By Rachel P.

In Ernest Hemingway’s novella, The Old Man and the Sea, the key factor that motivated Santiago to work for his catches and not give up was his determination and pride. Santiago went through a lot of difficulties while he was attempting to catch the marlin; difficulties that were physically painful and mentally strenuous. He was at a point where he was starving, had bleeding cuts on his hands from the pulling of the fishing cord, and the constant reminders that if he didn’t catch the marlin, or any fish at all, then he would never prove to his apprentice Manolin, Manolin’s parents, the other fishermen, and especially himself, that he could still catch like he did in his younger days. In The Old Man and the Sea, a possible theme of Hemingway’s, referring back to the determination and pride of Santiago, is: Pride and determination can help you through your struggles.

One of the main reasons he really wanted to go out fishing was because he hadn’t caught anything for 84 days! Now, for an experienced, previously successful fisherman, that is shameful. “… he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish” (9). The fact that he had gone so long without anything motivated him to catch something. That something was the marlin. People will always go through certain situations and decide they want to improve. That is a great thing to do because it can bring a lot of success to your life.

Santiago gained confidence and the feelings of prestige and greatness in one particular way. Santiago would often think back to the day when he became “el campeon”, or “the champion”, when he beat a great negro man in arm wrestling. It was a memory Santiago would never forget and always enjoy. “As the sun set he remembered, to give himself more confidence, the time in the tavern at Casablanca when he had played the hand game with the great Negro from Cienfuegos who was the strongest man on the docks” (69). There will always be something you can think back to and become confident and prideful. This can be something simple such as getting a good grade or something like what Santiago accomplished. Being confident, proud, and having high self esteem (pride) can ease your way through struggles, whether they are physical or mental challenges.

Santiago really showed his determination to catch a fish when he was injured and kept fighting to catch it. When “he felt the line carefully with his right hand and noticed his hand was bleeding” (180), he ignored the pain and continued to pull the line. It takes not only a strong person to handle that setback, but a brave and courageous character also. A person without serious determination would stop and tend to their wounds. But Santiago, who had so much determination in him to catch that fish and prove to himself that he could at least get one, didn’t do anything even though he was seriously hurt. That shows a lot of what kind of feelings and emotions were running through Santiago to get him through such an event.

If Santiago hadn’t been determined or prideful, then he would never have gone on the journey in the first place. He was determined to prove to the people around him that he was better than they thought. If he wasn’t determined, he wouldn’t have began anything. If he wasn’t prideful, he wouldn’t have wanted to try to prove anything. As you can see from what Santiago went through those few days with the marlin, pride and determination can help you through your struggles.

By Parker K.

In the deep sea adventure about an old man named Santiago, risking his life as he goes out onto the sea with no one but himself and his fishing pole. He waits so long just to catch his first fish. Santiago sets his heart on what he wants and doesn't give up until he succeeds. Santiago will get far in life if he lives up to this. Santiago could have had much worse consequences for his actions but he battled and didn't give up. On this journey Santiago could have died and that would have been a big price to pay.

One consequence Santiago was facing when he was out on the sea was that he went out there to catch a fish. Santiago waited and waited but he didn't get a fish and it took a long time before he finally got a fish. He was rewarded for how long he waited too because the fish he caught was so big. The fish he caught was a marlin and that was what he was hoping to catch. The consequence he took from going out was that he had to wait so long just to caught this fish. He waited eighty four days. Santiago really had a passion for fishing.

Another consequence that Santiago went through was when the sharks attacked his boat. Santiago got what he wanted when he went out to sea and that was to catch that marlin but he had to pay for not letting it go when it was dragging him out to sea. He didn't let it go until he got the fish and when he got i the blood from it went into the sea and attracted sharks. At first only one shark came and he battled that one off by spearing it in the head with a harpoon. After a when two more sharks came and he battled them off with a broken ore but the sharks dismembered the carcass off the marlin. This took a lot out of Santiago and makes him very weak.

One last consequence that he got for going out to sea was he almost died when he was out at sea and that is the biggest risk of all. Somehow he battled to stay alive and he succeeded. When he got back to shore after battling the sharks he just laid in his boat. The carcass of the marlin was next to the boat and his friend Manolin saw the carcass and thought it was Santiago. That is a nothing consequence that he did he put his friend Manolin through fear that his friend Santiago was dead.

