37 pages • 1 hour read
Rodman PhilbrickThe Young Man and the Sea
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2004A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Literary Context: Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea
In the Afterword of The Young Man and the Sea, Rodman Philbrick explains the title of the novel was originally going to be Lobster Boy (which ended up being the title of the UK version). However, due to the novel’s similarities to Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea (1952), Philbrick’s editor started referring to Lobster Boy as “the young man and the sea book.” This led to a title change, to acknowledge Hemingway’s influence on the story.
The Old Man and the Sea features a similar plot to The Young Man and the Sea, though there are differences in intended audience and themes. The Old Man and the Sea also features a fisherman protagonist, but he’s elderly, and his conflict is with a giant marlin rather than a tuna. Like Skiff in The Young Man and the Sea, Santiago successfully catches his quarry. However, unlike Skiff, Santiago does not get his quarry home, because sharks eat it. Thus, The Old Man and the Sea details a failed, hard-fought journey, while The Young Man and the Sea emphasizes the pay-off of resilience. The Young Man and the Sea challenges Skiff, but ends on a promising note for him and his father.
Authorial Context: Rodman Philbrick
Rodman Philbrick was originally an author of adult mystery and thriller novels, but later started writing novels for young readers. These novels include Freak the Mighty (1993), The Last Book in the Universe (2007), The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg (2010), Zane and the Hurricane (2015), and Wildfire (2019). Philbrick and his wife, Lynn Harnett, also co-authored the Visitors series. Philbrick’s work spans genres, including historical fiction, science fiction, and more. His novel Freak the Mighty was adapted into a movie, and his novels have been nominated for numerous awards.
In the Afterword of The Young Man and the Sea, Philbrick shares his inspiration for the novel. He has a personal connection to the novel’s subject matter, because he used to be a boat builder and is still an avid fisherman; thus, he is knowledgeable of boat repair and fish behavior. Philbrick also lives in Maine, so he’s familiar with the novel’s setting. In Maine, he does fish for bluefin tuna, and his brother used to tell stories about the species. All of these details illustrate how he used real-life experiences to bring Skiff’s story to life.
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By Rodman Philbrick
