The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway

                                        The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway

The Old Man and the Sea: An Introduction

The Old Man and the Sea is a short novel, based on three-day journey of an old man, to catch a big fish. Ernest Hemingway wrote it in 1951, published in 1952. The Old Man and the Sea is his last chief fictional work. It is a heroic novel, and it deals with the concepts of aging, self-identification, and commitment. The novel was an immediate success and is still famous worldwide. It has been adapted into film three times, one of which was animated. The Old Man and the Sea won Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1953 and Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954.

Ernest Hemingway (July, 1899 – July, 1961)

Ernest Hemingway, the author of this novel, was an American. He was a sportsman, journalist, and writer of fiction and nonfiction. His iceberg theory, writing in an economical and minimalistic style, influenced the fictional writing of 20th century. He was born in 1899, and was second of the six siblings. Hemingway had adventurous and happening life. He was an ambulance driver in World War I and was present as a journalist in World War II. He married four times and had four children. He shot himself in 1961, ending his life.

Summary of  “The Old Man and the Sea”

The story revolves around the central character, Santiago. He has gone straight 84 days, without catching a single fish. Due to this, the people have started seeing him as ‘salao’, the worst of unluckiness. He is considered so unlucky that the young boy, Manolin, who was his apprentice, is stopped by his parents to go for fishing with Santiago anymore. However, Manolin has admiration for Santiago and sees him as a mentor. Therefore, Manolin visits Santiago each night at his shack. They talk about American baseball, Manolin prepares food, and they just enjoy each other’s company. One day, Santiago tells Manolin that the following day; he will go far out into the Gulf Stream to fish. He is confident that the unluckiness, that has attached itself to him, is going to wash away with this venture.

On the start of 85th day of unluckiness, the old man does what he decided to do. He goes far off into the Gulf Stream and very optimistically waits for his big catch. At noon, Santiago sees that a big fish, which he identifies as a marlin, has taken his bait. Filled with joy, he tries to pull the marlin, but instead, the marlin pulls the old man with his boat. He tries to tie the cord with the boat but fails. The marlin keeps on pulling the boat all through the day and night, for two days. In all this, trying to hold on to the fish, the old man gets badly injured and exhausted. Every time the marlin pulls hard, his hands end up getting more wounded. However, just like the marlin, he does not give up.

The old man admires the marlin for it staying true to its nature and struggling for freedom. He feels like the marlin is partner in his pain, suffering, and also in his strength. Finally, on the third day of old man’s struggling to keep the marlin, the fish tires and gives in. It starts to circle around his skiff. Santiago, with all that he has in him, pulls the fish and manages to kill it with a harpoon. He ties the fish to the side of the skiff and finally, after days of unimaginable struggle, aims for home. Santiago is happy and proud of himself that he has managed to catch a fish that would have a great price, and feed a lot of people. However, he is also concerned that his eaters will be unworthy of it because of its greatness.

Just within some time, due to scent of marlin’s blood, sharks gather round. They start to tear flesh away from marlin. Santiago manages to drive away a few but loses his harpoon as a result. Then as more sharks keep coming, he makes another harpoon by putting his knife into an oar. He kills several sharks and scares many away. However, still filled with hunger, the sharks keep coming and stealing the flesh off of the marlin. In the end, they leave nothing but the shell of marlin, which too only consisted of mainly its backbone, head, and tail. Santiago feels defeated at the loss of his precious opponent. He feels like his entire struggle, and labour ended in vain and he lost. He tells the sharks too that they have destroyed him and his dreams. He even blames himself for going too far.

Santiago reaches the shore, crushed with the labour of past three days. With very little that was left in him, he carries his stuff and struggles towards his shack. He leaves the skeleton of the martin, which he had very arduously caught, behind. He thinks that it is of no use to him now. Santiago makes it to his shack and just collapses on his bed. He goes into a deep slumber and becomes oblivious to everything. Now on the shore, where his boat is, fishermen gather round. They see the skeleton of the marlin attached to it and measure it. It turns out to be 18 feet (5.5 m) from nose to tail. The fish appears to be the biggest that the village had ever seen. The fishermen tell Manolin to tell the old man how sorry they are over their rude behaviour.