This story about Santiago and his love for fishing is a life lesson. The lesson that this story teaches is that if you have a passion and love for something risk anything just to have the fun you want to have, just like Santiago did in this story. Santiago risked his live just to go fish and do what he loves to do. There are fishermen today that do the same this Santiago does but don't make it and get lost out at sea and die.

By Nicole C.

In the novella The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, the main character, an old fisherman named Santiago faces many external conflicts while trying to prove to himself and everyone else that even though he’s old, he can still fish. When he is faced with the great challenge of catching a great marlin, he must come to the harsh truth that he may, in fact, be too old to still fish.

One main thing that Santiago struggled with was his constant tiredness, which made him weaker than ever before. Santiago realizes that going without sleep could endanger his chances of catching the great fish, and make him seem like more of a failure. ‘“You must devise a way so that you sleep a little if he is quiet and steady. If you do not sleep you might become unclear in the head”’ (77). The old man understood the importance of sleep, and without it, it would cloud his brain, but since he hadn’t been sleeping, he was weak, and it was hard for him to fully use all of his strength.

Secondly, Santiago also struggled with a horrible hand cramp that temporarily paralyzed his ability to hold the fishing line to the best of his ability. Without the hand cramp, he could have easily killed the fish a little more quickly than he did. With his tiredness, and his hand cramp, he began talking to his hand, and trying to eat food to regain its strength. ‘“How do you feel hand?…I’ll eat some more for you”’ (59). Without the strength of his hand, he couldn’t fully handle the fish’s full force, and he was desperately trying to be able to gain back the power in his hand, so that he didn’t have to let go his fish. ‘“God help me to have the cramp go, because I do not know what the fish is going do to”’ (60).

A third thing that Santiago encountered on his trip was sharks attacking his fish. After he defeated all of his other problems and other people’s doubts, he finally killed his fish, which restored the pride in himself. ‘“My head is not that clear. But I think the great DiMaggio would be proud of me today”’ (97). Killing this fish gave him a sense of pride again, but this pride was soon replaced with anger and defeat again when some sharks came and proceeded to attack and tear apart at the fish. ‘“The old man’s head was clear and good now and he was full of resolution but he had little hope. It was too good to last, he thought”’ (101). The old man finally had caught a fish, and a good one at that, and he could finally be glad about it, and then, just like that, it gets taken away form him.

Santiago endured many struggles during his time fishing, and some of those were less serious than others, but overall, he trumped over them. Out of his cramped hand and tiredness, and got a nice fish out of it, and out of the sharks, he still got the respect of the other fishermen who had since lost faith in him. ‘“Many fisherman were around the skiff looking at what was lashed beside it and one was in the water, his trousers rolled up, measuring the skeleton with a length of line”’ (122). This shows that even though the old man endured some major setbacks, he could still come out of it okay, and with his pride back in check.

By Morgan D.

In the Old Man and the Sea, Santiago struggles against powerful forces and obstacles affecting the makeup of his character and capture of the giant marlin. His struggle to capture the fish shapes the story’s central conflict and plot. Santiago physically struggles with his strength. He struggles mainly with food shortage, old age, and cut hands.

Santiago struggles through fatigue while trying to catch the marlin. He knows that he needs to eat food and drink water in order to be strong enough to continue out into the sea. “He was thirsty too and he got down on his knees and, being careful not to jerk on the line, moved as far into the bow as he could get and reached the water bottle with one hand”(46), and “You’re feeling it now fish, and so god knows, am I.” (56) The first quote shows how tired he is and needed water for thirst. The second quote shows the fish suffering alongside of Santiago and himself suffering as well. The old man is in need of food and water to get enough strength to carry out with the marlin.

A second struggle Santiago faces is his trouble with his hands. He has to hold onto the fish line to get a feel for the fish’s position. “It was only a line burn that had cut his flesh. But it was in the working part of his hand.”(57) “What kind of hand is that? Cramp then if you want. Make yourself into a claw. It will do you no good.”(58) Santiago struggles with his hands because of the fishing line wearing them out. The old man holds tightly with all his strength to have control over the marlin. His hands have a large impact on catching the marlin, and could have changed the outcome. He needs to have strong hands to hold onto the heavy fish.

