What Is A Thesis Statement For The Old Man And The Sea

Reading Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea” made me question myself. I always assumed I was courageous, but reading this novella made me wonder if I really am as brave as I think. The book is based on an old man, Santiago, who goes far out into the sea to try and catch a big fish after 84 days of no luck. He gets a gigantic fish on his hook, but because of its size, he is unable to pull it onto the boat. The novella shows endurance, as the old man’s battle with the fish is not only a battle of strength, but also a battle of will. The old man constantly reminds himself that “…pain does not matter to a man.” (Hemingway, 61). The novella shows suffering, hunger, and defeat. The book also shows how excessive pride can ruin a man. It made me realize how endurance through pride can be rewarding because it can bring legacies and stories worth telling,

I like how Santiago manages to fight for that long without proper nutrition and enough sleep. This relates to my thesis statement because he is fighting with courage and never gives up. “I could not fail myself and die on a fish like this…” (Hemingway, 63) said the old man. This is just one of the many times he is telling himself to keep fighting. I like his strong endurance because it teaches me to never give up fighting for my legacy, like Santiago. The fish was the old man’s legacy, and he was fighting it with all his power. The fisherman’s endurance taught me to fight for my dreams, no matter how hard and painful the battle is because one cannot simply sit around and wait for one’s dreams to come true. The novella also shows that pride can ruin a man though, too. The old man was able to endure so much because of his excessive pride, which eventually ruined him. “The Old Man and the Sea” taught me to be courageous, but not to be courageous because of an overabundance of