He is so poor that he sometimes does not even have food. Manolin brings him his supper, given to him by the owner of the Terrace (19-20). On the eighty-fifth day, Santiago goes far out into the Gulf Stream away from all the other fisherman to catch a big fish. He is “alone and out of sight of land” when he catches “the biggest fish that he [has] ever seen and bigger than he [has] ever heard of” (63). To prevent the giant marlin from getting away, Santiago holds onto the line using only his back, arms, and hands.
People around one can help persist through challenging times together. In The Old Man and The Sea, Santiago goes through troubling situations. With the realizing himself and others, he overcomes any difficult times thrown towards him. In The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway, Hemingway utilizes supporting characters to aid the theory of Santiago’s well-rounded nature through struggle within others. The marlin’s personality parallels to Santiago’s development and journey.
Instead of bragging to the other fishermen about his great catch that he once had, Santiago simply stays humble and returns to his home like it was a normal day. Towards the end of the novel, Hemingway makes a somewhat perfect ending by describing Santiago’s position as he collapses on his bed, “Face down with his arms out straight and the palms of his hands up.” (Hemingway) Using imagery, it is obvious that he conveys the image of Christ, restless and exhausted, while he is hung up on the cross. This specific ending displays the exhaustion Santiago must have felt. The biblical influence of the novel shows that the old man and Jesus suffered in many of the same ways, and they both are individuals who exemplify excellence by turning loss into gain, defeat into victory and even death into new
In conclusion, the sea is symbolic of the entire world in “Old Man and The Sea”, and Santiago barely even touched the water and learned so much, while teaching others even more. Santiago’s story gives insight to universal truths about human interaction with the world, and exposes how respect, confidence, pride, and determination can drive anybody through any challenge. Finally, Santiago’s fight with the marlin proves to be a symbol of the true meaning, and positive attitudes of
We can say,the old man and the sea is a story of victory rather than a story of failure.although Santiago loses the battle with sharks in the defense of his great marlin.he maintains his human dignity and “grace under pressure”.particularly,the manner in which he endures his loss and he faces the unavoidable failure is a kind of victory. The old man transcends failure and even death through his inner spirit of not being defeated.Beyond the spirit lies a dignity and a combination of perseverance and endurance. Santiago’s features of tough guy are displayed one by one clearly through his inner world,language as well as brave action. Santiago has transcended the fear of death through his action at the end of the novel. He makes the flower of his life in full bloom,shining brightly.his life gets sublimated through transcending the
Lena Warren January 7th, 2017 Writing 9/10 Old Man and the Sea Essay The Old Man and the Sea : The symbolism of the Marlin In the literary fiction, The Old Man and the Sea, written by Ernest Hemingway, creates a battle between a fisherman and a marlin, presenting the fisherman as the ideal man. The successful fisherman, Santiago, sets out onto the sea to find his big break, in this case he encountered the marlin. The battle between Santiago and the marlin was much greater than a fisherman trying to catch a large fish. The marlin caught by the fisherman, symbolizes Communion, crucifixion, and redemption. The marlin has conveyed symbolism of Christ and Communion, making a connection to the symbolic ritual of The Last Supper.
If I cannot fish with you. I would like to serve in some way.” ( Ernest Hemingway, page 12). The boy, in this quotation, is insisting on the old man to let him bring sardines for the old man to use as baits or to eat. By this saying, the reader is first introduced to the boys extreme care for the old man and this shows the boy’s loyalty and need to help for the ones he cares about for even though his parents prevented him from going fishing with the old man he wants to help the old man in any way he can. The boy feels the need to help the old man however he
At the first time, he was shocked because the fish is bigger than he guess. It is rather big to handle by himself, but he showed that he cannot be beaten by its size. He bravely fight against the marlin by using simple equipment that we might think it cannot be used to kill the fish. I respect for his bravery. Not all people have it.
Soon what he believes to be a marlin, takes his bait, beginning what becomes an epic clash between man and fish. For 3 days* Santiago tirelessly keeps hold of the marlin as it drags his boat through the water in an effort to break free. Finally Santiago understands the magnitude of the eighteen foot fish, when the marlin pulls with all its strength on the fishing cable, causing immense strain on Santiago 's palms and “cutting [them] badly” (Hemingway 82). This tug-of-war with the marlin impacts Santiago 's physical health tremendously; his body aches and his hands continue bleeding. The wounds he acquires on his palms connect to images of Christ’s crucifixion wounds, highlighting how each went through painful suffering and foreshadows Santiago 's eventual defeat.
For many, continually fighting such a large fish and warding off sharks would be a traumatic experience. To Santiago, it was simply something that needed to be done. Such incredible strength and perseverance is something many would gloat about. However, the old man was latent about his pride and never once relished about his achievements. Santiago had great pride, conversely he never presented it in a repulsive way.