Old Man and the Sea 6

The Old Man and the Sea may have been written over half of a century ago, but it still has timeless lessons. The messages that this simple story conveys were important then, and they remain important to this day. This is a story that shows a personal triumph that a man gains even after a great loss. This man endures day after day of failed fishing attempts, and when he finally catches a fish it is taken away from him. He may have lost the fish, but he gained a personal triumph.
This is also a story of courage, primarily in the face of defeat. After the old man hooks the fish it takes control. The old man is at a loss because the fish is dragging him farther and farther out in the sea, and he can’t do anything about it. He still remains courageous, and he won’t let anything stop him.
This is a short novel, but it provides several things to learn from. The other obvious lesson is to be persistent. The old man is persistent in going out at sea everyday even though he never catches anything, but he always comes home with his pride.
I think this story also teaches something about loneliness. The old man is out at sea by himself for a few days. He constantly says he wishes that Manolin was with him. He seems to go slightly mad too. He talks to himself and the fish, and speaks of very strange things. He says he is glad he does not have to kill the stars, and he imagines men trying to kill the moon (Hemmingway, 75.) It has been said that “loneliness is about the scariest thing out there.” I think this is very true. I believe that complete solitude leads to complete insanity. The Old Man and the Sea has a lot of lessons that people will be able to learn from for years to come.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

Old Man and the Sea 5

The Old Man and the Sea is a fairly good representation of the time period. It never really says the exact time the story is set during, but you can make a good guess from culture references, interactions, and issues. A few times Santiago brings up the baseball player Joe DiMaggio, and his job is to fish. Santiago goes out on a tiny boat, and for over eighty days he has not even caught anything. To make a good living these days fishing you would most likely have to go out on a large vessel with many people and bring in a large amount of fish. It is clear that fishing is a very important part of Santiago’s life and probably many others of the time, especially in consideration of the location. They are living in Cuba, which is an island in the Gulf of Mexico. Being right in a body of water provides a good reason to go into the fishing trade too. This novel shows a good reflection of the time period, but remains important to other times that will come.
This story symbolizes the struggle of a man against nature. This man has the skill to catch the fish, but he is not lucky enough to get it home. As the old proverb says “even a broken clock is right twice a day.” Santiago is like the broken clock, but he is only right once every eighty seven days. There is another quote by Stanislaw J. Lec that says “If a man who cannot count finds a four leaf clover, is he lucky?” Santiago is like the man who cannot count, and the fish is the four leaf clover. Santiago finds the fish, but he is not lucky. That is why the fish is taken from him.
There is a lot of thematic significance to this story too. Henry David Thoreau once said “many men go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.” I think this quote relates well to the novel because Santiago does not care that he did not keep the fish. He cares that he fought a worthy adversary and won. He is a man who takes pride in achievements like this.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

Old Man and the Sea 4

The hero in The Old Man and the Sea is Santiago. He is prideful and hardworking old man. When he sets out to do something he does it. He showed this attribute when he was in a day long arm wrestling match with another man and when he fought to catch a fish for three days. He did not stop in either situation until he won. Santiago shows pride in everything he does. He tells Manolin “I try not to borrow. First you borrow. Then you beg” (Hemmingway, 18.) Santiago is too prideful to beg for money, so he will not borrow it either. He takes pride in working for his money by fishing. He is in charge of his income and nobody can tell him what to do. Santiago has his pride and nobody can take it.
Santiago accomplished quite a bit even though it may not seem like it. He set out at sea with nothing and only came back with a shredded up fish carcass. But simply catching that fish was a great accomplishment. It had been a few months since he had even caught a fish, and this is what the old man does for a living. Catching the fish could be a sign that his bad luck is over, but he does not even get home with the marlin because sharks eat his catch.
At first Santiago is portrayed as a downtrodden, old man, but as the story progresses he is seen to represent a strong determination in himself. He is always determined to complete whatever task he is faced with. He will complete it even if it takes him over eighty days. He will even overcome sleep and hunger to do it. Santiago is an old man, but he his wise from experience. He knows he will be triumphant in catching a fish before he sets sail because he has done it before. He may not have caught a fish in a long time, but he knows how to catch a fish. His determination is the reason he catches the fish and gets home alive.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

