Preview

The Old Man and the Sea

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
855 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Old Man and the Sea
Throughout life, people have to face challenging situations and go against obstacles. Whether these obstacles are critical to one's life, dangerous, emotional, or don't affect the person greatly, people have to overcome and get around one obstacle until the next ones comes up. Like what Ken Lintz said, "An obstacle is often an unrecognized opportunity," meaning that overcoming an obstacle can lead to great success in a new opportunity, is something that everyone can learn.

In The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago is challenged to fight his way through multiple forces. Him trying to overcome these obstacles are not just because of the threat to his survival, but also for his own personal content and confidence. All throughout the book, the Old Man has to face the power of the Marlin, the sharks and ocean, his own loneliness without the boy there with him, and his lack of energy. His peaceful fishing adventure changed to a not so happily ever after ending unfortunately. Without breaking down these barriers one at a time, Santiago would never have been able to progress like he did though, even if in the end he didn't end up bringing home the Marlin as proof.

Throughout the entire story, Santiago is facing all the elements within the ocean. These include the Marlin, sharks, finding food, and more. For the majority of the story the Marlin is the main struggle and obstacle the Old Man must overcome. Even though Santiago is very anxious to bring the Marlin home, he doesn't rush the hunt and remains patient. Catching this fish would mean he would break his bad luck streak that had been going on for over eighty days, and he would gain more respect as a fisherman, not only from other people, but himself.

Also, there are multiple minor obstacles including the sharks and also Santiago making sure that he provides for himself by catching food. In the end, the Old Man defeats the Marlin. With the Marlin on the side of the boat though, it doesn't mean it will be safe. The

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Old Man and the Sea

    • 713 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago is challenged to fight his way through multiple forces. Him trying to overcome these obstacles are not just because of the threat to his survival. He does it for his own personal content and confidence. All throughout the book, the Old Man has to face the power of the Marlin, the sharks, the ocean, and his lack of energy. His peaceful fishing adventure changed to a not so happily ever after ending, unfortunately. Without breaking down these barriers one at a time, Santiago would never have been able to progress like he did. Though he did not end up bringing home the Marlin as proof, Santiago is motivated with his determination.…

    • 713 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    “No one should be alone in their old age, he thought. But it is unavoidable. I must remember to eat the tuna before he spoils in order to keep strong. Remember, no matter how little you want to, that you must eat him in the morning. Remember, he said to himself.” Yet again, Santiago pairs one of his burdens with the optimism that to acutely characterizes him. He freely admits to being a lonely, old man, and yet it is this common theme of determination that presents itself here, yet again, to help the old man overcome his obstacles. He has the mindset that he is going to preserver until the end of time, which literally for him could mean his death. On page 52, he actually confirms this notion, saying “Fish…I’ll stay with you until I am dead.” His pure strength of mind is so unbelievable fortified here that he has no trouble in bluntly admitting to his own likely demise. There is a significant difference between admitting to something, and succumbing to it, however. Santiago In this case, however willing to admit to his flaws and handicaps, is in no way yielding to his own demise. He is ready to give all he’s got in the name of this war of fish versus man. He confirms this fact on page 54 when he says “Fish…I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead before this day…

    • 824 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    There is no amount of physical abuse or pain on Earth that can satisfy Santiago's pride and honor, that remain invincible. Even though the fisherman knows he's had bad luck catching fish for 87 days, he still states that he has plenty of fish to eat, because he would perfer hunger over shame any day. Satiago faces major risks by traveling to the deep seas alone. But during his adventure he catches the marlin that justifys his reliance and pride upon himself. Santiago's attitude towards his big catch shows his extent in his honor. He takes pride in the endurence and strength it took to defeat his opponent. Santiago loves fish even though he kills them on a…

    • 119 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Santiago's Unlucky

    • 538 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Santiago represents honor and pride. Pride can motivate a man to greatness and the old man accomplishes greatness. He knows he has pride so he would not let the villagers defeat him, and definitely he was not giving up on the boat when struggling with the marlin for so long. Even though the old man is not the most liked by everyone, and may not catch fish everyday he still has hope and confidence. That is what keeps him going everyday,…

    • 538 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemmingway expresses the idea that when one shows honour during struggle, defeat, and even death, one may be rewarded with greatness due to their perseverance. Hemmingway shows this through the character of Santiago, and the journey he goes on. From when he was first introduced, to the moment he caught the fish, and finally when Santiago arrives back home, he showed honour during his finest and most unfavourable moments.…

    • 898 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Santiago's Struggles

    • 1051 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Through times of struggle, humans resort to memories and ideas to help them through the conflict. This is particularly true when it comes to the hardships of fishing. Santiago is at battle for many days with a large marlin where he becomes triumphant, although temporarily, he was not defeated. He uses memories of the boy and baseball to keep his mind of the pain that he was in to fulfill his duty as a fisherman. Using characterization, point of view and symbolism, youthful strength, courage, and love of nature is strongly demonstrated in Ernest Hemingway's novella The Old Man and the Sea.…