A final thing Santiago struggles with is his loss of strength because of his old age. Santiago is known as the old man in the book based on the fact that he is so aged. Even without struggling through lack of food, the old man’s body greatly hinders his attempts to catch the fish. “For an hour the old man had been seeing black spots before his eyes and the sweat salted his eyes and salted the cut over his eye and on his forehead. They were normal at the tension that he was pulling on the line.” (87) This quote shows that the old man cannot pull as hard as he probably used to and that he got tired faster because of his age. His old age has enabled him to tire faster and black out.

Santiago’s struggles with his strength affected his battle with the fish and his life. With the strength of food, physical shape, and younger age, he would have caught the marlin quickly and with much more ease. His struggles came as a disadvantage to his voyage. The old man was unable to bring the marlin to shore based on his struggles. The lack of food, cut hands, and old age changed the plot and built up conflict in the story, destroying both his life and the marlin.

By Cory W.

In Ernest Hemingway’s novella, The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago, the main character, has to make many difficult choices in his life as a fisherman. Some of those choices in this case are, how far to go out to sea, how much food to bring along, and how long to wait for the fish without giving up. These choices can be very critical to a fisherman’s life when he’s out at sea.

In The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago has been having some really unfortunate luck with catching fish, it has been eighty-five days since he has caught a fish but he still has faith, “eighty-five is a lucky number,”(16). This shows that even though Santiago hasn’t caught a fish in eighty-five days he still feels that he could catch one any day now. “Far out to come in when the wind shifts. I want to be out for it is light,”(14). Santiago feels that if he goes out really far into the sea that he can catch a very large fish.

This decision for Santiago turns out to be a good and bad decision. This is a good decision because the farther out you travel the deeper the ocean gets and the deeper the ocean gets the bigger the fish get. So if Santiago hooks a fish out here it will probably be a big fish. It is also good because he finally does catch a fish, the biggest fish that he has ever seen, “he is two feet longer than the skiff,”(63). If Santiago had been able to bring in this fish it would have changed his life forever. Manolin’s father would probably let him go with the old man again, the men in town would show him more respect, and he would have been able to sell the fish for a lot of money and have been able to buy plenty of the supplies he needs. But the problem is he doesn’t bring in the fish successfully and that is the bad part of this.

When Santiago decided to go out really far he probably didn’t expect to catch a fish so large that it didn’t fit on the boat. Now he has caught this amazing fish that is too large for the boat, and the only way to bring him back to land is to tie him to the side of the boat. Santiago let the fish drag him so far out to sea that it takes him a really long time to get back to shore. While Santiago is bringing in the fish, it gets attacked by hungry sharks. Santiago kills a few of them but they are eventually too much for him and he gives up. The fish is eaten right down to the bone and when he finally gets it into shore there is absolutely nothing left to it. Santiago feels defeated.

In the end Santiago comes in tired, hungry, hurt, and with the scraps of an amazing fish. Santiago’s choice to go out really far got him an amazing fish, but left him with pain, not just physically but mentally too. He had to see and hear this amazing fish he caught get ripped to shreds by bloodthirsty sharks. Santiago’s choice to go out really far had a lot of consequences, some good but also some bad.

By Jamie M.

In Ernest Hemingway’s novella the old man and the sea, the main character is an old fisherman who hasn’t caught a fish (marlin) in 84 days. Santiago, the old man, tells his little fishing buddy Manolin that he will go very far out on his next journey. Santiago decides to go out alone rather than take Manolin with him like he usually does. Santiago uses old school fishing technics and a tiny skiff which might account for his recent failure. Santiago also chooses not to bring his own food but instead let the sea supply him. Not only was his idea not to bring food a bad one it could have been his downfall.

Santiago hooks the biggest fish of his career and finds himself in a three-day struggle with the mighty marlin. During which Santiago has no food. He rests when the fish is resting and is always scavenging for food. Santiago wishes "I wish a flying fish would come on board tonight."(66) just about every night he is on the water struggling with the fish. The weird thing is that Santiago talks to the fish as though it was his brother. Santiago knows that he must catch this fish yet he respects it and treats it almost as he would treat another human.

Santiago is no stranger to the sea. He knows how to survive and how to stay somewhat healthy. His understanding of the sea and its organisms are demonstrated in his words "with so much flying fish there should be a dolphin."(71). Sure enough before night fell a dolphin had hooked by the old man. The old man knew this was not only great because he can eat the dolphin but because of his knowledge of the sea he also knew there could easily be flying fish in the stomach. Santiago also knows that the great marlin must be getting tired because it has pulled for about 2 days strait now.

