What are the constituents of great literature? Do exciting plots and likable characters define a piece of literature as excellent, or does it need to serve a good purpose? Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea would serve a valuable purpose in being a required book for high school reading. The novella displays explicit examples of biblical allusion and theme, terms essential for complete comprehension of literature.

Santiago's journey into the sea presents an allusion to Jesus Christ. The connection is drawn when he is on the skiff and when he returns. Santiago's cuts in his hand are a direct image of the wounds in Christ's hands during his stigmata. The image is further emphasized when he sees the sharks and makes a noise that is described as someone "feeling the nail go through his hands and into the wood" (p. 107). This correlation illustrates his unremitting determination...