Old Man and the Sea 1

The writing reveals that the author has a positive attitude on life and many important values. Hemmingway clearly values doing something he enjoys for a living. His main character, Santiago, is a prideful fisherman who has gone many days without a good catch. He keeps a positive attitude and always tries to catch the fish that seem to elude him every day. Through Santiago, Hemmingway values hard work. Before he was commonly known as the old man, Santiago went by El Campeón. He was unstoppable and won a day-long match of arm wrestling against the strongest man on the docks. This shows how the author finds persistency and determination to be important values. The old man also uses this persistence and determination against the fish. He spends days struggling with the largest fish he has ever seen or even heard of. The author also values a good story. When the old man finally gets back home he has gained nothing more than a story, but that is all he needs. All of the fishermen see the skeleton of the eighteen foot fish and gain a new respect for the old man. Santiago says he is not religious, but I believe the author values his religion. Santiago wishes for God to get rid of the cramp in his hand, and in his desperate times he vows to say ten Our Fathers and ten Hail Marys if he catches the fish. He also promises to take a pilgrimage to the Virgin of Cobre. There is also a lot of Christian imagery throughout Santiago’s battle with the fish. Both Santiago and the fish are perceived to be like Jesus. The fish is sacrificed as food for others when it is torn apart by the sharks. This is similar to the story of Jesus sacrificing himself to pay for people’s sins. Santiago has to carry his mast which is similar to Jesus carrying the cross. Throughout the entire story the author reveals many of his values and shows his attitude about his writing.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

Old Man and the Sea 3

Although The Old Man and the Sea is a short novel, it addresses many important themes. The most persistent theme would be about perseverance, especially when the odds are against you. The old man is unlucky in the eyes of the other fishermen, but he still goes out on the sea every day. In the end he catches a fish because of his perseverance, but the fish is devoured by sharks on his way back. Because the old man persevered, he caught the biggest fish he has ever caught in his life.
Another theme comes from friendship. Santiago, an old man, is friends with Manolin, a young boy. Santiago is an outcast from the other fishermen at this point, and Manolin’s parents do not allow him to fish with the old man anymore. Manolin is upset that he cannot go out with Santiago, and while Santiago is at sea he constantly wishes his friend was there too. Their friendship played a role in Santiago staying alive. He wanted to get back safely, so the young boy would not have to worry about him.
Another major theme is about luck. Very early in the story Santiago says he is unlucky. Then he says “It is better to be lucky. But I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes you are ready” (Hemmingway, 32.) This is exactly how The Old Man and the Sea goes. Santiago is thorough and prideful in his work as a fisherman, but he goes without a catch. Then, after eighty-four days he is ready when the eighteen foot marlin shows up. But because Santiago is exact and not lucky, sharks show up and ruin his catch.
The thing that Hemmingway understands about human nature is doing prideful work. At any time during the old man’s battle with the giant fish he could have just let it go, but he was far too prideful for that. Santiago is a fisherman who takes great pride in catching his own food and living the way he does. The life that he has leaded has caused him to be too proud to simply let the fish go.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

Old Man and the Sea 2

The main conflict of The Old Man and the Sea is between the old man, Santiago, and an eighteen foot long fish. The conflict is a struggle between the two out at sea. Santiago wants to catch the fish and the fish wants to break free. The conflict was caused by the old man’s lack of success in his recent fishing attempts. Santiago has gone eighty-four days without a single catch. He goes out on the water and prepares to catch a fish. Depending on how one looks at the situation you could say Santiago starts off at a loss or a gain. He hooks the fish, but it is almost like the fish hooked him. The marlin becomes the one in control of Santiago’s direction. Although the fish is physically in control of the conflict, Santiago is mentally in control. Santiago is in two fights at this point. He is in a battle for control with the fish, but he is also in a battle with hunger. He was already running on a very low amount of food before he left, but now the only way he can survive is to catch something and eat it. Eventually he gains some help on the conflict by catching some fish to eat. His last control-gaining effort on the conflict is when he actually catches the fish. Then Santiago is at a loss when sharks show up. He must fight them off, but they eventually tear apart the fish that he has worked so hard to catch. At the end of his great adventure the old man has gained a fish skeleton, respect from all the other fishermen, and an amazing story to tell. He never would have gotten any of these if he did not go far out into the water and strive for a catch. He caught the biggest fish he has ever even heard of let alone seen, and he did it all alone at an old age while hungry.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.