Old Man And The Sea Analysis

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.

Santiago uses his own experiences, as well as stories told to him by other great fishermen of the past, to achieve knowledge and motivation. For example, in a discussion between Santiago and a boy named Manolin, the boy reminded Santiago, “Remember how you went eighty-seven days without fish and then we caught big ones every day for three weeks?” (Hemingway 10). Santiago learned from this experience that no matter how long of a fishing draught he is experiencing, he will be able to overcome it in great success eventually. This past knowledge proves useful for Santiago as the story describes him being in a similar drought of eighty-four days with no fish (Hemingway 9). This ability to use the past to motivate himself in the present furthermore supports the idea that Santiago follows the Transcendental ethic of learning from the past.

Throughout humanity, a man's fervor for acceptance is undermined by the mental delinquency of success or internal bliss. Ernest Hemingway simplistic writing methodology exhibits the theme of self triumph and courage in his classic novella The Old Man and the Sea, which explores the importance of self autarchy. Hemingway’s intricate, yet simple, display of morality comes through the main character, Santiago, an old Cuban soul whose self determination fuels his lackluster luck as a fisherman. In desultory fashion, the old man ventures off into the deep blue, his self goal ambiguous. As his time fishing goes along in ordinance, he hooks, which at the time is unknown, a larger than life Marlin. As for one last effort, the old man expresses a self

“I could just drift, he thought, and sleep and put a bight of line around my toe to wake me. But today is eighty-five days and I should fish the day well” (41). Santiago, an old fishing champion, has not caught a fish in eighty-four days, but he is not ready to give up yet. Santiago encounters the biggest marlin he has ever seen, and he spends a vigorous three days fighting the fish. Santiago’s journey in The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway functions as a literary quest as he struggles to overcome patience, pride, and loneliness on his journey to self-discovery.

Santiago of The Old Man and the Sea is the quintessential “Hemingway Hero”-a type of fictional character created by Hemingway in all of his books whose basic response to life appealed very strongly to the readers. The Old Man begins the narrative with all the elements of such a hero despite his senescence and poverty. He shows strength, determination, and dedication to himself despite his struggles. Santiago relates back to readers as a strong failure who picks himself up repeatedly.

Ernest Hemingway writes many great novels. The Old Man and the Sea is no different. In this novel the main character Santiago makes changes. He is an old man who has caught many fish in the past ,but recently has had trouble catching something worthy. This old man changes physically, and more importantly, mentally throughout the book . At the end of this novel, Santiago becomes much more mature and humble. One can see these changes that Santiago makes with three major events of the story.

After the old man returned home, Manolin told the old man that he would begin fishing alongside him once again. This was also good news to Santiago because the boy had good luck catching fish. When Santiago asked the boy what he caught during his absence, he replied, “One the first day. One the second and two the third” (Hemingway 124). The old man had hope for the future; Manolin wanted Santiago to teach him everything he knew about fishing. Manolin tells Santiago, “You must get well fast for there is much that I can learn and you can teach me everything” (Hemingway

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.

In Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago's struggle against the marlin symbolizes a struggle within himself that is rooted in proving the strength of the mind over the body. While Santiago may be engaged in a battle with the marlin, his true struggle is against himself to endure the challenge. The fight against the marlin weakens Santiago physically, but strengthens him mentally, and enables him to overcome his bodily ailments. Santiago’s unwillingness to give in proves that the strength of the mind can subdue the most merciless circumstances.

“True friends won’t grow apart even if they don’t talk everyday” (Drake). The Old Man and the Sea happened in the 1940’s in Havana Cuba near the Gulf of Mexico. Santiago, the main character, had gone 84 days without catching any fish. Santiago is know to be the best fisherman in Cuba. But, he has gone 84 days without catching a fish. This has cost him his reputation as a fisherman. Losing his reputation has also cost Santiago to lose the boy, Manolin. Manolin is a young boy who Santiago wants to pass on his morals and beliefs. But, his parents won't let them fish together. Santiago plans to get both his reputation and the boy back again. He plans to go out very deep into the sea and catch the biggest fish ever. Santiago is a unique Hemingway

In the fishing world, catching a fish is not easy. In the novel The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago fishes on the eighty-fifth day knowing what a journey brings. Santiago goes with hope in his mind and with melancholy from leaving Manolin behind. Santiago of Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea proves to be human is to suffer as well as to care for others.

“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.

Santiago’s determination assisted him a lot while he was in the ocean. He precisely did everything to keep the marlin safe and unharmed. Even though most people would not do this, he even grappled with the sharks that tried to feast on the fish. While at sea, Santiago even proposed to his enemy, “But I will kill you before this day ends” (Hemingway 54). Moreover, he used all of his resources in order to capture the fish, including his knowledge of the secrets to the sea.

Throughout a life, people have to overcome obstacle after obstacle to be successful in the world. Humans are thrown challenges day after day, week after week. Everyone must try hard at something to be truly happy in their life. In Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Old Man and the Sea, he used the marlin and the sharks as symbols, and gave Santiago certain character attributes to depict the perserverance, courage, and smarts needed to get through the ups and downs that life hands everyone.

Ernest Hemingway had many great accomplishments in his historical life but one event sticks out from the rest. The Old Man and the Sea is one of Hemingway’s most enduring works. Told in Language of great simplicity and power, it is the story of an old Cuban fisherman, agonizing battle with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream. Here Hemingway recasts, in strikingly contemporary style, the classic theme of courage in the face of defeat, of personal triumph won from loss. Written in 1952, this hugely successful novel confirmed his power and presence in the literacy