Final answer:
The organizational pattern that best fits this essay prompt is compare and contrast, as it requires identifying explicit and implicit themes in the novel.
Step-by-step explanation:
The organizational pattern that best fits an essay responding to this prompt is compare and contrast. In this prompt, the essay is being asked to identify which themes in Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea are obvious (explicit) and which are hidden beneath the surface (implicit). By comparing and contrasting the explicit and implicit themes, the essay can provide a deeper analysis and understanding of the novel.
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