Breaking The Marlin

Ernest Hemingway once said, “The world is a fine place and worth the fighting for and I hate very much to leave it.” This quote is a fine demonstration of Hemingway’s respect for nature and the environment, which perfectly links to a lasting theme in his book, The Old Man and the Sea. Santiago’s journey on the sea is one of misfortune and survival, but in the end it’s the environment around him that helps him reach his home once again. While some may say that The Old Man and the Sea is more of a cautionary tale of how nature can have negative impacts on a person’s life, it is imperative to recognize that the story is more about residing within and accepting the changes in the environment rather than being punished by it. The theme of understanding and respecting the environment in The Old Man and The Sea is supported by factors such as Santiago’s interactions with the marlin, his respect for the sea, and his survival throughout the book.

Throughout Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago goes through various situations that test him. He rarely complains or pities himself, though he feels alone and tired. He never forgets why he is there, just like Christ when He came to save the world. Ernest Hemingway uses Santiago’s Christ-like characteristics to portray Christian imagery.

Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man And The Sea is considered to be one of the most prominent and famous works of the author that has earned him the world-wide recognition. The significance of the short novel was recognized by the 1953 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Besides, it could have contributed to the provision of the Noble Prize to Hemingway. Even though the work was the regeneration of Hemingway's writing activities, it has met controversial literary critic. While being referred to as the new classic equal to the works of Faulkner and Melville, the short novel was also criticized for the author's departure from the uncompromising realism or even for the considerations that it was an attack upon them. Nevertheless, the story of the old fisherman Santiago who strongly struggled to get the largest catch of his life and succeeded in overcoming the obstacles, even though the results seemed more like a defeat.

In the novella, The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago is an unlucky fisherman who has not caught anything in 84 days.  Yet he sets out alone on the 85th day to try again.  For three days he struggles with a large marlin which he finally kills; but, despite his best efforts, he loses the fish to repeated shark attacks.

The Old Man and the Sea is a fictional story written by Ernest Hemingway about an elderly Cuban fisherman named Santiago, who ventures out to sea to catch fish to sell in the city of Havana. The story takes place after the eighty four day unlucky streak that the old man had not catching fish and being looked down upon by many of the younger fishermen in his village, referring to him as salao, which was the worst form of unlucky. Despite this quickly gained reputation by the younger fishermen in the village, a young boy from the village named Manolin, who Santiago had taught to fish when he was very young, remained loyal to him and continued to greet Santiago each day after returning from fishing, and also helped him carry his gear and sail back to his hut each night. Manolin used to fish with Santiago, but after forty days of not catching fish, Manolin was ordered by his parents to fish on another boat in the village, which was regarded as a “lucky boat.” However, Manolin continued to help Santiago with various duties, such as catching bait, bringing him food, and looking over him each night. In fact, Manolin was so loyal to Santiago that he offered to defy his parent’s orders and fish with Santiago again, in order to help him end his unlucky streak. But Santiago refused his help and told him to remain on the current boat

Here, Hemingway portrays the angler’s opinion of the fish and of his achievement once he catches it as great and glorious. The author utilizes the marlin to illustrate Santiago’s determination of apprehending the fish no matter what circumstances arise because of the gratification and increase in self-glorification that results from it. Without seizing the creature, the angler would have no proof of the encounter making him a laughingstock in his village. The people already doubt his abilities and think of him as someone too old to catch fish anymore. The marlin has the potential bring everything around in the angler’s favor.

The protagonist of Hemingway’s short story, Santiago, is a man with much pride. The reader learns that he has gone eighty-four days without any luck catching a fish. Fellow fishermen taunt him, and the parents of his former apprentice, Manolin, refer to him as,” …definitely and finally salao,” meaning the worst form of unlucky. Nevertheless, the man has undefeated eyes. Determination and his prideful heart drive him to his goal of setting out farther to sea than usual, where the big fish are, despite his fruitless streak.

In “The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway, Santiago is an old man who catches an enormous fish after an unfortunate streak. He shows incredible strength in all that he does. His perseverance is what kept him going to break his unlucky streak. Santiago is sometimes prideful which lead him astray. Santiago is a strong, perseverant, and prideful man.

