old man and the sea
This short novel, as the title suggests, is mainly set on the sea over a period of three days. The protagonist, Santiago, is a fisherman by profession and lives in a small village in Cuba. Geographically, Cuba is an island in the Caribbean, whose main industry is fishing. The warm waters of the Gulf Stream flow very close to the village where Santiago lives, bringing the giant marlin in the months of September and October. Santiago sets out on his momentous journey in the early fall, probably in September. During the course of the novel, the setting becomes symbolic. The sea represents the total universe against which humanity (represented by Santiago) is pitted and in which, everybody has to take a chance. The climax in the story occurs when Santiago kills the fish and its blood attracts the eager sharks nearby. His hopes of taking home his huge fish are dashed when the sharks attack and eat the fish. The antagonist in the novel is the sea, a symbol of life, which robs Santiago of his final victory. The real antagonist in the sea is the group of sharks that eat the giant fish. Since the waters also provide Santiago with his way of life, he sees the sea more as a challenge than an
important, and a man obtains the status of hero if he battles the sea (life) under pressure. In addition, the novel abounds in the symbols of the lions, about which Santiago frequently dreams. Most of the time, the lions appear to be mere cubs, playing like young cats in the dusk, and Santiago loves them as he loves Manolin. The cubs are symbols of youthful possibility, a foreshadowing of great things to come. The image of them always makes him happy. They are good company, just like Manolin. In the beginning, the giant marlin becomes a symbol of the mysterious world of the unknown that challenges everyone. "A man can be destroyed but not defeated" P.103. suggest that there is a harmony in all of life. The boy also seems to have the same effect on the old man. "The boy keeps me alive, he thought. I must not deceive myself too much." Page 106. The boy is the old man's spinach, (Popeye) every time Santiago gets to a breaking point that he will not make it through he thinks about Manolin. Which gives him the strength to carry on. discouraged. He has had streaks of bad luck in the past, and he is hopeful that the next day will bring him better luck. In fact, he makes up his mind to go far out to sea and try his luck, optimistic that he may catch a really large fish. Santiago is alone in the world; his wife has passed away, and he refuses to have a photograph of her in his hut, for it makes him feel lonely. His constant companion has been Manolin, a young boy that he has tutored since he was five. Santiago is an expert fisherman, skilled and careful. He makes careful preparations for each outing on his boat and is always prepared when he makes a catch. He is in tune with the natural environment, watching the weather, the currents, birds, and fish to help him know the best spot for fishing. He wisely drops his bait at different depths, hoping to land a catch with variety of methods. Physically, Santiago is a tough man. When he was younger, he would arm wrestle for sport and always win. One time, a match lasted for more than twenty-four hours, and ev
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Approximate Word count = 1394
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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