The Old Man and the Sea

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“Thank you. You make me happy. I hope no fish will come along so great that he will prove us wrong (Hemingway 23),” slurred Santiago as he exchanged words with his trusty companion Manolin in the beginning of Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Old Man and the Sea. As these words left his mouth, Santiago did not realize the treacherous road on which he was about to stumble upon. However, as Santiago was totted away from his homeland by a hefty marlin, he was able to adapt to the changes that the voyage threw at him. Dehydration, burn wounds, and fatigue accompanied Santiago and took a toll on the old man’s aging body. As his skiff proceeded to carve through the white ocean foam for two days, the marlin finally emerged in a cluster of circles. Once the marlin floated close enough to the skiff, Santiago raised his stealthy harpoon and drove it through the scaly skin of the marlin with great force. He repeatedly drove the sharp object into his trophy. The reward may have been collected, but the worst was still yet to come. As the marlin was drug by the skiff, a trail of blood was left behind the small wooden boat. The bloody water attracted sharks the slowly devoured the eighteen foot marlin over a small time, but where fended of by the blades of wrath delivered by Santiago. All of these events that took place on Santiago’s sea voyage, revealed the true characteristics belonging to Santiago. Throughout Ernest Hemmingway’s novel The Old Man and the Sea, the main character reveals his honor, courage, and endurance, and faith.

With the marlin’s massive thirteen foot figure, power comes naturally to the elegant creature of the ocean. “The fish is my friend too, I have never seen or heard of such a fish (Hemmingway 75),” stated Santiago, as he...

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...ival. The faith he has in the boy is great enough know he will make the right choices for him when he is not in a conscious state. Faith is essential for any aspects of life

Throughout Ernest Hemmingway’s novel The Old Man and the Sea, the main character reveals his honor, courage, and endurance, and faith. “But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated (Hemmingway 103),” was the motto that Santiego strived for. He makes the reader realize that quitting is not an option no matter how great the pain, fatigue, or hunger. The human race was not meant for failure, but to succeed. Santiago displayed this concept greatly through his big fishing journey. From shark attacks to being drug by a great fish, Santiago never gave up on his goal. All readers should adopt the concept of never quit, because the rewards can benefit one in a positive way.

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