Santiago's pride does not stand alone; it is combined with some humility to push him to those new limits. Santiago thanks the boy for sharing the Sardines, the narrator admits, “He was too simple to wonder when he had attained humility. But he knew he had attained it and he knew it was not disgraceful and it carried no loss of true pride” (13-14). The author thus suggests Santiago sees pride in having humility. Santiago’s pride in humility pushes him further because he does not see the two characteristics as mutually exclusive characteristics. While out at sea, the narrator expresses Santiago’s thoughts: “It is humiliating before others to have a diarrhea from ptomaine poisoning or to vomit from it. But a cramp, he thought of it as a calambre, humiliates oneself especially when one is alone” (62). Hemingway thus aggrandizes the fact that Santiago values pride of himself over loss of pride in front of others. Santiago is constantly trying to prove and push the limits for himself and not for others. After the Old Man catches the fish, he reflects on his thoughts, "My head is not that clear. But I think the great DiMaggio would be proud of me today. I had no bone spurs. But the hands and the back hurt truly" (97). Hemingway thus conveys that Santiago is indeed interested in his own sense of pride, but the opinion of his hero also matters to him. Not only does Santiago’s pride in himself push him, but also the people he values push him

Throughout the novel we come to know and love Santiago. An old fisherman that has to overcome many difficulties in his life. He portrays many different characteristics on and off sea. Santiago has to prove to himself and Manolin that he is worthy enough to do what he is lives for, fishing. The old man portrays pride and humility many times throughout the novel The Old Man in The Sea. Santiago shows pride in his work and his catching of the marlin but he also shows humility in times of trouble.

“There are many good fisherman and some great ones. But there is only one you” (23). The boy loves Santiago. While younger and better fisherman mock Santiago, the boy is Santiago's discipline. He thinks Santiago is in his very own league for fishing. The book by Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea, is about an old fisherman and the greatest catch of his life. He has been out on sea for eighty four days empty handed and returned with nothing. Santiago, the old fisherman was forced to have his friend known as the boy leave so he can fish in a better boat. Each night Santiago returns, the boy would take care of him and help him with all the fishing routines. On the eighty fifth day, Santiago sends his skiff far out then it has ever gone before hoping for one more chance to catch the big Marlin. Santiago through his journey never gave up because he was always determined. According to Ernest Hemingway, a hero should be stoic, going beyond others, and full of pride.

In his achievement of the Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway created a “Code Hero” character named Santiago. As Santiago the main character, Hemingway gave him the traits of courage, endurance, and friendship. Santiago was a unique character who demonstrated the different aspect of courage when he said “Have faith in the Yankees my son. Think of the great Joe DiMaggio.” Santiago was a different character who showed throughout his situation endurance when he said “Fish… I’ll stay with you until I am dead.” Santiago showed his great loyalty out in sea with creatures of the sea. Santiago said “They are good… They play and make jokes and love one another. They are our brothers like the flying fish”. Santiago was great character who accomplish

The old man is at conflict with the sea because as a fisherman, Santiago relies on the sea to survive. The sea does not allow Santiago to have a single fish for 84 days. When the old man finally manages to hook a massive marlin, it is eaten by sharks.

Hemingway has a way of making his readers believe that the feats and strengths that his characters obtain in his novels are actually possible. Although this statement may be too critical, and maybe there is a man out there, somewhere on the coast of Cuba who at this very moment is setting out to the open sea to catch a marlin of his own. The struggle many readers have is believing the story of Santiago’s physical powers and his strength against temptation bring forward the question of whether or not The Old Man and the Sea is worthy to be called a classic. Hemingway’s Santiago brought Faulkner and millions of other readers on their knees, while to some, believed Hemingway

“Hemingway’s greatness is in his short stories, which rival any other master of the form”(Bloom 1). The Old Man and the Sea is the most popular of his later works (1). The themes represented in this book are religion (Gurko 13-14), heroism (Brenner 31-32), and character symbolism (28). These themes combine to create a book that won Hemingway a Pulitzer Prize in 1953 and contributed to his Nobel Prize for literature in 1954 (3).