Old Man Determination

The Old Man and the Sea, written by Ernest Hemingway in 1952, tells a story of defeat, determination, and the tests that great men will put themselves through. Hemingway’s short and blunt style of writing, along with the novel’s themes of determination and preservation are what makes The Old Man and the Sea an American classic. After 84 continuous days at sea without catching a single fish, Santiago, an old cuban man and washed up fisherman, decides to return to his home in Havana and take a short break from his fishing. Santiago, usually a cheerful and obliviously happy man, is unusually sad because during his unlucky 84 days at sea, the parents of his protege and best friend, Manolin, forced the young boy to leave Santiago and join the

Santiago never gives up on his quest and does everything he can to see it through. No matter how tired he is or how injured his hands and body are, he has a commitment to complete his task. He even goes as far as promising to God that he will pray 500 hail mary’s if he survives the full duration of his expedition, which is especially significant due to the fact that Santiago is not a man of faith. Not only is this theme reflected in the old man, but in both the marlin and Manolin as well. The marlin courageously fights against Santiago all throughout the novel, and never once gave up its fight. The old man thinks that the marlin is too worthy of an opponent to battle against and almost has no right to vanquish the mighty beast. Even after the marlins death, the old man sees the fish as his savior, and he commends the fish on helping him return home. Manolin, the old man’s protege, never stops caring about the old man for a moment, even when he is forced to join another crew by his parents. Even if he is not allowed to help santiago on his journey, he will be there with him in spirit, and he never spent a day not worrying about the old man. Santiago’s preservation through his impossible mission almost goes over his head, as he sees his journey as any other day out at sea. Only after Manolin sees all of the fishermen admiring the carcass of santiago’s catch, does the reader get perspective on how large the fish actually was and the struggle the old man really went