The Old Man and the Sea

I believe that in the past three decades, the way society has treated he elderly has remained primarily the same. Some younger citizens have looked up to the elderly with respect, yet most continue to shun them and


consider them useless and hopeless in a society such as ours. I think that


the elderly population is continually losing respect from the new


generations.   Santiago, the elderly man in the novel The Old Man and the


Sea, is respected by a young boy, Manolin, yet he is also looked down upon


by many of the younger fishermen in the Cuban fishing village where he


lives. This book is set in the late 1930's and, I as I see it, shows that


societies all around the world have had a decline in respect for the older


people in their environment since the beginning of the nineteenth century.




An enormous number of issues have changed since Santiago's time,


allowing the elderly to have the ability to do more in their old age and


live in areas specifically designed for their needs.   However, there is


still an enormous lack of respect for the older people in society, and it is


becoming worse every day.   Younger citizens of our country make fun of


older people, call them names, and believe that they are incapable of doing


most things that the younger ones are capable of doing. When we believe they


can no longer support themselves, we place our elderly relatives into


retirement homes and "old folks' homes" as many call them.   Sometimes they,


themselves, do not wish to go to such a place, but we force them to, which


many times is the wrong choice.   Some younger people help the elderly,


though, and try to support them, but few of these people can be found.   It


is a fact that when people get beyond a certain age, their memories begin


depleting and they atrophy physically.   However, as Santiago...