Manolin gets teary when he sees the old man alive, but injured. The old man tells Manolin that he lost again but Manolin assures him that everything was fine. He brings him coffee and newspapers. They chat and agree on going fishing together again. Some tourists that same day see the marlin’s skeleton and mistake it as a shark. Now in the shack, the old man goes back to his sleep and dreams of lions that he had seen in his youth when he was in Africa.

Character sketch of Santiago: The Hero of the Novel

Santiago is the main character of this novel. The whole story revolves around him and his moral values. He lives in Cuba and is impoverished because his good days are long gone. His wife has died earlier and he never had any children. Now, at such an old age, he is unable to catch a big fish or any fish at all at a regular pace. 84 days is the longest period in his life where he has not been able to catch any fish.

A fishermen’s reputation depends on his luck and how many fish he can catch. The old man is considered a stroke of bad luck in the community when it comes to fishing. He used to teach fishing to a boy who had been with him from a young age. Now his parents have sent him to learn from other fishermen because of Santiago’s bad luck. But, what sets Santiago apart from every regular fisherman is that he is dedicated to his profession on a spiritual level. Mostly fishermen join it to earn money but he takes it as nature’s course, which has to happen.

Santiago strongly feels that he is the part of that nature’s course, playing his role in catching the fish. His moral values are much different from the others when it comes to fishing properly and professionally. Indeed, Santiago’s philosophy and internal code of behaviour make him unconventional in his society. Santiago’s dedication to his profession and talent separates him from the pragmatic fishermen motivated by money. He stands apart from Cuba’s evolution to new materialism and a village fishing culture converting to the fishing industry. He remains dedicated to the profession he sees as a more spiritual way of life and a part of nature’s order in the eternal cycle. It makes all creatures brothers in their common condition of both predator and prey.

Santiago wants an extremely big catch – not only to survive but also to prove his skills once again. He wishes to restore his identity as a fisherman and secure his reputation in the community. To make sure that Manolin will always cherish his memories and becomes his successor, is one of the most important things in his life.  For Santiago, the most important thing in life is to live according to one’s beliefs with great enthusiasm and dignity. In addition, to use one’s talents and gifts of nature to the best of one’s ability, to struggle and to endure.  Moreover, save your individual existence through the work of your life, accept the inevitable destruction with dignity, and pass on to the next generation all that you have achieved. In these desires, He reflects the desires of all of us.

What makes Santiago special is that despite a lifetime of hardships, he is still a man in charge, and an expert who knows the tricks of his fisherman’s craft. His eyes remain young, cheerful, and undefeated. He knows how to rely on the transcendent power of his own imagination to engender the inspiration and confidence he needs. He wants to keep alive in himself and others the hope, dreams, faith, absorption, and resolution to transcend hardship.

Character sketch of Marlin

The marlin is a fish that has more to it to it than any other could possibly have. It is not just a big fish but also one with a true fighting spirit. Equally balanced with a successful fisherman and locked in a long battle.  It is also a creature to which Santiago offers the same qualities that he possesses, admires, and hopes to pass on. It has the dignity of the soul, greatness in life, loyalty to one’s identity and ways, endurance, and beauty.  Since Santiago and Marilyn get locked in battle for three days, they develop a close relationship.  Santiago first takes pity on the fish, praises it because he does not want to kill such a precious creature, then empathizes, and recognizes it.  He recognizes that just as a marlin was born to be a fish, so was he born to be a fisherman.

