Santiago's Loss

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Recommended: The theme of success in the old man and the sea

What would you do if others thought you were a foolish failure? Would you get angry? Get even? Give up? In the book, The Old Man and The Sea, author Ernest Hemingway introduces the character Santiago, an aging seasoned sailor who had to respond to just this dilemma. He chose to respond with strength, humility, and endurance in spite of the suffering caused by the situation. In this slow going, but interesting and action packed book, a very aged man follows his dreams. Many villagers made fun of Santiago which drove him to go back out to sea in search of the catch that would prove he had value and make his dreams come true. While many of the fisherman in the story accuse him of being weak and a liar, he is shown to be a strong, humble man who suffered their insults with dignity. Santiago was an elderly Cuban fisherman. For eighty four days, he caught nothing. However, he persisted in wanting to catch the “big fish” that will feed him and put money in his pocket. …show more content…

Santiago makes up for being elderly by demonstrating incredible endurance, withstanding hunger, physical pain, and isolation from the rest of the world as he battles the fish. Endurance becomes a way to connect with Santiago and the battle with the fish as they share a determination that, in its magnitude, separates them from other people and creatures. Santiago, while mocked and made fun of for his courage and perseverance, stays humble even when he catches the fish. Catching this fish was like winning today's lottery, this great fish would have provided plenty of food and money for Santiago. Yet the fish was torn apart by sharks,and Santiago only had but the bones left. When he got back to shore many people thought he didn't catch the fish, and many people did. Yet Santiago stayed humble and did not brag or boast of the

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