Analysis of The Old Man and the Sea - Book Report/Review Example

Analysis of The Old Man and the Sea Introduction Earnest Hemingway ed the story d The Old Man andthe Sea. The book emerged as one of his final works during his renowned writing career. The story reflects its outstanding capacity to create intriguing stories. During a time when many people across the globe thought that Earnest Hemingway’s creativity had faded over time, he emerged with the Old Man and the Sea. The story saw him win a noble prize for literature in 1954, as well as the Pulitzer Prize in 1953. The fact that the story has such a positive reception reveals the powerful creativity, ironies, and symbolism that Hemingway integrated when developing the story. The story focuses on an old fisherman and his encounters in the sea (Hemingway 1). After a long period of bad luck in his fishing career, the old man decided to go further away to the sea, so that he could have a catch after a long time. This paper will focus on analyzing Hemingway’s story and highlighting the struggles of the old man. The old man names Santiago is a Cuban fisherman focused on making a living out of fishing. His close friend is a young boy Manolin. For 84 days, the old man Santiago has not succeeded in catching any fish. These have been the longest days in his life that have proved to be luckless. The old man seems to have a bad fortune in his fishing career (Hemingway 2). The fact that the 84 days spent in the sea have not yielded anything means that the old man does not have any food. For this reason, Manolin, the young boy ensures that the old man has something to eat. The boy adores the old fisherman and proves to be very kind to him. For the 84 days that Santiago has not been lucky, the young boy has been accompanying him to the sea. Notably, the young boy intends to learn the trade from the old Santiago. Santiago dreams of African lions continuously in memory of his younger days, (Bharadwaj and Bhuyan 480). He is well aware that he had more strength that is physical during his younger days. As an old man, he is only struggling to make a living and has limited physical strength, but with much skill from his many years of practice. On the 85th day, the old man decided to go on a fishing mission alone. Mandolin gave him tuners that he would use as his bates during the fishing mission. After many days with no catch, the old man decided to go further into the sea in order to try his luck once more. After moving into the sea, he managed to catch a very big fish judging from its weight. He was unable to pull the fish into his boat. The fish exhibited a determination to stage a fight for its life. For this reason, the old man struggled with the fish for several nights and days. It was only after the fish got tired that the old man managed to pull it into his boat. Santiago’s overwhelming experience after seeing the size of the fish makes him feel that he has achieved something after many days without success. Although he is tired of the wrestling with the fish, he imagines that the fish is worth a fortune and has the conviction that the struggle was worth it (Damashek 1). However, as Santiago focuses on sailing back home, he encounters many sharks that rob him of the great fish. The first shark appeared only after one hour of his sailing. The fact that the shark took some part of the fish led to bleeding. The blood served to attract more sharks. The old man exhibited his determination to fight all the sharks that came his way. However, after sometimes, the sharks had eaten the better part of the fish leaving the skeleton. Santiago feels disappointed on realizing that the sharks have eaten away the flesh of the fish and that the great fish will not bring him any benefits. He decides to focus on his steering in order to get back home. He decides to give minimal attention to the sharks that keep on attacking the carcass of the fish. After being out in the sea for several days and with the struggle with the fish and the fights with the sharks, the old man is very tired and weak. Although he sails back, he does so at a very low pace because of the fatigue and injuries. Eventually, the old man got to the little harbor (Damashek 2). He carried his mast, walked to the house, and retired to bed. Manolin comes to the old man’s house in the morning only to find him asleep, but he is keen to realize that the old man has some injuries. The other fishermen marvel at the size of the fish that the old man caught. Notably, none of the fishermen have managed to catch such a fish in a long while. In fact, many of the fishermen have the conviction that it is the greatest fish ever caught. The young boy ensures that Santiago has some hot coffee and food to eat. The old man relates his journey in the sea to the young boy, and the two of them are determined to continue fishing together (Hemingway 7). Characterization in the Story There are two main characters in the story, namely Santiago and Manolin. The entire story focuses on Santiago and his struggles in the sea. Santiago exhibits a high level of determination and resilience. Although he has not been lucky for 84 days, he does not give up on his fishing career. On the 85th day, Santiago decides to use a new approach in order to increase his chances of fortune. He leaves the young boy behind and focuses on a fishing journey alone going deeper into the sea. It turns out that he manages to bait a large a fish. His resilience and determination are evident in the way he struggles with the fish for several days before he can finally load it into his boat. Despite the lonely venture, the extreme colds during the night and the weakening of his body due to the struggle, Santiago does not give up. He is determined to make a fortune out of the fish he has caught (Valenti 74). However, as he sails back home, he encounters many sharks that eventually devour the fish. He got home, exhausted, and a disappointed man. However, other fishermen recognize that he set a record for catching such a large fish. The old man has the determination to go on fishing with the young boy despite the events of his previous venture. Evidently, the man has the will power to overcome both the challenges brought forth by old age, as well as bad fortune. Although he lives on charity, especially from the young boy, he does not resent his life and is willing to keep on trying. The struggle with the big fish and the fights with the numerous sharks serve as evidence that the man’s determination can overcome anything. Santiago is a representation of resilience and keeping faith. On the other hand, Manolin proves to be very kind to the old man. He ensures that the man has food irrespective of his bad fortune. Manolin is also a source of moral support for the old man because he shares in his misfortunes. He is the only person that old Santiago can relate his experiences. His willingness to learn the fishing trade motivates him to accompany the old man, despite their failure to catch anything on some days. The young boy is a representation of virtue in the story because he is willing to sacrifice anything for the old man. He not only adores the old Santiago, but he is also willing to help him throughout his ventures (Valenti 99). Structure Analysis Hemingway’s lacks any structural divisions. However, the work is subject to division into several parts. The first part of the work starts with the introduction to the 84th day and includes the fishing ventures that the old man and the young boy have. The initial part should introduce the reader to the characters as well as the plot of the story. In the first part, the reader will gain familiarity with old Santiago as well as the young boy and their unique connection. The second part of the story will focus on the old man’s ventures on the 85th day and his mission in the sea until he sails back home. The second part of the story should have the climax of the plot, which is evident in the struggles of the old man in the sea. The struggle of the old man is specifically with the big fish caught as well as the fights with the sharks. The story has several memorable scenes. The old man’s sailing far into the sea and his struggle with the Merlin is one of the outstanding scenes in the story. It reflects his determination to ensure that he can load his catch onto the boat. Although he is an old man, he is experienced in the fishing trade and relies on such experience to eventually get the fish onto his boat. However, the struggle takes days, and the old man seems to weaker than the fish. When the old man succeeds in the end, it serves as a reward for his resilience and determination (Vitacolonna 305). The experience reflected the old man’s younger days when he was full of physical strength. Although he has acquired numerous injuries in the fight with the fish, he reassures himself with the potential fortune that the fish will earn him. The sailing adventure after the old man caught the fish is also an outstanding scene in the story. After an overwhelming success and triumph over the big fish, the old man set for the harbor where he can finally celebrate his victory. However, he encounters too many sharks that take away his fortune. Evidently, the old man has a good share of struggles with nature in the sea. Although he won the first one, the sharks prove to be stronger than he is, and he only gets to the harbor with the skeletons of the great fish that reminds him of his success (Vitacolonna 306). Outstanding Theme in the Book Hemingway’s work focuses on describing sea adventures as well as challenged human endurance. The sea is full of adventures for fishermen. Old Santiago’s experience in the sea is a reflection of the hardships and the struggles that fishermen face. His struggles with nature prove him a hero at some point, but faces defeat in the next encounter. The story reflects the realities of human struggles with nature. Although one may win at some point, other encounters translate to defeat. The struggles put the resilience of the man under challenge. Old Santiago proves to have the right level of resilience explaining why he can overcome all the challenges he faces (Vitacolonna 310). He does not lose hope, but relies on his intelligence in an effort to overcome the challenges of nature. Conclusion The publication of the old and the sea served to restore Hemingway’s popularity and reputation as a writer. The novella served to exhibit Hemingway’s level of creativity. The outstanding account of an old man struggling to make something out of life despite his challenges is a reflection the situation faced by many people. The novella reveals that struggling is a typical occurrence in human life. Throughout the struggles, one’s endurance comes under test. Only the people who have the willpower to survive as well as the required resilience can emerge as winners in life’s struggles. Characters such as Santiago survive through the challenges because they have outstanding experience and skills. Many readers can connect with the old man’s experience. In addition, readers can view young Manolin with admiration for remaining a true friend to the old man and giving him moral support during the hard times. Evidently, there is a possibility to divide the work into two parts as described above. Without doubt, Hemingway’s work proves to be intriguing and serves as a powerful representation of human struggles with nature. Work Cited Bharadwaj, Apoorva, and Nisigandha Bhuyan. "Understanding The Character Of Santiago In The Old Man And The Sea Within The Framework Of Aristotelian Virtue Ethics And Its Contemporary Relevance In Ethical Management." Decision (0304-0941) 40.3 (2013): 223-233. Business Source Complete. Web. 11 Feb. 2015. Damashek, Richard. "The Old Man And The Sea." Masterplots, Fourth Edition (2010): 1-3. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. 11 Feb. 2015. Hemingway, Ernest. The old man and the sea. Web. 11th Feb 2015. Valenti, Patricia Dunlavy. Understanding The Old Man And The Sea : A Student Casebook To Issues, Sources, And Historical Documents. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2002. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 11 Feb. 2015. Vitacolonna, Luciano. "Narrative And Action Analysis: Some Structural Aspects Of The Old Man And The Sea." Micro and Macro Connexity of Texts. 301-313. Hamburg: Buske, 1983. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 11 Feb. 2015. Read More