He comes to the realization that he needs to kill it in order to survive, and restore his dignity. They are brothers in the strange circumstances brought upon them by nature, trapped in the natural cycle of hunting. Marlin’s death represents Santiago’s greatest victory and the promise of all the confusion he desperately hopes to redeem his individual existence with.  Yet, like Marlin, Santiago must lose and suffer.  After being attacked by the Mako shark, Santiago eats marlin to maintain his body, and completes the natural cycle in which the great creature transfers itself to Santiago.  Not only are all creatures hunters and prey, but they also nurture each other.  Marlin’s brave and relentless struggle in order to save its life becomes Santiago’s bravery, which is inevitable in Santiago’s struggle to save the marlin from the predators.

The Scavenger sharks snatch all the material value from the marlin’s body, leaving only its skeleton for Santiago.  Nevertheless, before the skeleton washes away with the flow of tide and turns to garbage, it becomes a quiet witness to Santiago’s greatness. It becomes a vehicle for internal moral values, ​​through which he wants to give meaning and dignity to his existence.  The fisherman who gets the privilege to measure marlin’s skeleton reports that it the fish is 18 feet long. It is a clear evidence of the largest fish the villagers have ever known of coming out of the bay.  And when Manolin accepts the spear of marlin, he accepts everything Santiago wants to give him in his life.

Character sketch of Manolin

Manolin is a young boy who goes fishing with Santiago. Since he is not able to catch any fish, his parents put Manolin with another fisherman. The bond that the two share is still strong, despite the circumstances. Manolin prepares food for Santiago, helps him with his tools. Santiago tells stories of his adventures to Manolin and they always mesmerize him. Manolin deeply cares for Santiago and tries to follow his teachings. Santiago feels that Manolin is his last true relationship that has feelings and depth in it. He takes him as his own replacement after death in the human cycle. That is the reason why Santiago wants to teach his skills, talent, and vision to Manolin, so the young boy can carry on his legacy.

Through the whole novel, Manolin has expressed his trust on Santiago more than three times. At last, when he accepts the spear of Marlin, it shows that Manolin has trust in Santiago’s skills. It is also a sign that he will carry on his legacy and whatever he wants to teach him.

Quotations in “The Old Man and the Sea” are listed below with explanations.

 1.     “Have faith in the Yankees my son. Think of the great Joe DiMaggio.” (Santiago)

Santiago spoke these lines in his shack to Manolin, when they were having a conversation about baseball.

Santiago’s appreciation and love for baseball is clearly showing in his words. He especially admires DiMaggio because of his great playing skills and energy in the field.

  2.    “There are many good fishermen and some great ones. But there is only you.” (Manolin)

Spoken by Manolin, these words were for Santiago. While going to bed, Santiago said that he knows many fishermen who have great skills and are much better. Manolin compares him to DiMaggio and tells him that he is unique just like him. He is a different fisherman who has respect for the sea and a deep relationship with it.

 3.    “They are good… They play and make jokes and love one another. They are our brothers like the flying fish.” (Santiago)

Santiago is talking about the porpoises here. They always come to the side of his boat at night. He feels lonely at times, thinking that no one should be like this in his or her old age. He wants Manolin to be on his boat, fishing with him but he is unable to do so. The porpoises are a sign of love for him. They come as a couple, which provides strength to Santiago and soothes him. He considers them as his brothers as he considers every other creature in the sea his brothers, especially the fish.

 4.    “Fish… I’ll stay with you until I am dead.” (Santiago)

He says this line to the fish marlin that he hooks. He knows that it is an extremely strong one. It will not be easy for him to trail the fish around until it dies by losing strength. Santiago expresses his determination by saying that either he will catch the fish or they will both die doing so.

 5.    “Fish… I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead before this day ends.” (Santiago)

Santiago’s heart goes out to the sea creatures but he has no choice. He needs to kill the marlin to prove and restore his identity back as a fisherman. He considers the marlin as equal in a battle of uncertainty. He does not know if he will survive it, but is still determined to stay with the marlin. He will keep trying until he kills it.

