Santiago's Love

In Hemmingway's novella, The Old Man and The Sea, love is displayed in an unusual way through the protagonist, Santiago. The love exist between an old man and nature, specifically, the ocean, rather than between man and women. Santiago's love for the ocean is more than a pleasurable love, rather a love that is the essential part of completing his unique and honorable life. Along with love, the sea is his source of pride. His sorrow is expressed deeply early in the novella after eighty-four consecutive days without catching a single fish. Because of this, he is viewed as cursed and useless in his old age by younger fishermen. To restore his pride and bring meaning back into his life, Santiago travels far away from shore to attempt the catch
His wife has passed away and no other relatives are mentioned by Hemmingway. His only companion is a boy named Melion, who who loves and respects him. However, Santaigo is not always accompanied by Melion, and in his mind the sea is his family. He refers to the her as "La Mar" a feminiane spanish word. "But the old man always thought of her as feminine and as something that gave or withheld great favors, and if she did wild or wicked things it was because she could not help them." (P. 30) It is easy to understand the importance of the sea to Santagio because it was the only "female" remaining in his life. Every man needs a woman and because he is a widower the female aspect of the sea connects with his heart on an emotional level. He also views himself as part of the sea. He refers to her creatures as brothers and declears his love for them repeatedly. "It is enough to live on the sea and kill our true
The sea has played a prominent role in his life for many decades. Even is his younger years he spent time in the ocean, "But you went turtle-ing for years off the Mosquito Coast..." (P.14) He enjoyed the ocean in many ways, but the greatest attribute was fishing.Fishing is his favorite activity, and the sea is his platform, therefore, strengthing his love for the sea. This exhibits the concept that humans tend to like things or people based upon what they have to offer them. Santiago does not mearely "like" fishing, it was more of an obsession. Fishing is not a piece in his schuelde, rather, his life evoles around the sea. His entire life's purpose, or so he believes, involves the sea. "Perhaps I should not have been a fisherman, he thought. But that was the thing that I was born for." After eighty-four days of failure, he decides to adventure into the sea. He refuses to adapt to society and as a "strange man" (P.14 ) he remains using his outdated equipment and small skiff. With deication and perserverence, he set sail to regain meaning in his