Question

An airplane passes overhead on its course to Miami and he watches its shadow scaring up the schools of flying fish.

Why does Hemingway include this scene in the story?

A. to show how close Santiago is to the airport
B. to emphasize how modern the world has become
C. to show how close Santiago lives to the U.S.
D. to illustrate Santiago's isolation in the vast ocean

Answer 1

The answer is B.He wants to emphasize the idea that the world is too modern to let living things go freely.He is afraid that technology and the greed of men are working against nature .He does not like the idea of men ruling the world with new resources .The image of the shadow also suggests that he sees something wrong with modern gadgets and machines. A shadow in the scene that affects the flow of fish in the sea is seen as a negative response to modern inventions.