 6.    “He didn’t beat you. Not the fish.” (Manolin)

Manolin says this to Santiago after Santiago returns home, having lost the fish and slept through the night. In the morning, Santiago tells Manolin, “They truly beat me”. He is talking about the sharks that ate the fish after he caught it. It was not the fish who beat him. The fish and he were brothers in his eyes, and he feels like he has somehow betrayed the fish by letting it be eaten by the scavenging sharks.

 7.    “I didn’t know sharks had such handsome, beautifully formed tails.” (A female tourist)

 Almost at the end of the story, there is a female tourist examining the skeleton of marlin. She asks a nearby waiter in wonder what it is. He tells her “Eshark”, meaning that sharks ate it. She takes it as the skeleton being a shark, which is why she says those lines. It shows how less an average person knows about the creatures out there in the sea.

 8.    “I am a strange old man.” (Santiago)

Santiago says this to Manolin after they finish up a day of fishing on separate boats. It is meant as an explanation for how his eyes remain so good after going turtle-ing for so many years. Often he searches and searches but returns without a fish. It also shows how strong he is while wrestling the marlin and strange in a manner that he never loses faith and will to go on.

He considers himself strange because of his bond with the sea creatures.

9.    “Anyone can be a fisherman in May.” (Santiago)

He says this to Manolin after Manolin warns him to keep himself warm, since it is September. It is more difficult to be a fisherman when it is cold outside, but Santiago is up for the challenge.

He means that everyone can go fishing in the month of May because it is warm and easy. The actual challenge comes when the winter sets in. That is when an actual fisherman goes fishing.

 10. “If sharks come, God pity him and me.” (Santiago)

He says this aloud to himself while trailing the marlin with his boat, waiting for it to give up. He is determined to be “worthy of the great DiMaggio”, who is able to play baseball even with a bone spur. He suspects that the sharks will soon smell the marlin’s blood. They are surely going to come for its meat once they find the marlin. He sort of prays in this line.

 11. “It is better to be lucky. But I’d rather be exact.”  (Santiago)

Santiago says this when his community starts calling him unlucky. He believes that his success has nothing to do with luck. He has complete faith in his skills and talent through which he can easily turn the things around in his favor. If he goes fishing with the right knowledge, and uses it to his advantage, he will surely catch a fish.

 12. “All my life the early sun has hurt my eyes. Yet they are still good.” (Santiago)

Fishing took a toll on Santiago. He says this to show the readers how he keeps going even after he endured the hardships being in the sea and under the bright sun. The early sunrays always hurt his eyes but he is proud that they are still fine.

 13. “I wish I could show him what sort of man I am.” (Santiago)

Santiago says this aloud, thinking that if Manolin were with him, he could show him everything. He could prove that he was still a good fisherman.

 14. “A man can be destroyed but not defeated.” (Santiago)

Somewhat defenseless after having lost his harpoon when protecting his catch from the sharks, the old man shows that an individual’s willpower and resourcefulness will ultimately help him persevere. He says that to show his determination that even if he lost his harpoon, his defense mechanism, he is still not going to give up.

 15. “It is silly not to hope.” (Santiago)

Santiago concludes that hope is everything. When everything goes wrong and there is nothing that you have, hope is still there. It is an ever-present feeling for him that things will be normal again. Hope is eternal and ultimately leads to triumph.

 The Old Man and the Sea | Symbols

The Old Man and the Sea is rich in meaning. Virtually every element operates on two levels, revealing a deeper symbolic meaning beneath its literal function. Nothing that happens in the novella is only what it seems. Instead the novella is an allegory, elevating the story of Santiago's epic struggle with the marlin to humankind's universal struggle for survival.

