Old Man by the Sea Term Paper

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This battle is Santiago's personal struggle and it has meaning to him. In his struggle with the fish, Santiago says, "But I must have the confidence and I must be worthy of the great DiMaggio who does all things perfectly even with the pain of the bone spur in his heel" (Hemingway 68). This shows that the catching of the fish is like a personal test for Santiago. He is challenging himself to be the best he can be, and he does ultimately succeed. Santiago is also recognizing his own flaws by his reference to the bone spur in DiMaggio's heel. In this, he is saying that he must take this moment and do his best regardless of his own flaws. In the end, Santiago does catch the fish but on the way into shore, it is eaten by sharks. Ultimately then, he fails in his task. However, as he states, "A man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated" (Hemingway 103). In making this statement, Santiago is showing that the end result does not matter. He did not achieve his goal, but his willingness to try was still worth it. This shares the same message as was seen in the unique qualities of both Santiago and Manonin, with them both able to see beyond results and to see that the important thing is not what you achieve, but how you respond to challenges. By catching the big fish even after so many failures, Santiago proves himself. The fish is eaten by smaller fish on the way into shore, something that Santiago has no control over. The most important point is that Santiago does not allow himself to be defeated by this. He still considers himself a success because he did what he could. This puts the emphasis on what he knows he did, rather than what other people will see he did.

The fact that the big fish is eaten on the way into shore has an important message that links the entire text together.

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Of most importance is that Santiago's achievement becomes quickly eroded. While it was just man against fish, he was able to succeed. But as he return to the shore, other factors come into play and his symbol of success is eroded. This can be considered as happening much the same way as Manolin's devotion to Santiago tries to be eroded by the other people. They are like the little fish eating away at the unique loyalty he has. One critic describes the Old Man and the Sea by saying that "the universe inhabited by Santiago, the old Cuban fisherman, is not free of tragedy and pain but these are transcended" (Gurko 378). This is an important point because it shows that the story is ultimately positive. Santiago is able to overcome tragedy and pain and succeed anyway. This point can be extended to suggest that there is also no way to remove the negative features of society. The society in the story will continue to believe that Santiago is a failure. However, this belief will not erode the goodness of Manolin. Like Santiago, he fights to remain who he is and he wins, never allowing anyone else's opinion to sway his belief in Santiago. Overall then, both characters emerge with their positive qualities intact, making it a story of personal struggle and the ability of every person to succeed in their personal battles.

This illustrates that the Old Man and the Sea is more than a story about fishing and more than a story about friendship. It is ultimately a story about believing in who you are, being the best you can be, and the human ability to overcome any obstacles and win your own personal battle.

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