“Man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated” (Hemingway, 78). There is much support for this encouraging quote by Santiago, the main character in Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. Former President Richard Nixon said “defeat doesn’t finish a man, quit does” (Biography.com Editors), affirming that man cannot be defeated unless he allows it. But although the old fisherman resolutely encourages himself with this statement, he confesses later to his apprentice, “ ‘They beat me, Manolin…They truly beat me’ ” (Hemingway, 92). And according to Merriam-Webster, “beat” is a synonym for “defeat” (“Defeat”, Merriam-Webster.com). So man actually can be defeated—and Santiago both demonstrated and testified to this truth. …show more content…
Obviously, this does not define Santiago’s end state. His structure, organic existence, and condition are not ruined and he is not out of existence. Meanwhile, Merriam-Webster defines “defeat” as “destroy; nullify, frustrate; to win victory over, beat” (“Defeat.” Merriam-Webster.com). This fits Santiago much better—especially as he himself announces “ ‘They beat me…They truly beat me’ ” (Hemingway, 92). With that direct correlation, there’s no doubt that Santiago annuls his own statement—man certainly can be …show more content…
Here, Hemingway foreshadows Santiago’s defeat. This counters Santiago’s statement that he cannot be defeated, for Hemingway maintains he certainly can be defeated and in fact has been for quite some time. The foreshadowed defeat manifests itself after Santiago catches the marlin. As he drags the sea beast’s carcass across the ocean, sharks catch the scent, and soon begin their diligent pursuit. Santiago notices this and reacts: “It was too good to last, he thought…But there was nothing to be done now” (Hemingway, 78-79). From this tone, it is obvious that Santiago’s defeat is inevitable. Hemingway continues the hopeless narration: “He knew the fight was useless…He knew he was beaten now finally and without remedy” (Hemingway, 87-88). Santiago knew he was beaten—which, coincidentally, is a synonym of defeated. Overall, yes, Santiago has been defeated. But only in relation to his pursuit of the marlin. The marlin is completely gone; he has wasted time, energy, and blood for nothing. And yet he is still a fisherman. He makes plans with Manolin to return to the sea. So though his pursuit of the marlin has been defeated, his station as a lowly fisherman has not. And maybe that’s what’s really
In conclusion, Santiago’s journey had different stages that got him closer to achieving his personal legend. Overall the Hero’s Journey of santiago was about him going through challenges and for him to trust in his heart. This can also be compared someone when wanting to accomplish something but then you would think you won’t be able to accomplish it. Clearly, he has been able to complete his journey through stages which had also got him closer to the end every time he has accomplished one of the stages, so the stages are also there so when passing a stage you will be able to keep going without any
He begins to speak to its carcass as if it were a dear friend who had passed, which to him, it might have been. The old man says that his actions were wrongful, for he only beat the marlin “through trickery” (Hemingway 99). A few pages after this statement, Santiago’s grief over the marlin’s death is bound to grow, for an hour after capturing the marlin, a mako shark catches on to its scent. Santiago manages to defeat the “cruel and able and strong and intelligent” (Hemingway 103) mako shark, but not before it bites off a chunk of the marlin’s admittedly delicious meat. This creates an even bigger issue because, thanks to the mako sharks attack, the marlin’s blood has now been released into the ocean and will no doubt attracted other
The king gives Santiago the final push by explaining to him all about personal legends. The king gives him a sense of reassurance by telling him that, “in order to find the treasure, [Santiago] will have to follow the omens”(29). All of these examples tie in with Santiago beginning his hero journey. With all of these callings, one would expect Santiago to be up for his journey during the rest of the book, but alas that is not the case.... ... middle of paper ...
2. Santiago mentally conforms to enduring the loss of the big marlin when the sharks begin to attack. Santiago is able to fight off the first few sharks but the blood , Santiago knows, will attract more sharks and soon there would be nothing left of the marlin. Santiago accepts this loss, because it cannot be avoided, yet he still holds on to the skeleton of the fish because of his courage and values.
...that the old man survived those long days at sea, and even caught the marlin successfully. Santiago’s credibility as a fisherman and survivor are restored. In this way, he is resurrected as a new, respectable man.
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
The constant struggle makes Santiago realize that he is no longer as young as he thinks he is and
Secondly, Santiago experiences material success because of the augmented physical strength he attains from the obstacles that he is forced to face. The old man is walking home to his shack after he returns from his strenuous journey, “He had to sit down five times before he reached his shack” (121). The old man is exhausted from his trip because he had spent so much energy catching the fish. Plenty of strength must have been gained from the exertion of this much energy. During the shark attacks, Santiago is optimistic about what good the bleeding from his hands will bring. “The bleeding may keep the left from cramping” (111). The old man is so strong that he uses the bleeding pain to suffocate a different source of pain. Not only that, but just the fact of keeping a positive attitude about a situation like this is a great accomplishment which can only be obtained from strength.
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...
Some argued that the novel’s theme was Santiago’s struggle, the friendship with the fish and other characters; Santiago’s perseverance and that he really ended up as a triumphant man. But to argue that those were also the main themes of the book is also a difficult thing to do. Even though Santiago fought and kept on with his struggle to catch the fish, he was defeated because he lost it at the end. Defeat, according to the Larousse Chambers English Dictionary, is when you are overthrown in a battle, you lose a game and therefore you don’t win: you don’t gain or reach your goal. As we can see Santiago, in spite of the fact that he persevered and struggled, starving, for three days lost the battle.
In a flashback Santiago describes a battle between himself and the great negro from Cienfuegos. The negro was known as the strongest man on the docks, but that did not scare Santiago off from challenging him to the hand game. After a rough two day battle Santiago defeated him and was given the title Santiago El Campeon. Later that spring there was a return match, "After he had a few matches and then no more. Santiago decided that he could beat anyone if he wanted to badly enough" (Hemingway 70). This shows that Santiago has great strength and he knows that, but he does not feel the need to prove his strength repeatedly to the rest of the people on the docks.
In the story, Santiago’s bravery is unsurpassed, but it is not until he hooks the “great fish” that we truly see his valor and perseverance. Through Santiago’s actions, Hemingway teaches the reader about bravery and perseverance in the face of adversity. He demonstrates that even when all is lost and seems hopeless, a willful heart and faith will overcome anything. Santiago had lost his “luckiness” and therefore the respect of his village. Through the description of his cabin, we also suspect that Santiago is a widower.
Existentialism makes its appearance when Santiago chooses to pursue the marlin, stay with it the entire way, and fight tooth and nail at the end. “My choice was to go there to find him beyond all people,” is how Santiago explains his actions to challenge the fish (Hemingway 50). He mentions how he was born to be a fisherman, and by chasing the marlin, he will give his life the meaning for existence. Santiago also insists on staying with the fish until one of them is dead, which exemplifies his will to fulfill his goals in life. He endures obstacles such as nausea, cramps, and sleep deprivation because he does not want to give up and surrender his fate.
He experienced destruction for 84 days of not catching any fish and he was being crushed and destroyed physically, nevertheless, his spirit and self-determination has accomplished him a victory with pride. Finally, he proved that man can be never
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.