Surviving in the Sea “A fishing trip turns into a terrifying test of survival after Salvador Alvarenga becomes one man against the sea.” From the book “438 DAYS” By, Jonathan Franklin. Tells how it took Alveranga more than just his skills of navigation and fishing. He had to keep the mindset of surviving for his wife and 13 year old daughter. Wanting to survive meant he had to do things he had never done, “for fourteen months, Alvarenga survived constant shark attacks. He learned to catch fish with his bare hands. He built a fish net from a pair of empty plastic bottles. Taking apart the outboard motor, he fashioned a huge fish hook. Using fish vertebrae as needles, he stitched together his own clothes” All this time his mind was set on …show more content…
his family. Averanga story sates how surviving takes motivation that is greater than oneself and a body that can act beyond its historical capacity. To keep your mind set on succeeding, to see yourself after completing the task of making it out of the critical situation, is what Alveranga did to survive.
“Alvarenga imagined his life if he could ever make it home. He would be a family man with a clutch of children and a field full of animals. He begged to the heavens for a final chance, an opportunity to salvage the relationship with Fatima.” Allowing him to keep his mind clear and his body strong. Physical activity isn’t the only thing that will allow a person in a threatening position to survive, mental strength and motivation is a crucial step to come home. This reliance on your mind to be clear and sharp can also be see in the story “Deep Survival” by, Laurence Gonzales, from collection five. “You must train yourself to see what’s really happening and changing around you without freezing or denying the truth of the situation.” This was presented through the journey of Juliane Koepcke; survivor of a plane crash. She chose to leave her group and go by herself even when everybody else decided to stay, because she too was picturing herself being with her family, just like Alverange did. Juliane “set off, resting through the heat of the day and traveling during the cooler periods. She walked for eleven days through dense jungle while being literally eaten alive by leeches and strange tropical” while in Alvarenga case “It took him half a day to reach land. When he was ten yards from shore, he dived off the deck and let a wave carry him in.” after a year in the
sea. To survive you must have your mind strengthen your body, and your body sharpen your mind. Alvarenga kept his mind on wanting to survive for his daughter, and his body to survive the temperatures and water currents. Juliane used her mind to tell her body where to head off, even when everyone else contradicted her, her mind gave her confidence in her actions, her body kept her walking even when she was exhausted. Both of these surviving stories show that to survive you must believe in yourself, you must risk your life, or else the chance of surviving lies in the heads of others. Surviving comes with many hardships, whether you face them or ignore them is up to you, but taking the chance of doing something about it, instead of waiting for someone else to do it, will give you a higher chance of making it out alive.
When we go about our daily lives there are many things that go undetected. One such undetected event goes on inside our own head. Thinking without thinking, an idea brought forth in Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink, where your brain is processing information that you aren't even aware of yet. Some of the best outcomes are produced from this “idea”. Another huge topic in this novel is the idea of “thin slicing”. Where your brain can come to a conclusion within seconds of analyzing the situation. Thin slicing is proven in this book to be more resourceful than putting any length of thought into a situation. But in order for Gladwell to drive home his ideas, he is going to need the help of some psychologists tests to prove that he is right.
“When Salva heard stories, he thought of Marial. He felt his persistence growing, as it had in the days after Uncle’s death. I will get us safely to Kenya,” he thought. “No matter how hard it is.” Salva’s thought showed no matter what happened, he would keep on moving.
My friend had invited me along with him and his family to the ocean. It was vacation for the family, but for him and me it was the beginning of a week of serious business. We had an obsessive hobby to pursue. As avid and long-term freshwater fisherman, we were thrilled by the thought of catching those large and exotic saltwater fish we had seen on television a billion times before. Yet little did we expect there to be such vast differences between our freshwater fishing and the saltwater fishing, which we were about to pursue. We learned through trial and much error that in order to have a successful saltwater fishing experience we had to make adjustments to all the freshwater tackle, tactics, and gear we knew.
The quote, “Nothing happened. The fish just moved away slowly and the old man could not raise him an inch. His line was strong and made for heavy fish and he held it against his back until it was so taut that beads of water were jumping from it. Then it began to make a slow hissing sound in the water and he still held it, bracing himself against the thwart and leaning back against the pull. The boat began to move slowly off toward the north-west.”(44) creates in depth meaning into how the old man is strong because the fish possesses a determination equal in magnitude to Santiago’s. Santiago has a large amount of endurance, and is using it in the midst of following the fish. Another example of Santiago’s endurance throughout the novel is his strength with the physical pain he feels. For example, the old man has a lot of back pain while following the fish, and catching it, especially. “...”( ).........The old man also experiences physical pain when his hand is cramping and when it gets cut. The author states, “The old man would have liked to keep his hand in the salt water longer but he was afraid of another sudden lurch by the fish and he stood up and braced himself and
To begin with, the old man is determined just as the fish is. When Santiago first hooks the fish, he states, “‘Fish,’ he said softly, aloud, ‘I’ll stay with you until I am dead’” (Hemingway 52). This shows how he will risk his life to prove that he can catch this marlin. Santiago was fixed on catching this fish and ending his bad luck streak. And, as the marlin doesn’t have much of a choice, he will fight until he dies as well. They are both very
Below each level is identified, along with tools and techniques to help one achieve their goals of mind shifting. The author himself has provided specific examples of his skills and experience as a change agent and innovator.
