The Old Man and the Sea, short heroic novel by Ernest Hemingway, published in 1952 and awarded the 1953 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. It was his last major work of fiction. The story centres on an aging fisherman who engages in an epic battle to catch a giant marlin.

The Old Man and the Sea is the story of an epic struggle between an old, seasoned fisherman and the greatest catch of his life. For eighty-four days, Santiago, an aged Cuban fisherman, has set out to sea and returned empty-handed.

The Old Man and the Sea

• Perseverance.
• Suffering.
• Pride.
• Friendship.
• Respect.

Old Man and the Sea Essay It is believable that Santiago is dead at the end of The Old Man and the Sea. One event that foreshadowed Santiago’s death was the death of the marlin. The fish and the old man displayed similar qualities of strength, bravery and determination.

The male fish always let the female fish feed first and the hooked fish, the female, made a wild, panic-stricken, despairing fight that soon exhausted her, and all the time the male had stayed with her… That was the saddest thing I ever saw with them, the old man thought.

Why did Santiago finally lose hope? The sharks ate the MEAT of the fish. The sharks just ate it and he went out to far.

Santiago notices that his hand is bleeding from where the line has cut it. Aware that he will need to keep his strength, the old man makes himself eat the tuna he caught the day before, which he had expected to use as bait.

What did Santiago want to prove? He wants to prove that even though he is old, he can still catch fish. It was like how he and the fish were fighting.

When it passes under the boat, Santiago cannot believe its size. The old man thinks that the fish is killing him, and admires him for it, saying, “I do not care who kills who.” Eventually, he pulls the fish onto its side by the boat and plunges his harpoon into it.

The marlin that he battled and now considers a friend will soon be little more than shark food. At this moment, when despair might overtake him, Santiago’s thoughts of Manolin sustain him. Santiago leans over, strips off a piece of the marlin from where the shark bit it, and eats it.

Why can Santiago not look at the mutilated marlin? The marlin was his friend and he doesn’t think he honored the fish.

The marlin wakes Santiago by jerking the line. As the sun rises, the marlin begins to circle. For hours the old man fights the circling fish for every inch of line, slowly pulling it in. He feels faint and dizzy and sees black spots before his eyes.

The Old Man and the Sea is rife with religious symbolism. The marlin is no exception. In addition to symbolizing redemption for Santiago’s unlucky stretch of fishing, it also symbolizes redemption in a religious context. The marlin is a symbol for Christ and Communion, the symbolic ritual of The Last Supper.

Santiago thinks that the fish is killing him but that it has a right to, for he has never seen anything greater, more beautiful, calmer, or more noble than this fish he calls brother. He thinks, “Come on and kill me.

While Santiago prepares for the sharks by attaching his knife to the end of one of his oars, he wonders if it was a sin to kill the fish. Santiago also shows his admiration for the Mako, because it is not just a scavenger like other sharks, and he wonders if he was wrong to have killed the Mako.

He was beautiful, the old man remembered, and he had stayed. That was the saddest thing I ever saw with them, the old man thought. The boy was sad too and we begged her pardon and butchered her promptly. The story tells us much about Santiago’s feelings for the fish he is trying to catch.

Readers may find it odd that Santiago wants to kill a fish that he claims to love and respect. However, his respect comes from the fact that he has never come across a fish so strong or clever, and he values his self-respect as a fisherman more than he values the life of the fish.

Excited to read the baseball scores, Santiago pulls out a newspaper, which he says was given to him by Perico at the bodega. Manolin goes to get the bait fish and returns with some dinner as well, a gift from Martin, the café owner.

He realizes that he is saved, but he cries for the loss of his friend Piggy. Ralph cries for the end of innocence in the lives of the boys on the island: Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of a true, wise friend called Piggy.

Manolin is a boy Santiago has known for a long time. He used to go fishing with the old man and they’ve grown close because of it. The boy is not fishing with the old man anymore because his father believes the old man doesn’t bring good luck since he hasn’t caught a fish in eighty four days.

mako shark

five sharks

In Old Man and the Sea, Santiago is considered unlucky because he has failed to catch either the big fish. Part I of the novella is called “The Unlucky Boat” because he has gone 84 days without a fish to sell at market.

What did Santiago feel beat him? Does manolin agree ? Making a relation to Jesus on the cross, he slammed the nail on his hand into the wood.

His failure to bring the fish home symbolizes a commentary on the theme of man’s pride holding him back from success. Santiago knew he was too far out, but made an irrational choice to stay and fight that ended up costing him because he so badly wanted to save his pride and status after so many failures.

In the end, all the townspeople admire Santiago for his manhood and worthiness demonstrating how he has become successful through the respect he has gained. One reading of the final scene is that Santiago is, in fact, a successful fisherman, but more successful from the inside; he’s spiritually successful.

He wonders when he developed the habit of talking to himself but does not remember. He thinks that if the other fishermen heard him talking, they would think him crazy, although he knows he isn’t. Eventually, the old man realizes that he has sailed so far out that he can no longer see the green of the shore.

why does santiago talk to himself in the boat? what does he repeat many times? he’s alone and since it isn’t bothering anyone, it seems to pass time for him. He repeats that he wished the boy was with him.

Manolin keeps Santiago alive not only by taking care of him, but also by learning from Santiago. As the old Santiago approaches death, the skills he passes along will live on in Manolin.

Santiago loves everything about being a fisherman. He is lonely at sea and his sea friends are his companions. He has great respect for the sea as well as the inhabitants that swim and live in it. He does not love all creatures of the deep, blue sea, however, does show respect for each one.