Ernest Hemmingway’s Old Man and the Sea shines as example of the bravery that is required to chance at conquering the ultimate struggle. Santiago embodies a man full of whole-hearted character whose love and resolve enable him to push beyond the limits of even a great man- a man one can only dream of becoming. Santiago’s unique personality offers a variety of insights on the way that life should be approached. Not many possess the ability to love an admirable enemy as much as a dear friend, but Santiago proves that he is no ordinary fisherman. Hemmingway beautifully captures Santiago’s personality with the virtues of faith love, and hope. Throughout the novel, however, as Santiago’s mission grows seemingly impossible, Santiago mainly stays true to only two of the virtues but also develops a trait that can now be considered virtuous, and that is the maintenance of faith and the capacity to love. Initially, Hemmingway demonstrates the boundless love that Manolin and Santiago share with their nightly fake dinner conversations. They exist in a relationship where they need each other to survive, both physically and emotionally. Hemmingway succeeds in subtly depicting Santiago’s capability to love in many ways throughout the duration of the story. For example, when Santiago discusses the naming of the sea he explains how the younger and less appreciative fishermen call the sea el mar, as though it were an enemy. But to Santiago, the sea is la mar, “which is what people call her in Spanish when they love her”(p.29). As Santiago reflects on his first day on the wide open waters, at first he feels lonely but is then comforted by the life surrounding him and thinks to himself that “no man was ever alone on the sea”(p.61.) Santiago fai... ... middle of paper ... ...f the time that Manolin needs instructing, and that Santiago needs to teach. Santiago’s story is riddled with virtue and vice. Hemmingway does an excellent job of portraying Santiago’s true self and weaving the importance of the marlin battle and its ultimate outcome with the sharks into the light of Santiago’s life. Santiago’s love for a fair fight and his love for his occupation inspire Manolin to become a man that doesn’t get too concerned with the trivial parts of life, like the fact that all life must end. Santiago realizes everything must die at some point, but he does not let this affect the way he carries himself because he has faith that his time will come when it will come. Pride can be a dangerous and malevolent quality, but Hemmingway proves through Santiago’s determination that humbled pride can become the opposite: a virtue that can counter lost hope.
Santiago showed everything he knows about fishing to Manolin. Santiago had been with Manolin for years and he loves him. Manolin loves Santiago as well and looks at him as a father figure. Santiago did everything for Manolin. Santiago was a true hero. So why should anyone care about this, you may be thinking. Ernest Hemingway himself didn’t really care about courage, bravery, friendship, etc. He only cared about the actual act of doing those things. Not just doing it just once, but doing it constantly. Someone can be brave once and then never again. So then that means that person isn’t brave just because of that one act. To be considered something it has to be part of you and what makes up your personality and you as a person. Discipline is key to follow Ernest Hemingway’s “Code Hero”. Santiago demonstrates what a true person that is courageous, friendly, and can handle anything what comes their way. For doing so, and following Ernest Hemingway’s “Code Hero” it’ll make you into a better person. By reading The Old Man and the Sea you learned about “Code Hero” through the main character Santiago. He is an inspiration and is the perfect example on how a person should
magazine in 1933, and written by Ernest Hemingway. The essay details the escapades of a Cuban fisherman dragged out to sea by marlin. By the time he was found, sharks had destroyed the man’s great catch.1 This essay is the basis for the story of the main character, Santiago, in Hemingway’s novella, The Old Man and the Sea.1 Published almost twenty years later, in 1952, The Old Man and the Sea is considered a classic American novel. The story is deceivingly simple, involving an unlucky elderly fisherman, Santiago, who hasn't caught a fish in months. However, many aspects of the story tell of a much deeper message which transcends the years. Santiago embodies universal truths about the character traits of men, including perseverance and commitment, faith and humility developed through adversity.
In the book, The old man and the sea by ernest hemingway, the old man, named Santiago, had not caught any fish for 84 days, this was seen as a major failure by the people of his town and by many of the readers. But although santiago’s journey was seen as a failure, he still was successful because of his good attitude, his determination, and the fact that he loved what he did. Thes qualities made santiago succeed, in the midst of all of his failures.
