The epic journey of “The Old Man and the Sea” describes struggle, discipline and manhood. The main characters relationships exemplify how faith and skill overcome man’s adversity during life on the sea. Santiago’s growing relationship with the boy idealizes his statute as a father figure and develops his integrity and values towards the boy. Hemmingway shows us how an old fisherman’s will to overcome the sea’s obstacles proves his manhood to himself and the young boy. His skills and knowledge of the sea provide a positive influence for the young boy to become a great fisherman someday.
Throughout the constant struggle between Santiago and the fish, he is forced to prove his skills as a fisherman and conduct his discipline to retain his manhood. Santiago’s moral dilemma he faces to converse with the sea regards a large mysterious marlin. From the time the old man hooks the great fish to when he finally captures him; Santiago faces the hardest of adversity that reflects his age and discipline with his stamina to push his own limits. His entire journey amasses conflicts that lead to his own suffering. These unavoidable events leave scars upon scars to his hands and threaten the brink of consciousness for Santiago. He constantly remembers his discipline in order to keep the fish. He wishes the fish would begin to fight back so he can capture him faster. In the prolonged struggle between the fish and the old man his conscience questioned his justifications for battling such a great creature. Always in the back of his mind was the young boy who he valued for friendship and companionship. These ideals helped Santiago remember his discipline for fishing and his integrity for his own manhood.
The pain and suffering the old man must endure to overcome the sea’s adversity help to justify Santiago’s rebirth of manhood. His legendary journey provides mental and physical altercations Santiago must survive in order to prove to himself that he is still a man capable of catching fish. Society labels Santiago as an unlucky fisherman for not catching any fish for 85 days, and yet ignore his skills as a wise, witty fisherman. “It is better to be lucky. But I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes you are ready.”(32) Santiago coordinates good luck with offerings from the sea. He also said, in order to catch the big fish I must go out far enough where the great one will ...
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...as a man once again. I think there are many occasions in a person’s life where manhood is questioned and a rebirth of ideas is abroad. We might be able to call these our phases of life everyone seems to undergo. As Santiago’s life slows down it is harder to prove to himself his own worth, but through the boy he is allowed a chance to reflect his own aspirations and honor for the sea on to the boy.
Often times in a persons life comes a test to overcome in order to prove something integral to the rest of ones life. Hemmingway’s amazing journey of an old man, a fish, and a boy, show us the simplicity of life rather than the complex emotions of irrational thought. The situations, style and examples of manhood in this story help to illustrate the importance of proving ones manhood in order to find closure in your life. Santiago’s ideals as a fisherman reflected upon by the boy show the respect of friendship between characters as well as describing admiration within his abilities and hardships throughout the story. Silently the message of manhood obtained by overcoming personal sacrifice shows how Santiago can remember his gift for life, being a fisherman.
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 Old Man and the Sea, is about an elderly sailor from Cuba named Santiago who has gone eighty-four days without catching a fish. He is "slight and shriveled with significant wrinkles in the back of his neck... his hands had significant wrinkled scars from dealing with several fish on the lines. Nevertheless, none of these scars were new. They were as old as deteriorations in a fishless desert" (10). Santiago's nonappearance of accomplishment, notwithstanding, does not crush his spirit, as his "cheerful and undefeated" eyes show up (10). He has a sidekick, a child named Manolin, who helped him in the midst of the beginning forty days of his drought. After taking forty days , Manolin's gatekeepers assumed the old man unsuccessful and told
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.
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 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.
He is poor, skinny, lives in a hut, sleeps on newspapers, and does not have a fishing rod. He is struggling in life and he has no job. His only job is fishing and that is what he does to make money. He has not caught a fish in 84 days. "You are killing me fish", the old man thought, "but you have the right to" (Hemingway 92). The old man was very happy. He dreamed about lions running on beaches so he was never upset or sad. This quotes meaning is showing how Santiago is struggling with himself and his life, in general. Santiago struggled within himself about his lifestyle and his lack of money. Another quote that shows man vs self is: "Nothing, he said. I went out too far" (Hemingway 120). Santiago second guessed himself on his journey in the sea. He should have stayed closer to the land and not venture out so far. He struggled with choice in going further into the sea, and he lost
During the pursuance their goals, trials and tribulations came upon Santiago and Atticus, and their ability to face them showed defining diligence. When Santiago set out determined to catch his fish, he knew the task at hand would prove strenuous and trying, yet he went anyway. After days of waiting, watching, and praying, Santiago finally secured the fish on his hook, but then the real trouble began. The days that followed consisted of anguish for Santiago as he braced against his rod trying to keep it in the right position, all while the fish pulled him into the vast sea far from land. Pain tore through his body and thirst and desire consumed him like a raging fire. But despite the gruesome problems that faced him, Santiago persisted in his quest and pushed his strength to the limit. When he finally managed to pull the colossal creature into the skiff, the obstacles did not cease. The luring scent of the fragrant fish drew malicious sharks in from every direction all throughout the days and nights in which Santiago tried to get home. Despite the fact that he fought with every ounce of strength he possessed, the vicious animals overtook Santiago and destroyed the fish he worked so hard to catch. With the feeling of defeat overwhelming him he returned home and shocked the people with the enormous beast he caught, even if all that remained was
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 the boy is brought to attention by the old man more than anything else in the story is. The old man, Santiago, thinks of the boy as the little boy that he used to take fishing and carefully watch over. Now that the boy, Manolin, has grown up, the old man still refuses to acknowledge his maturity. While the old man is on his lengthy fishing trip, looking for the greatest catch of all times, he finds himself delirious at times, wanting for the boy. On page 51, Aloud he said, “I wish I had the boy.” But you haven’t got the boy, he thought. You have only yourself and you had better work back to the last line now, in the dark or not in the dark, and cut it away and hook up the two reserve coils. That is one example of the symbol of the boy in this book. The boy is a symbol of youth, potency and hope to the old man in trial times. Santiago began to talk to the boy aloud at one point and he also wished several times that the boy could have been with him on his length search of the greatest catch of all.
First, the old man receives outer success by earning the respect and appreciation of the boy and the other fishermen. The boy is speaking to the old man in his shack after the old man’s long journey, “You must get well fast for there is much that I can learn and you can teach me everything” (Hemmingway 126). The boy appreciates the fact that the old man spends time to teach him about fishing. He respects him a great deal for he knows that the old man is very wise and is a magnificent fisherman. The fellow fishermen also show respect towards the old man as they note the size of the fish after the old man returns home, “What a fish it was, there has never been such a fish” (123). The men admire the fact that the old man has caught the biggest fish that they have seen. Many fishermen resented Santiago at first, however their opinion changed once they realized what the old man has gone through. Being admired by others plays a major role in improving one’s morale.
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 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.
For three long days, the boat is alternating pushes and towed by the huge fish in an almost dream-like state. Only the killing os the fish and the attacking of the sharks interrupt the monotony. The monotony becomes one of the pressures that the old man must endure in order to maintain his grace. However, because Santiago never gives in to the monotony or the depression, he becomes the hero in the story against innumerable odds. His tenacious determination leads him to a sense of hope amongst the monotony and depression.