Electroshock

If Hemingway is trying to use the old man as an analogy of himself, then the fact that the old man hasn't caught a fish in 84 days could mean that Hemingway has gone through a long period without being able to think of anything to write about. I learned from the presentation that electroshock therapy messes with people's minds and memories; this could be a reason for Hemingway's "writers block."