Lions

Both in his bed in the village and in his boat, Santiago dreams of lions on the beaches of Africa, which he saw when he was a boy on a ship that sailed and fished the coast of Africa. The lions symbolize Santiago's lost youth as well as his pride (a group of lions is called a "pride"). Santiago's love for the lions, which are fierce predators, also mirrors his relationship with the marlin, whom he loves but whose death he feels is necessary to his survival. In this way, the lions as also symbolize Santiago's affinity with nature. Now that Santiago is no longer young, and has lost his friends, family, and strength, he sees the lions only in his dreams. Santiago's dreams of the lions at the end of the novella suggest that in triumphing over the marlin, he has undergone his own rejuvenation.

Marlin

The marlin symbolizes the majesty of nature. With its sheer size, strength, and tenacity as evidenced in its pulling Santiago's skiff for several days, the marlin is a formidable opponent. Unlike other fish, this marlin does not fight the hook but instead uses it to fight the old man. The marlin seems successful at first, as the old man must hold on to the fishing line so hard he is injured in the process. Watching the marlin put up so strong a fight, the old man feels more and more akin to this creature and begins to draw parallels. Although they seem to be mortal enemies in the universal battle between predator and prey, Santiago realizes in the end they are brothers because they are in this fight for the same reason: to survive.

Although both the marlin and the old man are part of the natural order of life, locked in the struggle between predator and prey, perseverance distinguishes the two. To triumph in his struggle against the marlin, the old man must dig deep within himself to overcome not only the marlin's strength but his own limitations: age, exhaustion, pain, hunger, and thirst. The battle between the two is not merely the attempt of a fisherman trying to reel in his catch and go home. This particular marlin brings out the best in Santiago by pushing him to his limits. The battle becomes a symbol of the constant struggle of an individual for survival within nature, a struggle won only by one's willingness to go beyond what seems humanly possible.

The marlin also can represent Hemingway's writing and career. In this sense, it's the writing Hemingway has worked on for his entire life that he tries to hold onto.

Mast

The mast of the old man's skiff is an allusion to the Christian cross, which in turn symbolizes pain and suffering for a greater good. The three bleeding wounds Santiago suffers as he sails underneath the mast of his skiff allude to the three wounds of Jesus Christ as he was nailed to the cross, suffering to atone for humankind's sins. At the end of the story, Santiago carries the mast to the shack similar to the way Jesus carried the cross, symbolizing that Santiago has accepted his fate as Jesus accepted his. Santiago will continue to fish no matter what, alone and lonely, neither asking for help or miracles nor to succeed and live better. He will simply do, unquestioningly, what individuals must: struggle to survive.

Joe DiMaggio

Joe DiMaggio, the legendary New York Yankees outfielder whose 56-game hitting streak that ended in 1941 still remains the world record, symbolizes perseverance and persistence as well as skill. In Santiago's eyes, the hitting streak alone makes DiMaggio formidable, yet DiMaggio achieved this feat despite painful injuries such as the bone spurs repeatedly mentioned in the novella. Much like DiMaggio, Santiago defies the odds and catches the greatest fish of his career after a long dry spell, survives for days out on the ocean without proper supplies, and emerges the victor against aggressive sharks. His skill and perseverance while facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles make him a hero worthy of respect even though he does not succeed in bringing home his catch.

Sharks

Symbolizing the brute force of destruction, the sharks are mindless creatures following their base instincts: the bloodlust that lures them to their prey. Yet their very bloodlust also lures them to their death. As they take bites out of the marlin in a feeding frenzy, they come close enough to the skiff for Santiago to kill them. What sustains them kills them. Neither their lives nor their deaths serve any purpose. Defeating them with sheer willpower and innovation, Santiago not only survives himself but also defends the magnificent marlin. He brings home the skeleton and thus captures the creature's majesty and glory.

In a different interpretation, the sharks also symbolize all the critics Hemingway faced in real life. Hemingway hadn't produced much writing publicly in many years, and his most recent publication had received a negative reception. This novella seems to liken those critics to sharks who circle and pounce.

