Preview

Old Man and the Sea

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1273 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Old Man and the Sea
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

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Santiago's Husband Quotes

    • 1000 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Santiago ponders about those who use buoys as floats and motorboats for vehicles. Therefore, they were more modern in their technology and spoke of the sea as their enemy. Hemingway states, “Some of the younger fishermen, those who used buoys as floats for their lines and had motorboats, bought when the shark livers had brought much money, spoke of her as el mar which is masculine” (30). Depicting of the sea as male, the younger fishermen believed contesting the sea is the way to reap rewards. Using less traditional equipment, they see the sea as a rugged competition and battle him for…

    • 1000 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    “No one should be alone in their old age, he thought. But it is unavoidable. I must remember to eat the tuna before he spoils in order to keep strong. Remember, no matter how little you want to, that you must eat him in the morning. Remember, he said to himself.” Yet again, Santiago pairs one of his burdens with the optimism that to acutely characterizes him. He freely admits to being a lonely, old man, and yet it is this common theme of determination that presents itself here, yet again, to help the old man overcome his obstacles. He has the mindset that he is going to preserver until the end of time, which literally for him could mean his death. On page 52, he actually confirms this notion, saying “Fish…I’ll stay with you until I am dead.” His pure strength of mind is so unbelievable fortified here that he has no trouble in bluntly admitting to his own likely demise. There is a significant difference between admitting to something, and succumbing to it, however. Santiago In this case, however willing to admit to his flaws and handicaps, is in no way yielding to his own demise. He is ready to give all he’s got in the name of this war of fish versus man. He confirms this fact on page 54 when he says “Fish…I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead before this day…

    • 824 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Santiago's Loss

    • 722 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In Old Man and the Sea, the fisherman Santiago has caught nothing for the last 84 days. He even catches a massive marlin, only for it to be chomped away by ravenous sharks. Yet Santiago’s main quality of resistance of defeat lets him survive and grow as a prideful man through the experiences he suffers through, without being destroyed. Santiago’s other main qualities stems from this theme’s resistance of defeat: his pride, humility, and humbleness. Manolin, a boy who stops fishing with Santiago because of his parents, offers sardines to Santiago as a pitiful gesture.…

    • 722 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    According to Helen Keller, “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trail and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired and success achieved”. Through this quote, she shows that people behave differently from each other due to their experience and event that they have faced. Santiago in the old man and the sea remains as a hero through his experiences. Written in 1956, Jan in silver sword has also faced many struggles before he comes to meet Ruth’s parents. Comparing them shows that though both Jan and Santiago have been through hard time and have become a hero, they do not have the same characters. Jan and Santiago share the same characteristics such as being bold, caring and lonely. However,…

    • 144 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In spite of the people in the village doubting him as a fisherman, somehow, Santiago still has just as much pride as any other man. “I am a strange old man “ (14). With his misfortune, Santiago…

    • 739 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Old Man and the Sea

    • 568 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In the novel, The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago the fisherman can be viewed as either a failure or a success. In the aspects of Rishi, Devata, and Chhandas we can see that Santiago is not a failure. He has gone eighty-four days without catching a fish, and he is the laughingstock of his small village. Regardless of his past, the old man determines to change his luck and sail out farther than he or the other fishermen ever have sailed out before.…

    • 568 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Old Man and the Sea

    • 1055 Words
    • 5 Pages

    There are numerous conflicts within The Old Man and the Sea. Some of them include: Santiago vs. the Marlin, Santiago vs. Nature, Santiago vs. Himself, and Manolin vs. Himself. Santiago is obviously externally at conflict with the marlin. They are in a constant struggle of strength and stamina to defeat one another. Santiago is also going up against nature, as he goes against the sharks, the sea, etc. Santiago is at…

    • 1055 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Santiago's 'Defeat'

    • 583 Words
    • 3 Pages

    “Defeat” can also be explained as overpowered, beat, failure, and even rejection. These two words cast a certain feel of an everlasting foreshadowing promise to Santiago that causes him to learn how to adjust to these future events. They also proceed to influence him through his journey on the sea, to figure out what it is he’s truly searching for. This story, The Old Man and the Sea, teaches us that one can determine their own strength of life through worthiness, honor, glory, dignity, defeat, and destruction. “A man can be killed, but as long as he doesn't quit he can't really be…

    • 583 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    To begin with the characteristic of insistence, Santiago, the fishermen, in the novel never quit although he faces dilemma. Fortuneless, for instance, he could not even catch one fish; nevertheless, he remains consistent in his fishing life. To be more specific, Santiago still wakes up early in the morning and goes fishing every day. Even though he is too unfortunate to catch a fish and is taunted and teased by other fishermen, he does not quit fishing. Santiago’s characteristic truly shows me that people should not give up no matter whatever obstacles they face.…

    • 313 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Santiago's Suffering

    • 766 Words
    • 4 Pages

    One night while he was out with Manolin, "They sat on the Terrace and many of the fishermen made fun of the old man." (11) That did not hurt his spirit nearly as much as not having Manolin go fishing with him everyday. Manolin no longer went fishing with Santiago because as he said, "It was papa made me leave. I am a boy and I must obey him." (10) Santiago had not caught a fish for eighty-four days. Manolin’s father wanted his son to be on a boat that caught fish so he could make some money. This made Santiago think that if he caught a fish, a great fish, that Manolin’s father would once again allow him to fish with Santiago. Santiago also felt a need to restore his own pride in himself. In a way he, himself, was beginning to feel that he was not as great of a fisherman as he used to be. He felt that not only would Manolin be allowed to go fishing with him if he caught a fish, but he would also, once again, be noted as a great fisherman, not only by others but also by…

    • 766 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The author’s writing in the passage from The Old Man and the Sea is written with figurative language, cacophonous words and negative connotations and expressions on mental images with mixed thoughts. In this two paged passage Santiago goes to fish in the ocean in his skiff and caught a Marlin. While he finished catching the fish he runs into the sharks during his way back home. The writer Ernest Hemingway incorporates figurative language into his writing. Mostly and mainly on comparing things to a shark: “. . .…

    • 228 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Santiago In Sea

    • 856 Words
    • 4 Pages

    William Handy makes a believable statement in his quote, “In the portrayal of Santiago in the Old man and the Sea …. Concerning the depiction of conflicting values,” while on the other hand, it is difficult to agree that “in every situation, Santiago responds as a spiritually fulfilled man. ”(Handy 2) Santiago was not spiritually grounded as seen in statements he voiced about recited prayers while fishing.…

    • 856 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As Santiago goes too far trying to catch the marlin, he ignores all the hardships involved in his duel, eventually catching the fish, justifying his pride and self-reliance.…

    • 865 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    For 84 days he has not caught any fish which drives his villagers to call his “salao”, i.e. unlucky. However, on the 85th day, he goes to the sea to try catching fish. On his boat, he hooks into an extremely big fish a “marlin”, which became his three days long battle that he must fight off to be able to hold it. Santiago’s real reason for going everyday nonstop to the sea, regardless of his age and misfortune, is to prove that he will always fight and will never give up on his fate. His epic struggle stands for his struggle with his existence.…

    • 1270 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    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.…

    • 286 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics