The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway - Research Paper Example

?The old man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway The old man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway has been renowned as a masterpiece in the whole of fiction due to its narrative techniques, plot structure, symbolisms, characterization, unity and themes. Critics have conceived the story of The Old Man and the Sea as interesting and exciting at the same time while its symbolism is regarded as quite ‘meaningful and profound’ (Shams 93). Even though the novel depicts Santiago’s heroic struggles against the forces of nature the theme of individualism and interdependence is quite evident in the novel. The novel is not divided into any chapters or parts. However, the novel can be divided into three parts depending on the plot structure of the novel. Similarly, the symbolisms and the unique characterization of Hemingway have offered new dimensions to the meaning and significance of the novel. This paper seeks to analyze Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea in terms of the structure of the work, the characterizations in the novel and the significance of the novel. The old Man and the Sea depicts the heroic fight of Santiago with the giant Marlin and the powers of nature. The novel narrates incidents that happened in the life of Santiago in five days. The novel is not divided into any sections or divisions by the author and the novel seems like a continuous narration without any interruption. Even though no divisions or splits have originally been made by Hemingway the novel can very well be categorized into three parts. The first part of the novel depicts Santiago’s relationship with the boy Manolin and the incidents on the first day forms the first part of the novel. The novelist makes it clear that Santiago has passed 84 days without catching a fish. Santiago talks about his baseball hero Joe DiMaggio and confides Manolin that he will be fishing far out in the sea the next day. Thus, the first part of the novel shows the relationship between Santiago and the boy. It also reveals the optimism, confidence and ardent desire of the old man for a great catch at the deep sea. The second part of the novel shows Santiago’s relationship with the Sea. This consists of the old man’s setting out from the port, his capture and struggle with the great Marlin, his struggle with the sharks, his great perseverance and his sailing back to the harbor. The second part of the novel comprises of the second, third and fourth days of Santiago’s life in the sea. The old man hooks the giant Marlin on the second day; the continuous struggle between Santiago and the marlin takes place on the third day; the old man harpoons Marlin to death, the sharks begin their attack and Santiago kills many sharks on the fourth day; and, Santiago is forced to come back to the harbor only with the skeleton of the giant Marlin. The second part of the novel vividly pictures Santiago’s fight with the powers of nature and his respect and concern for the birds and other fishes in the sea. The third part of the novel comprises of the incidents on the fifth day and it shows that Santiago back in his shack reunited with the boy. The boy really feels proud about the old man and promises to join him for fishing again. Similarly, when the other fishermen saw the gigantic skeleton attached to Santiago’s skiff they are guilty and develop great respect for the old man. One can also come across a number of memorable scenes in each part of the novel. The second part of the novel, in particular, is abundant with poignant and touching scenes. The sight of the old man standing frustrated with his cramped hands without anyone to assist him attracts the attention of the readers. Similarly, the scene where the old man talks with the birds and regards it as a companion in his seclusion is yet another memorable scene. The scene where Santiago drops the line, lifts the harpoon, and pierces through the heart of Marlin with all his might haunts the memory of the reader and convinces one of what a man can really endure. The swift movement of the big Make shark and its long chase after the dead Marline pursuing its scent is yet another memorable scene that lingers through the minds of the reader. Santiago loses his harpoon even though he succeeds in killing the Make shark. However, more sharks were to appear on the scene to mutilate his prize and to steal away larger portions of the great marlin. One can never forget the scene depicting Santiago’s futile attempts to preserve marlin’s body by fighting the large group of sharks. Similarly, the picture of Santiago becoming stiff and sore “and his wounds and all of the strained parts of his body hurt with the cold of the night” (Hemingway 47) cherishes empathetic feelings towards the protagonist in the novel. Finally, the picture of many fishermen standing around the old man’s skiff looking at the skeleton of the marlin and admiring him seems to be the right reward for the great old fisherman. Santiago’s masterly characterization deserves primary attention in The Old Man and the sea. Hemingway’s characters are round characters that undergo drastic changes and developments as the novel proceeds. The characterization of Santiago shows the craftsmanship and skill of Hemingway as a novelist. He depicts the character of Santiago as an epitome of perseverance, confidence, optimism and never yielding will power. Rao, in this respect, has elaborately dealt with the peculiarities of Hemingway’s characterizations. For him, The Old Man and the Sea as it reveals Santiago’s indomitable spirit, his optimism, strong determination and his never compromising endurance. The author makes it clear that Santiago was never “interested in catching small fish” and that he wanted “to catch the biggest fish ever in the Gulf stream” (Rao 46). Similarly, the theme of human endurance is elaborately discussed in the book. At the very outset of the novel Hemingway states that everything about Santiago was old “except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated” (Hemingway 5). Even after spending 84 days without catching a fish Santiago never loses his hope; instead, he is quite optimistic and decides to go far out to the sea the next day to catch a big fish. Even after understanding that the marlin is so huge for him to handle alone he is ready to fight until death. He tells the fish: “I’ll stay with you until I am dead” (Hemingway 18). He regards the fish as an equal opponent and respects it. He declares to the fish: “I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead before this day ends” (Hemingway 19). Even though Santiago is not religious he is ready to chant prayers to kill the marlin and to take it safely back to the harbor. On the other hand, one can also find Santiago considering the stars, the wind and the bird as his friends. He even regards the great marlin as his brother and praises its strength and valor. He admits that he had never seen a greater, or more beautiful, or a calmer or nobler thing than the Marlin is his entire life as a fisherman (Hemingway 33). He also begs pardon to the fish that he ruined the life of both by killing the marlin and sending many sharks to death. While Santiago is proud about catching the giant marlin he is so much guilty in not able to protect Marlin from the attacks of sharks. One can also find parallels between Hemingway’s life and that of his protagonist, Santiago. In this respect, Auer and Hemingway purport that Hemingway also experienced ‘battle, rejection, failure, loss, glory, and triumph’ just like his hero Santiago and that the theme of individualism and interdependence is dominant in the novel (2). One can also see that Santiago’s character undergoes drastic changes by the end of the novel. His bitter experiences with the Marlin and the sharks in the deep sea have convinced him of the significance of interdependence. At many instances the reader finds Santiago regretting that he has not taken the boy with him. Even when Hemingway depicts Santiago as “a single heroic and tragic figure who fights alone, loses almost everything, and yet still is ready to meet life again” it is quite meaningful that Santiago makes up his mind to fish together with the boy, Manolin (Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea 200). It is thus evident that Manolin has got a pivotal role to pay in the old man’s future heroic adventures. Manolin’s role in the story is to boost the morale of the old man. Probably, Manolin is the only character in the novels who believes in Santiago’s talents and abilities as a fisher man. When the old man is frustrated he reminds him of the great catches they had in the past. The boy also admits that he left the old man at the instigation of his father. It can be found that “Manolin’s conversations with Santiago, and Santiago’s longing for the boy’s company when he is alone, reveal the character of both men” (Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea 198). Santiago’s longing for the boy’s company is evident in the text and one finds Santiago at many instances wishing if the boy were with him. “I wish the boy were here” is a repeated thought of the old man all throughout the second part of the novel. It can also be observed that the relationship between Santiago and the boy is that of teacher-pupil relationship. The character of Manolin is depicted as “someone who loves and respects Santiago, and who realizes that he can learn things from the old man that he cannot learn at home” (Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea 198). At the end of the novel the boy makes up his mind that he will be accompanying the old man in his future adventures as a proven fisherman. In the same way, one can find that the giant marlin shares many of the qualities of Santiago himself in terms of its strength, courage, incessant fight and uncompromising perseverance. Santiago himself regards marlin as an equal competent and great fish who does not know its real strength. He says to himself: “I must never let him learn his strength nor what he could do if he made his run” (Hemingway 22). He admits that the giant marlin was his biggest and greatest catch ever. It can thus be seen that Hemingway attributes certain heroic stature to the giant Marlin in order to highlight the depth of human endurance, will power, perseverance and never conquering spirit of his hero Santiago. One of the major influences of Hemingway’s The Old Man and the sea was that it stressed on the immense potentialities of human beings. Hemingway, through his hero Santiago has shown to the world that there is nothing that a man cannot do or endure. Santiago tells himself that he will show the fish “what a man can do and what a man endures” (Hemingway 24). In the same way, the novel echoes Hemingway’s often quoted statement that “a man can be destroyed but not defeated” (Hemingway 36). It has been pointed out that the underlying themes that govern Hemingway’s novel consist of unity, heroism, manhood, success, worthiness, and Santiago as Christ (Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea Themes). The unity between Santiago and nature is evident and all throughout the novel one can find contradictory elements being pictured as parts of a single unified whole. ‘Triumph over crushing adversity’ characterizes Santiago’s heroism and Hemingway’s hero faces adversities with dignity and grace in spite of the odds against him (Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea Themes). The themes of manhood, heroism and success are interlinked in the novel and in his heroic attempts Santiago at times resembles Christ. The two major themes that run through the whole novel are ‘the honor in struggle, defeat and death’ and ‘pride as the source of greatness and determination’ (Spark Notes: The Old Man and the sea). Even though one finds Santiago struggling against defeats, adversities, and the natural world he displays remarkable amount of honor and dignity in overcoming these adversities. He is so determined and it is his pride that motivates him to fight against the destructive forces of nature. In the same way, the narrative style of Hemingway has contributed immensely to the wide reception of the novel. Apart from the structure, characterization and thematic concerns of the novel its simple but well-knit narration has won considerable critical appreciation. The novel is abundant with various symbolisms and vivid imageries. The novelist has very effectively combined various stream of consciousness techniques and simple dialogues all throughout the novel. One can find Santiago talking to himself, the Marlin, the bird and other forces of nature. Santiago, in his heroic fight with the Marlin, displays indomitable spirit, optimism, strong determination and never compromising endurance which raises him to the stature of a true hero. Works Cited Auer, Jim & Hemingway, Ernest. Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea. Barron's Educational Series, 1984. Print. Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. 24th ed: Hueber Verlag, 1995. Print. ---. The Old Man and the Sea Themes. GradeSaver LLC, 2012. Web. 21 June 2012. ---. The Old Man and the Sea. n.p. Vol. 6. Novels for Students. pp. 195-215. Web. 21 June 2012. Rao, P.G.R. Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea. Atlantic Publishers & Dist, 2007. Print. Shams, Ishteyaque. Novels of Ernest Hemingway: A Critical Study. Atlantic Publishers & Dist, 2002. Print. Spark Notes: The Old Man and the sea; Themes, Motifs & Symbols. SparkNotes LLC, 2012. Web. 21 June 2012. Read More