Santiago knows that when the marlin dies it may be easy prey for sharks and other predators. The old man realizes that if a substantial amount of blood is spilled into the water then sharks will undoubtedly come. After the first shark attack the old man sees the negitive and positive if getting his fish bitten. "Every minuet now you are closer to home. You sail lighter for the loss of forty pounds."(104) The sharks do come again and eventually eat away all of Santiago’s fish. When he gets back to his home all the people see the skeleton and they respect the old man once again.

In an adventure or in life in general your survival depends on food. If you don’t have enough then your in trouble. I believe that if Santiago had brought enough food for at least 2 days then he would have got the fish home and eat it. Many other factors could have hlped santiago bring the fish home but I strongly believed that extra food from home would have done him some extreme good.

By Jake B.

In the novel, The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, one of the main characters, Santiago, encounters many obstacles that impede his goal of catching fish. These obstacles are both physical and mental. All of these obstacles disable him from fulfilling his potential in catching fish.

One of first obstacles is poor equipment. He has a very small wooden skiff. This hinders him from doing any really intense fishing, as the skiff is not sturdy enough. With a sturdier skiff, it would be easier for Santiago to reel in larger and stronger fish. Also, Santiago does not have a fishing rod. Instead, he uses his hands and a string. The string batters Santiago’s hands. If he had a correct fishing rod, it would not scrape is hands. Non scraped hands would give Santiago more endurance while fishing. Better equipment would help Santiago’s fishing experience. Quote-“He felt the line carefully with his right hand and noticed his hand was bleeding.”PG.55-56-This quote explains the pain Santiago experiences while out at sea. With better equipment, this would not be an issue.

The next obstacle that Santiago endures is a mental issue. First, he is alone on all of his fishing trips. He used to have a boy that he fished with, but the boys parents stopped allowing him to fish with Santiago. If Santiago had a fishing partner it would boost his confidence nd he would have had more fun. Also, a fishing partner would help him physically as he would not have to do as much work. With rest on the fishing trips, he would have more energy to catch fish during the day. Quote-“He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish.” PG.9- This quote explains that Santiago spends long endless days at sea alone.

The last obstacle Santiago encounters is fatigue. Santiago is at sea much to long. It is hard for Santiago to change this as he stays out at sea for weeks alone. He needs to stay out at sea to survive. Although everyone is generous to Santiago by giving him food and drinks, it is still hard for him to make a living. If Santiago had a somewhat bigger boat, like the size of today’s modern boats, it would be much easier for him to fish. He could leave a line out at sea while he sleeps. This would reduce his fatigue. Quote-“I wish he’d sleep and I could sleep and dream like the lions.”PG.66- This quote explains that Santiago needs a break. He wanted the fish to sleep so he could sleep. If the fish sleep then Santiago can let go and not worry about catching the fish.


If all Santiago’s obstacles were overcome, he would be a much better fisherman and a happier person. There are solutions to Santiago’s obstacles but it will take hard work, determination and knowledge.

By Yong K.

The novella, The Old Man and the Sea is a book that Ernest Hemingway wrote about a old man who goes out to the sea where there are many sharks because he went far out to the sea that no fisherman had gone. His adventure was stunning because he goes through many disasters in a not so commodious boat. In the book The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago, the fisherman initiates his journey to the sea and he is struck with calamity to catch a giant marlin that no human saw. Santiago sometimes has conversation with the marlin about his suffering and when he goes out fishing, his hand couldn’t ambidextrously use his hands.

The pain that Santiago went through was really disastrous because he had no fishing rack because Santiago was poor and in indigence. Santiago has a conversation with the fish.” Fish, the old man said.” Fish, you are going to have to die anyway, do you have to kill me too?”(92). The quote that is provided above explains that he is going through a lot of pain such as getting his hand cut, sick, and fainting in order to just catch a marlin out in the sea and also to ostentatious to everyone when he goes back to the shore. The quote clearly explains that he is suffering during his far-off journey.

As his journey continues, he suddenly sees sharks smelling the blood of the marlin and are trying to get a piece of the marlin. [Santiago] kills the shark with the knife to keep away from the marlin. The sharks comes and comes and Santiago fights. “ Now they have beaten me, he thought. I am too old to club sharks to death. But I’ll try it as long as I have the oars and the short club and the tiller”(112). Santiago gradually gets weaken because of killing many sharks, it showed on the passage that he coughed up blood and fainted. Santiago struggled against powerful force which was the sharks which led him to be sick and it was a calamity and Santiago capitulated. The quote showed that Santiago was struggled with a force that affected him.

