Reading Classic Literature From a Christian Perspective, Part II

By Adam Andrews
Ernest Hemingways Pulitzer prize-winning 1953 novella The Old Man and the Sea opens on
Santiago, an ancient fisherman, who is mired in an epic streak of bad luck. He has not
caught a fish in many daysso many, in fact, that in the small village where he lives and
works, he is near starvation and has been shunned as cursed by the other fisherman. The
novel tells the story of his last voyage, in which he travels farther out into the Sea than
anyone has ever dared and catches the greatest fish in history. As a master fisherman,
Santiago draws on his expert knowledge and long experience to hook the giant fish, which
then drags the tiny boat out into the heart of the Sea.
A long and weary struggle ensues, during which both fish and fisherman reach the limits of
their endurance. When Santiago finally reels the exhausted fish to the boat days later, he
finds that it is too big to bring on board, and he must lash it to the gunwales for the long
journey home.
Before Santiago can reach the safety of the village, however, the boat is beset by sharks,
which strip the fish to the bone, leaving nothing but a skeleton. Though Santiagos skill and
endurance have enabled him to best the fish and have brought him to the brink of salvation,
he is finally undone by a cruel twist of fateor, you might say, by a universe that does not
care to reward such qualities as skill and endurance. He arrives on shore empty-handed and
calmly accepts his defeat as the story ends.
A Dark Story
Teachers and students alike often enjoy The Old Man and the Sea. It is beautifully written, a
fine example of Hemingways spare, direct style, and its main character deserves the iconic
status he has enjoyed since the books publication. At the same time, parents interested in
reading this novel from a Christian perspective will have trouble divining Christian themes
in its pages.
The reason for this, of course, is that it was not intended to communicate Christian themes.
As a matter of fact, Hemingway makes some rather direct assaults on Christianity in The
Old Man and the Sea, leaving little doubt about his animosity toward God and religion. A
close reading of the novel reveals that its themes spring from nihilism, a philosophy based
on the atheistic assumption that there is no purpose or significance to life.
As I suggested in Part I of this series, trying to make a story like this reflect Christian
themes is the exact opposite of reading from a Christian perspective, because it involves
telling a lie about the author and his work. It is therefore tantamount to breaking the Eighth
Commandment: Thou shalt not bear false witness.
Why Read It?
If we dont reinterpret Hemingway so that his book teaches Christian lessons, arent we just
letting a godless atheist have the last word? Whats the point of teaching this book to our
students if we cant manipulate it to fit our Christian worldview? Why should Christians even
bother reading it?
C. S. Lewis offers a profound answer to this question in a single sentence of his classic
Experiment in Criticism: My own eyes are not enough for me: I would see through those of
others.1
Lewis realized that anyone who has never read widely is liable to become a prisoner of
narrow and weakly held opinions, because his experience is limited by his own time and

place. The one who participates in great literature, on the other hand, encounters the
opinions of a host of other thinkers. He can see the consequences of their ideas without
having to adopt their philosophies himself. In the process of comparing his assumptions
with those of others, his own worldview gains strength and clarity.
But Isnt That Dangerous?
The godless philosophies we encounter in our reading do not make us godless, any more
than the homelessness we encounter in books makes us homeless. If I know how to read
closely and interact properly with the stories I read, then reading The Old Man and the Sea
will not make me a nihilist any more than reading Huckleberry Finn will make me a
vagabond.
What it will do, however, is give me a deep understanding of the problem of nihilism and
the tragic results of denying the existence and revelation of God. The Old Man and the Sea
can give me insight into the unanswered questions of the nihilist that all the Christian
stories in the world cant give. In fact, there is no better way to understand nihilism than to
read a book that springs from nihilist assumptionsnot a book by someone trying to
debunk nihilism or a book where nihilist philosophy is the subject, but a book where nihilism
is the unspoken worldview of the author.
Hemingway was no expert on Christian principles, but he knew nihilism inside and out.
While it would be foolish for us to look to him for guidance on the one, his books can teach
us worlds about the other.
But why would we even want to understand nihilism in this way? Perhaps it is not
dangerous, but is it desirable? Do we even want our students to do it?
Compassion for the Lost
Ernest Hemingway was not the last nihilist. He was only the most eloquent. He spoke for
thousands upon thousands of people who have lost their way and denied God, many of
whom live today and interact regularly with us and with our students. In books like The Old
Man and the Sea, Hemingway beautifully explained the source of the pain and despair that
plague our neighborsbetter, perhaps, than they can explain it themselves.
This is the profound implication of Lewiss statement above: In allowing us to see the world
through the eyes of others, literature broadens our understanding and so enables us to
have compassion for a lost world. Examining an authors book to understand the source and
implications of his worldview always enables us to relate more effectively to those who
share that worldview. When we are quick to hear and slow to speak in our reading, we can
demonstrate those qualities in our relationships as well. In the end, when we read from a
true Christian perspective like this, we can communicate the love of God more effectively to
our neighbors.2

Endnotes:
1. C. S. Lewis, An Experiment in Criticism, Canto ed. (Cambridge; New York: Cambridge
University Press, 1961), p. 140.
2. James 1:19

Adam Andrews is the Director of the Center for Literary Education and a homeschooling
father of six. Adam earned his B.A. from Hillsdale College and is a Ph.D. candidate at the

University of Washington. He and his wife Missy are the authors of Teaching the Classics,
the popular reading and literature curriculum. They teach their children at home in Rice,
Washington. For more information, visit www.centerforlit.com.
Copyright 2012, used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in
the December 2012 issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, the family education
magazine. Read the magazine free at www.TOSMagazine.com or read it on the go and
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