Manolin

Manolin, the young boy who loves, admires, and cares for the old man, symbolizes hope and the future. He is Santiago's only friend and companion; his help, literally, sustains the old man. Manolin is there every night helping pack up Santiago's gear and providing food to make sure the old man won't starve. Furthermore, he is the old man's apprentice. Although at the beginning of the story he fishes on another boat, Manolin has learned everything he knows from Santiago. Promising to fix the battered skiff and to return to fishing with the old man, Manolin offers the help the old man needs to keep going. Manolin believes in the old man and therefore will carry on his legacy and bear witness to his achievement.

 

What is a symbol and what is symbolism?

A symbol is something that gives a certain meaning to an action, person, place, word, or thing in a piece of literature.  Story-writers use symbolism to form a view of emotions or moods rather than just saying them plainly. Following are the main symbols used in “The Old Man and the Sea”: Marlin, dreams, loins, sea, mast, shark, harpoons, bird, bear, cottage etc.

Santiago, the Old Man

The old man is compared to Christ in a religious manner, in terms of stamina and endurance. He is a teacher like Christ who teaches Manolin to fish, and the way he is humble. Repeatedly, it is demonstrated that the old man is a symbol of Christ with the way he fights the marlin. Later on, he also survives the shark’s attacks.

The Sea

The sea is a symbol of life and the struggles that every person is bound to endure. According to Hemingway, man is the most worthy in isolation because he has to work and survive on his own. The sea, in the novel, is a sign of life and Santiago’s isolation in the universe. As we can see that in the sea, there is no help or laws at all. Santiago faces his ultimate challenge all alone and survives. The novel, in this regard, is an example of Naturalism in Literature.

The Marlin

The Marlin is a good opponent of Santiago, worthy of fight. It is a symbol of dignity and pride. The Marlin is in contrast to the sharks that are shameful rivals, not commendable to Santiago’s endeavours. Magnificent and radiant, the Marlin represents a perfect rival. In the world’s reality where, “Everything kills everything else in some way”, Santiago feels truly fortunate to wind up against an animal that draws out the best in him. The Marlin brings out his qualities of courage, talent, fortitude, love, and regard.

Manolin

Manolin symbolizes pure love, compassion, and circle of life. He dearly loves Santiago and cares for him. Between Manolin and Old Man, there is a vast age difference. It symbolizes their skills of fishing. One day Manolin will be able to reach that point and carry Santiago’s legacy. Manolin is the symbol of hope.

Sharks

The sharks in “the Old Man and the Sea” symbolize the obstacles in life and the labour against them. Sharks are the opposite of the marlin. For Santiago, the sharks are vile predators, that are not worthy of admiration or glory. They are like detrimental energies that promote no other purpose in life.

The lions

The lions in the story symbolize youth of the old man. They are a symbol of strength. At the end of the novel, when Santiago dreams of the lions, it represents the hope of eternal life, of freedom and youth. Because of the qualities of strength of lions and their proud, the writer has used them to represent childhood days of Santiago. Lions are a symbol for his might and pride in days of his youth. Just as Santiago hunts the Marlin, lions are also mighty creatures and hunters.

DiMaggio

DiMaggio symbolizes the value of enduring through pain and suffering. He is a Symbol of motivation to keep Santiago on his feet. DİMaggio is a true representation of Santiago’s talent, pride, and ethics. He is also a sign of hope for the old man. Santiago desires that Manolin will grow up to become like the great DiMaggio, strong and young. He does not want him to be like him, a poor fisherman.

The Mast

The Mast is a symbol and represents as the cross of Jesus. The mast stands on Santiago’s skiff. It is similar to the cross because of the way Santiago suffers. He goes three days with painful injuries to the palms of his hands as Jesus did and to his back as well.

The Harpoon

While fighting off sharks, Santiago loses his Harpoon. It is a symbol for those who lose faith, and doubt everything in their life. When life tests them with struggles, they lose hope, as Santiago is without his harpoon, defenceless. People are exactly like that without faith.