Ernest Hemingway is a world renown author who has won many prestigious awards for his simple, yet complex writing style. One of his various novels is The Old Man and The Sea, an age old classic that captures the audience’s attention with its thought provoking imagery and bold themes. This novella is about an elderly fisherman, Santiago, and his excruciating three-day battle with an enormous marlin. In many literary circles, there is a frequent debate on if Santiago is portrayed to be a static or dynamic character. Hemingway writes Santiago as a static character because he has not changed during his various hardships.
Ernest Hemmingway’s Santiago in “The Old Man and the Sea” meticulously fits Hemmingway’s code of heroes and accurately represents a classical tragic hero as put forth by Aristotle. Santiago a skilled professional fisherman is endowed with typical Hemmingway heroic characteristics of humility, courage perseverance, experience and pride. However, Hemmingway uses simplistic language, uncommon settings and meek characters, to birth a tragic hero that more than just intrigues diverse audiences. In addition to depicting the tragic flaw of excessive pride, Hemmingway emphasizes that the greatest value of life’s conflicts are the lessons it teaches and enduring with determination and grace is greater gain than focusing on merely wining.
Santiago is a poor fisherman who goes out to fish and endures pain and hardship for no result. He returns, defeated and vows that he is unlucky. When all is lost, Manolin appears on his doorstep and helps him realize he indeed has a reason to hope. “‘No. I am not lucky. I am not lucky anymore’ The old man said. ‘The hell with luck,’ the boy said. ‘I’ll bring the luck with me’” (Hemingway 124). Santiago has given up hope of ever fishing again. He believes himself to be unlucky. The old man lost the fish that could have brought everything to him. Manolin believes in Santiago when he is at the trough of his existence. Santiago finds hope.
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 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.
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 a simple story that teaches many complex lessons. Santiago, an aging fisherman, has failed to catch a fish in almost three months. People start to lose respect for him and Santiago decides to go on an adventure to restore what has been lost. A magnificent marlin twice the size of any fish Santiago has ever caught takes the bait and battles for his life to avoid death. After many days of fighting the fish, nature, and himself, Santiago stumbles home with the carcass and regains the respect of the villagers. Throughout the adventure, readers can see what character qualities that Santiago has, and how he uses them to be a master at his craft. Courage, Pride, Perseverance, and Honor make Santiago the ultimate fisherman.
Moderation is fully evident in Hemingway’s characters. Santiago, the protagonist of The Old Man and the Sea, firmly balances two contrasting qualities - his humility and pride. Santiago reveals his humble nature when Manolin asserts that he is the best fisherman to which Santiago replies “No. I know others better.” (The Old Man and the Sea 23). Meanwhile Santiago’s attempt to capture the fish and prove that he is a capable man despite his old age signifies that he retains a certain level of pride for his masculinity. Humility is the antithesis of pride, yet, the old man has the ability to retain both through moderation. Emotions are not the only characteristics to be moderated; actions as well as speech must be balanced. In “Indian Camp”, the father explains a mature topic –the act of givin...
The old man and the sea is a novella about an old Cuban fisherman, Santiago, and his three-day battle with a giant Marlin fish. Throughout the novella, Santiago is portrayed in different perspectives. He is tough and refuses to give up at any time. He withholds the will to continue and the courage to overcome what is believed to be the impossible. His persistence and confidence, his absolute determination and his unique way of accepting the reality makes him a noble hero.
Poignant circumstances surrounded the composition of this novel, which bring out many of the above points. It is widely recognized that Hemingway was possessed of a turbulent personality and suffered from emotional depression. This was despite the fact that he enjoyed much critical acclaim. The Old Man and the Sea was written after a ten-year hiatus of public and critical approval. This period saw much of his work receive negative criticism in literary and journalistic circles. This affected Hemingway adversely and very deeply (Carey 9). Therefore, Hemingway's personal battle with seeming failure in his life's work and society's attendant criticism parallel Santiago's stoic resolve in the face of his neighbors' disdain. The author's struggles symbolically match those of Santiago and set the stage for the writing of this novel.
Manolin is the innocent side of Santiago 's personality, sharing many of his interests but looking on them with fresh eyes. Santiago, for his part, sees Manolin as someone who should aspire to greater things than Santiago did in his own life, but also enjoys the boy 's attention and loves him as a son.