What is an outside connection in the book, "The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway?Outside connections can be connections to events, themes,...

Two connections come to mind: one contemporary and one
Biblical.

Hemingway wrote the novella in the 1950s, near
the end of his career.  Santiago also is near the end of his career, as was Joe
DiMaggio, the baseball player.  Hemingway, like Santiago and DiMaggio, was fighting pain
and old age while also trying to achieve one last great achievement.  Hemingway suffered
from depression (he would eventually commit suicide), while Santiago has problems with
his hands and DiMaggio suffered pain bone spurs.  Just as Santiago is trying to go far
out, catch a great fish, and bring it ashore, so too was Hemingway trying to write a
novella that was both personal and allegorical.  But just as the fish is devoured by
sharks, so too was Hemingway frustrated with his finished book (even though it did win
him a Pulitzer).

Another connection is Biblical:
Hemingway's style is simple and honest, much like a parable.  Santiago is both a Jonah
(Old Testament) and Christ (New Testament) figure.  Santiago is meant to suffer in the
novella, and his courage in the face of suffering is a testament to Manolin, his
disciple.  Santiago's battle with the great fish allows his to become an even more
humble servant to humankind.