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Old Man And The Sea Faith

Decent Essays
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway is a novella set near the Gulf of Mexico in the late 1940s. The tale presents three significant ideas; faith, pride and loyalty and respect. These ideas teach us that having faith can empower us to go beyond our expectations, taking pride in everything you do can let us accomplish greatness and developing loyalty and respect for one another allow us to take care of each other in times of hardship. Faith allows us to never give up and push beyond our expectation, letting us achieve great things. The novella’s protagonist, Santiago, continues to do whatever he must do to the best of his ability, no matter what tribulations befall him. While challenges and setbacks strip him of all signs of success, still his spirit can remain undefeated. Despite the hunger and pain and 84 days of bad luck, Santiago keeps the faith he has in himself. “The sun rose thinly from the sea and the old man could see the other boats, low on the water and well in toward the shore, spread out across the current.” The sun is an allusion to a bright future or a new day. Santiago’s faith allows him to see a positive view of the occasion. While nearly “everything about Santiago is old,” his eyes remain “the same colour as the sea and are cheerful and undefeated.” Instead of surrendering after 84 days of terrible luck, he sails farther out into the Gulf than he has gone before. “He was letting the current do a third of the work...” Santiago allowed the ocean to
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