Stubbornness is a horrible character flaw of the man in the story. He discards all warnings of the weather that he received from those with experience. Full of himself and ambition the man embarks on his final trail. He sights no big problem regarding the weather and is sure of the fact that he will meet with his fellows in the camp in planned time. Soon however the cold hit harder and harder. The absence of heat grew as the man’s strength and confidence shrunk. Here the words of his advisors began to make way into the front of his mind, the theme as well ever-present. The theme that suggested the potential of nature compared to that of man’s. The theme which so clearly exhibited how blind stubbornness would not lead to stoicism and victory but rather painful demise. Witnessed in this story was just that theme. The miserable man was killed not by the dreadful cold but by his own free will and lack of knowledge. Had he taken just a fragment of the native’s advice or read the warning on the wall inside the heat-infiltrated house perhaps he would breathe another breath, step another step, or live to tell of his encounter.
Santiago’s attitude seems to be that although he faces difficulties, he finds the strength inside of him to be able to overcome them. Once he hooked the marlin, Santiago comes to a realization that he cannot kill the fish quickly. Though he is faced with a problem, the old man is able to find the best of the situation. He begins to form a bond with the marlin, as he repeatedly alludes to it as his own brother. “Now we are joined together and have been since noon. And no one to help either one of us” (Hemingway 50). Santiago recognizes that he and the marlin are just inhabitants of all the tropical life in the Gulf Stream. The fact that he is able to bond with the marlin shows how much he has encountered, for the marlin is Santiago’s prey, and he surprisingly finds a relation between him and the fish. This results in the formation of a bond. The marlin changes from merely being what Santiago was attempting to hunt down, to serving as a metaphor illustrating his emotional and physical position. “Then the fish came alive, with his death in him, and rose high out of the water showing all his great length and width and all his power and his beauty. He seemed to hang in the air above the old man in the skiff. Then he fell into the water with a crash that sent spray over the old man and over all of the skiff” (Hemingway 94). The death of the marlin has great impact on Santiago...
First, the old man receives outer success by earning the respect and appreciation of the boy and the other fishermen. The boy is speaking to the old man in his shack after the old man’s long journey, “You must get well fast for there is much that I can learn and you can teach me everything” (Hemmingway 126). The boy appreciates the fact that the old man spends time to teach him about fishing. He respects him a great deal for he knows that the old man is very wise and is a magnificent fisherman. The fellow fishermen also show respect towards the old man as they note the size of the fish after the old man returns home, “What a fish it was, there has never been such a fish” (123). The men admire the fact that the old man has caught the biggest fish that they have seen. Many fishermen resented Santiago at first, however their opinion changed once they realized what the old man has gone through. Being admired by others plays a major role in improving one’s morale.
In The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman, pits his strength against forces he cannot control. We learn from Santiago's struggles how to face insurmountable odds with bravery and courage. Though we find an indifferent and hostile universe as Santiago's stage, his unwillingness to give in to these forces demonstrate a reverence for life's struggles. Santiago's struggle is for dignity and meaning in the face of insurmountable odds. His warrior-like spirit fights off the sharks full-well knowing the fate of his marlin. Santiago loses his marlin in the end, but his struggle to keep it represent a victory because of the dignity and heroism with which he carries out his mission. However, as Santiago acknowledges, he is almost sorry he caught the marlin because he knows the animal and he have a great deal in common as fellow beings in nature. However, he only caught the marlin "through trickery" (Hemingway 99). Santi...
”(page 111). Santiago had plans for him already but failed to accomplish them. Some will argue that he won because he gained spiritual victory. This , in a way, is true; but fishing is his job and only way of living. If the case had been different and Santiago was only fishing for his personal entertainment, which wasn’t, it could be seen as a new experience or story to tell.
... minds of many with the great strength and patience: the passion that Santiago has for life, for nature, and for the harsh judgement of fellow fisherman.
For three long days, the boat is alternating pushes and towed by the huge fish in an almost dream-like state. Only the killing os the fish and the attacking of the sharks interrupt the monotony. The monotony becomes one of the pressures that the old man must endure in order to maintain his grace. However, because Santiago never gives in to the monotony or the depression, he becomes the hero in the story against innumerable odds. His tenacious determination leads him to a sense of hope amongst the monotony and depression.
It is a large, strong marlin and Santiago is going to do everything he can to catch this marlin. Many times Santiago has thought he is so close to catching the marlin but the marlin is too smart and strong. As the marlin takes Santiago out farther and farther into the sea, to the point where he can no longer see land, Santiago is still determined to catch that fish, “‘Fish,” he said softly, aloud, “I’ll stay with you until I am dead.’” (52).
The old man and the sea is a novella about an old Cuban fisherman, Santiago, and his three-day battle with a giant Marlin fish. Throughout the novella, Santiago is portrayed in different perspectives. He is tough and refuses to give up at any time. He withholds the will to continue and the courage to overcome what is believed to be the impossible. His persistence and confidence, his absolute determination and his unique way of accepting the reality makes him a noble hero.