    • 1051 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Despite knowing that he hasn 't caught any fish in 84 days, he continues to go out in his boat every morning, never with a negative attitude. His persistent actions show his ability to go on every day even when the odds were against him. After catching the marlin and being out so far for almost two days, Santiago is extremely tired, but he won 't give up to the fish, or go to sleep. "He felt very tired now and he knew the night would come soon" (Hemingway 67). Even though he could have slept, he mostly stayed awake with the fish, and kept all of his courage so that he would be able to get home with the great marlin. His courage showed when he had to stay in the ocean alone for three days with little protection, and his small food supply. He could have turned back to shore safely at any time, but he didn 't. Santiago faced possible death at any moment, but his courage allowed him to continue on his journey. When the sharks attack the carcass, he does everything in his power to fight them off when it 's obviously a battle lost from the start, but he gives it his all. After loosing his harpoon when fighting with the sharks, he still continues to go on and make a new weapon (out of the few materials on his boat, for example an oar and his knife) and uses all of the energy he has left in him to protect the…

    • 683 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Santiago's Destruction

    • 667 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Destruction and Defeat Could you imagine catching an 18 foot long marlin? The marlin, eaten by a shark on the way home, could not defeat the fact that catching the great fish is a victory. Santiago did this in the book the Old Man and the Sea by Earnest Hemingway. He is victorious at the end of the story for multiple reasons-he has endurance, he is never defeated, and he does not lose faith throughout the entire story.…

    • 667 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Santiago Hemingway Hero

    • 1557 Words
    • 7 Pages

    "Santiago, throughout his hardships of his three-day fight with the marlin, displays courage by keeping at the task, no matter how tired he gets, and 'going the distance, ' (Dwiggins). This "going the distance" she speaks of is not only the fact that he went the distance by holding onto the marlin, and not letting it go, but also going out farther than the rest of the fisherman normally would. Not only did he go further than the fisherman in that factor, but also in the factor of vowing for a fight with the Marlin to the death. He was not going to let go, no matter the cost. "Just as Santiago goes 'far out ' beyond the lesser ambitions of the other fishermen, he finds the great fish not simply because he was the better fisherman, but because, in a symbolic sense, he deserves it," (Davis 6). Why does Santiago…

    • 1557 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ernest Hemingway’s novel, The Old Man and the Sea, can be construed as an allusion to the Bible and the struggles of Jesus based on Santiago’s experiences.…

    • 1696 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The old man is a person who will not give up easily. Even though he was old and tired he never gave up on catching the Marlin. He is humble, yet exhibits a justified pride in his abilities. Throughout his life, Santiago has been presented with contests…

    • 490 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hemingway 's Old Man has, in many ways, a direct connection to the very marlin that is his downfall in the novella. In The Old Man and The Sea, the Old Man, Santiago, was once a great fisherman, el champion, the best of the best. But after not catching a fish for eighty-three days, he has begun to lose hope in himself. People do not refer to him by his name anymore, but instead as Old Man, a demeaning and condescending way of speaking to one who was once so great. The only time Hemingway ever refers to the Old Man as “Santiago” is when he wins an arm wrestling match in a show of extreme physical masculinity. Even through his mental struggles, the Old Man is ever just the Old Man to the reader, the people of his society, and even to himself. However, when the Old Man is fighting the marlin, he tells himself repeatedly that he is capable of this feat. When he finally reels the fish in, he is feeling strong and powerful, his masculinity returned to him through this physical victory. “Then his head started to become a little unclear and he thought, is he bringing me in or am I bringing him in?” (99) The Old Man and the marlin are going back to shore side by side. Through the entire battle with this fish, it…

    • 1098 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Reading through the novel The Old Man and the Sea one, as a reader, can perceive several themes in the book. Various arguments can be established by the way Hemingway set up the story. Some may argue that the novel’s theme was Santiago’s struggle, the friendship with the fish and other characters, Santiago’s perseverance and that he really ended up as a triumphant man. But to argue that those were also the main themes of the book is also a difficult thing to do. Even though Santiago fought and kept on with his struggle to catch the fish, he was defeated because he lost it at the end.…

    • 688 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Old Man and the Sea was written by Ernest Hemingway. Some people may think it is a very basic book or easy reading. The book had deeper meaning and a lot depth. Hemingway used lots of symbolism, the theme of loneness, and the imagery of the lions on the beach to write his book.…

    • 672 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    <The old man and the sea> was written by Hemingway, he used Santiago—a simple role to manifest Hemingway’s feeling into his whole mind to captivate the reader.…

    • 181 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays

Related Topics