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Theme of the old man and the sea literary analysis
The review of the old man and the sea
Symbolism in the old man and the sea hemingway
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The Old Man and the Sea Earnest Hemming’s work The Old Man and the Sea is a true comprehensive coverage of the never-dying spirit a human being should have. Through Santiago, the old man and the major character in the work, Hemming greatly captures and presents to the reader the concept of never giving up in what one believes in, even if old age comes knocking. One major character or trait of Santiago that Hemming uses to convey his major theme of the work as it relates to life is the braveness that Santiago portrays through the entire plot of the Hemming’s work. The old man is not discouraged to go out and try his luck even after eighty-four days of no success in catching a fish. His age is not a challenge to him and this he proves by going …show more content…
Many things in Santiago’s life, as the author puts it, are a fiction. He has no food, no lighting, no proper clothing and other basics for life like washing towels and shoes. At one point Manolin, the young boy he is staying with, blames himself for not having brought the old man some of these basics. “There were no cast nets and the boy remembered when they sold it. But they did go through this fiction every day (Hemming 15).” By this fictional kind of life the reader gets to understand the many challenges that the old faced in his life. Surprisingly, none of this sort of lacking is a problem to Santiago. He had even gotten used to going without lunch the whole …show more content…
He spends two days fighting with the marlin, an extremely dangerous venture to undertake given his age and also that he did not have food for lunch with him. To show the courage that he has, Santiago thinks to himself many things while in fight with the fish. Ultimately, he consoles himself that no matter what the marlin might choose to do to get away from him; he will not lack something to do. He optimistically thinks that “There are plenty of things I can do (Hemming 44).” For this reason, it does not come out as a surprise to the reader when finally the old man wins the battle between him and the fish after two days. Even though Santiago loses the marlin to scavengers on his way home, the reader can only sympathize with him at this point and acknowledge that under his circumstances at this point the old man had little if anything he could do to defeat the scavengers. He has gone two days without food and seriously engaged in a battle with the fish and, for this reason; it makes sense when he cannot withstand the scavengers when they come for his
The quote, “Nothing happened. The fish just moved away slowly and the old man could not raise him an inch. His line was strong and made for heavy fish and he held it against his back until it was so taut that beads of water were jumping from it. Then it began to make a slow hissing sound in the water and he still held it, bracing himself against the thwart and leaning back against the pull. The boat began to move slowly off toward the north-west.”(44) creates in depth meaning into how the old man is strong because the fish possesses a determination equal in magnitude to Santiago’s. Santiago has a large amount of endurance, and is using it in the midst of following the fish. Another example of Santiago’s endurance throughout the novel is his strength with the physical pain he feels. For example, the old man has a lot of back pain while following the fish, and catching it, especially. “...”( ).........The old man also experiences physical pain when his hand is cramping and when it gets cut. The author states, “The old man would have liked to keep his hand in the salt water longer but he was afraid of another sudden lurch by the fish and he stood up and braced himself and
The first two obstacles that Santiago faces are that his father tells him he can not do something that he wants to do and that he wants to pursue his personal legend, but he does not want to hurt those that he loves. For example, Santiago’s father said, “The people who come here have a lot of money to spend, so they can afford to travel. Amongst us the only ones who can travel are shepherds.” Everyone is told by their parents and friends that everything we want to do is impossible. Since Santiago did not have money to spend to travel his only choice was then to become a shepherd to fulfill his desire. T...
Nothing has been taken from him, he has not been forced into a situation. Instead, he voluntarily goes on a quest to achieve his Personal Legend. He wishes to be a shepherd. This gives him the opportunity to travel and learn new things, which he both enjoyed. Although, his contented mindset changes after a single dream. His new goal is to find the hidden treasure from his dreams. When Santiago thinks to himself, “It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting,.. (Coelho, page 11).” Santiago goes on this journey out of fear he will end of like most people: unhappy and useless. If he had never gone on the adventure, he would have never been satisfied with life. Unlike Edmond, Santiago never loses faith. In fact, one of his principal motivations is God. God never leaves his side, He guides Santiago through his journey by the use of omens. These omens give Santiago hope, as well as warn him for future
To begin with, the old man is determined just as the fish is. When Santiago first hooks the fish, he states, “‘Fish,’ he said softly, aloud, ‘I’ll stay with you until I am dead’” (Hemingway 52). This shows how he will risk his life to prove that he can catch this marlin. Santiago was fixed on catching this fish and ending his bad luck streak. And, as the marlin doesn’t have much of a choice, he will fight until he dies as well. They are both very
Secondly, Santiago experiences material success because of the augmented physical strength he attains from the obstacles that he is forced to face. The old man is walking home to his shack after he returns from his strenuous journey, “He had to sit down five times before he reached his shack” (121). The old man is exhausted from his trip because he had spent so much energy catching the fish. Plenty of strength must have been gained from the exertion of this much energy. During the shark attacks, Santiago is optimistic about what good the bleeding from his hands will bring. “The bleeding may keep the left from cramping” (111). The old man is so strong that he uses the bleeding pain to suffocate a different source of pain. Not only that, but just the fact of keeping a positive attitude about a situation like this is a great accomplishment which can only be obtained from strength.
