 1961• Won Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954

Old Man and the Sea

• Hemingway is associated with Modernism – a movement in the arts during the 1910s-1930s which sought to “make it new” by creating new forms of art

• Hemingway’s writing style is a major Modernist statement, breaking from the “wordy” style of 19th century writers

• Understand that Hemingway can be deceptive – he does not always give “all the details,” and you have to be a careful reader

Old Man and the Sea

• Novel is the story of an old Cuban fisherman, Santiago, who is trying to break an “unlucky streak”

• Nearing the end of his career and life, Santiago faces an epic battle with a massive marlin off the coast of the Bahamas

• Novel deals with issues of aging, futility, honor, and pride

Old Man and the Sea

• Limited Number of Characters

Santiago – old fisherman who embarks on fishing expedition

The Marlin – large fish who is locked in multiday struggle with Santiago. The marlin is both Santiago’s antagonist and a source of identification for Santiago

Manolin – young boy and helper of Santiago, shares love of fishing and baseball with Santiago

Joe Dimaggio – Famous MLB player, center fielder for New York Yankees from 1936-1951. Seen as source of inspiration to Santiago during his trial