The Old Man and the Sea Blog 11

The Old Man and the Sea is a novel about the perseverance of Santiago in his fight against the great marlin.  Throughout the entire ordeal at sea, the old man never gave up even after he had lost all hope.  Life did not seem worth living to Santiago after the sharks stole his prize, but for his own honor as a fisherman he kept on going.  Many times throughout the novel he demonstrated this amazing level of perseverance.  “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 hack 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.” (Hemingway 44).  The great fish demonstrated an equal amount of determination as Santiago’s perseverance which would result in a mentally and physically challenging battle.  In the end Santiago’s perseverance would win out, but he felt as if he and the marlin were brothers.  He did what was necessary to prove his strength and still respected the fish for its fight.  When the sharks come and take the fish, the old man fights them until he has no strength left.  When this happens he simply waited patiently for it to return and then starts fighting again.  This level of perseverance can only be matched in the highest of physical pain.  Santiago did not give up until the very end when there was nothing left to do.  All that was left of the marlin was its head and bones.  The old man fought a good fight, yet it was not enough.  He finished his voyage with nothing left but his pride and his experiences. 

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.