The marlin’s blood has reached two ravenous shovel-nosed sharks who are more than insistent on getting a taste of the marlin. Santiago manages to kill these two as well, but in doing so loses his knife, which had been his only weapon. Once the shovel-nosed shark are gone, Santiago has a brief window of time during which he goes back to mourning the fish. Due to these attacks, Santiago now further laments the marlin’s death, for he believes, had the marlin been alive, he would of been able to easily defend himself against the savage sharks. The old man goes on to say that he no longer likes to “look at the fish” for he has been “mutilated” (Hemingway 103). He also mentions that, “When the fish had been hit it was as though he himself [Santiago] were hit.” (Hemingway 103). This tells us that Santiago deeply valued the fish, not only as a source of pride but as a companion as well.
Shortly after Santiago catches the fish, he realizes how far he has gone out, and how much
The Old Man and the Sea is a heroic tale of man’s strength pitted against forces he cannot control. It is a tale about an old Cuban fisherman and his three-day battle with a giant Marlin. Through the use of three prominent themes; friendship, bravery, and Christianity; the “Old Man and the Sea” strives to teach important life lessons to the reader.
”(page 111). Santiago had plans for him already but failed to accomplish them. Some will argue that he won because he gained spiritual victory. This , in a way, is true; but fishing is his job and only way of living. If the case had been different and Santiago was only fishing for his personal entertainment, which wasn’t, it could be seen as a new experience or story to tell.
The Old Man and the Sea is novella written by Ernest Hemingway in 1952. It tells the epic journey and struggles of the old fisherman, Santiago, and his younger fishing partner, Manolin. The story goes into detail the day to day life struggles that a fisherman off the coast of Africa endures. The majority of the story focuses on one particular trip out sea. In life, one will go through a number of stages in life. Infancy, Youth , Adulthood, and Old Age are all key stages. As one grows, they mature through these various stages. When one reaches old age, there is often a lot of doubt surrounding their lives. Serenity, and independence are often the two most questioned. These are some questions that Santiago has to ask himself as well.
In The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman, pits his strength against forces he cannot control. We learn from Santiago's struggles how to face insurmountable odds with bravery and courage. Though we find an indifferent and hostile universe as Santiago's stage, his unwillingness to give in to these forces demonstrate a reverence for life's struggles. Santiago's struggle is for dignity and meaning in the face of insurmountable odds. His warrior-like spirit fights off the sharks full-well knowing the fate of his marlin. Santiago loses his marlin in the end, but his struggle to keep it represent a victory because of the dignity and heroism with which he carries out his mission. However, as Santiago acknowledges, he is almost sorry he caught the marlin because he knows the animal and he have a great deal in common as fellow beings in nature. However, he only caught the marlin "through trickery" (Hemingway 99). Santi...
The great stories behind The Old Man and the Sea are what make it so wonderful. Because of this novels success released in 1952, it helped Hemingway ring in the Nobel Prize for 1954 for Hemingway (Hurse). He had a way of writing a good hearted, high spirited hero, who seemed in many ways to be at one with nature and himself. It is believed that Hemingway conjured up the character Santiago from a 92 year old man who crossed to Florida with other Cuban refugees (Baker 910). This makes sense considering Santiago is the main character, who is of old age. His characters although having many great qualities, still had struggles. Santiago is the man of hour, when speaking of The Old Man and the Sea. H...
"The Old Man and The Sea" is an unbelievable story of a man with struggles within nature. The simplicity of the story’s structure engages readers of all ages. How the main character overcomes his struggles and tribulation is wild, inspiring, and humanistic. The tale can easily be taken into every aspect in life situations. It is truly a classic with an unforgettable plot that leaves the reader wanting more.
In The Old Man and the Sea, the mood is largely monotonous,brooding, and depressing. The canvas of the novella remains unchanged throughout. The plot is mainly takes place in a frail little boat. Which carries on an equally frail-looking man, Santiago. The boat is adrift on a sea that changes little throughout the novella creating a monotonous and somber mood.
The Old Man and the Sea focuses its plot mainly on Santiago’s struggle against the marlin. Existentialism makes its appearance when Santiago chooses to pursue the marlin, stay with it the entire way, and fight tooth and nail at the end. “My choice was to go there to find him beyond all people,” is how Santiago explains his actions to challenge the fish (Hemingway 50). He mentions how he was born to be a fisherman, and by chasing the marlin, he will give his life the meaning for existence. Santiago also insists on staying with the fish until one of them is dead, which exemplifies his will to fulfill his goals in life. He endures obstacles such as nausea, cramps, and sleep deprivation because he does not want to give up and surrender his fate. When it comes down to the final struggle, Santiago pits all of the pain, strength, and pride he has left against the fish in order to bring it down. Despair begins to creep in when Santiago finds it hard to pull in the marlin, but he overcomes it with every ounce of will he has. He knows that it is up to him to create this important moment in his li...