Santiago's Struggles

Internal struggles of Santiago in Old man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway I agree with William Handy in his quote, “ In the portrayal of Santiago in the Old man and the Sea there is no uncertainty of being, no confusion of self and values. …rather it is concerned with the depiction of conflicting values,”(Handy 2) The Old Man has respect toward nature to make his decisions. Santiago also respected the marlin because he has finally found his match He knows the marlin can beat him nonetheless Santiago has respect but still doesn’t let the fish beat him. The Old Man could give up and gets rope burns and cuts to prove he is the best fisherman in his village. His respect also led him to cut out the gills of the marlin so the marlin could
Joe is a god to Santiago because he thinks that anything that Joe can do he can do. “Do you believe the great DiMaggio would stay with a fish as long as I will stay with this one?” (Hemingway 87) DiMaggio even having a bone spur keeps his hitting streak alive. The importance of what Hemingway is saying is that all is really possible if you try the hardest and don’t give up. Santiago’s determination helps him catch the fish and end his bad streak of not catching a fish for 84 days. When the old man finally got home after the long fishing trip the marlin is now a skeleton. The Marlin’s significance is hard work and determination because if he would had given up on catching the fish he couldn’t have the skeleton to show that he really is good luck and Manolin’s parents would now let him fish with the Old Man. “But he was too big.” (Hemingway 90) The Old Man knew the fish was so big he still caught the fish proving he was the best of the best. The Old Man was set on what he wanted to do and he accomplished it. He knew he bit off more than he could chew but he went out to sea to catch the fish. Santiago could have gone home he had nothing to go home too. The old man only had his boat and what he had with him. The old man is the true