As Santiago comes back from a long and tiring journey, he felt weakened and was talking to himself. “He was stiff and sore now and wounds all of the strained parts of his body hurt with the cold of the night. I hope I do not have to fight again he thought, I hope so much I do not have to fight again”(117). Santiago states this quote because he had suffered a lot and he struggled a lot with sharks and his condition because he was old and many obstacles came after him. Santiago knew it was a harsh journey and he said I wish the boy [Manolin] was with him because he cares for Santiago and it wouldn’t have been a long journey if he had taken the boy with him. It was a long and tiring journey for Santiago.

The Cuban fisherman, Santiago started his journey to the sea and he has nothing with him except for his suffering and powerful forces and obstacles that affected him throughout his journey. It was clearly a calamity in the sea with sharks which he couldn’t surmount. Santiago is the fisherman that went through many disaster things in the sea which he will not forget in his life.

By Wylee M.

Santiago and Manolin are back, for a whirlwind adventure, in the book An Old Man, a Young Man, and the Seaizzle. The two fishermen are working together full time, and are a big success. They become the best of friends, one that seems that will last forever. But with success, comes downfall, and unfortunately bad luck is around the corner. During a celebrating fishing trip, consisting of the old man and the boy, a terrible hurricane strikes and endangers them. Although they are in physical harm, their friendship is the only thing that will save them.

It started off as a celebration boat ride, just Santiago and Manolin. They were celebrating breaking their record of 50 fish in just one week! They were having a great time until a hurricane came and wrecked their boat. When they woke up they were on a mysterious island. At the start of there adventure on the island, Santiago and Manolin’s friendship started strong, but slowly degraded, as their savage instincts kicked in. Not too long after, paranoia began to wiggle in Manolins mind: "Manolin sat on the ground and shakes, softly saying he’s going to kill me, there all going to kill me."(Page 76)As days progressed, Manolins paranoia only got worse and so did their friendship.

They went from enemies to obsessive enemies who watched the other persons every move. Since there friendship was disintegrated and all they could think about was what the other person was doing, and did nothing to try to improve there chance of rescue or any prepare for the future. "The food is running low. In 4 days there will be nothing left thought Santiago" (Page 134). Santiago turns mad (mentally) and when Manolins back is turned, uses a sharp rock and almost slashes Manolin. He realizes what a savage he becomes and realizes he needs to be friends with Manolin if they ever want to get off the island.

After things cooled down, slowly but steadily their friendship strengthened, and in time, it became greater than ever! Since they were best friends, When Manolin and Santiago started acting like friends, hope finally saw the light of day. They stopped hating each other, and started to work off the island. “It’s good that the monsters have left us, and that we can finally unite to get out of here." (Page 178) Every night they started a fire so that maybe a search team would find them. But that didn’t work. With teamwork though, they found more food to last them awhile! One day on the island, there is a terrible storm. Santiago and Manolin hide from it, and survive. When they walk back to the beach they see a dead seaizzle. They come up with an idea to use its skin to make a raft. After many hours of work, and with a strong friendship they made one and sailed off.

Friendship; Friendship is something that we take for granted, and as we saw their friendship is the only thing that mattered for survival on the island, and when it got restored again, Manolin and Santiago finally had a chance to get.

By Tim P.

Ernest Hemingway’s novella, The Old Man and the Sea, talks about a very interesting character. It’s the old man named Santiago who faces many struggles and powerful forces throughout the story. He had a very hard time catching the humongous marlin which was larger than his own skiff. Santiago eventually catches it but he goes through many scrambles before he actually gets to see the fishes shiny, purple back.

As Santiago starts his battle with the marlin, he realizes right away that it’s an unusually big fish. It’s a fish of great size and Santiago never had a fish this strong. “Never have I had such a strong fish nor one who acted so strangely” (48). The man is really old and there were times when he thought he wouldn’t be able to pull the large marlin out. There were many times when Santiago wished the boy, Manolin, would be there to help him out and see the giant fish.

Another struggle Santiago faced during his journey was when he got pains and cramps in his body. I don’t know how someone of that age could possibly withstand so much strain on their back holding a fish of that size. Also the old man must’ve experienced a lot of bad cramps on his hands before because he asked his hand how it feels, knowing that it will soon uncramp. ‘“How do you feel, hand?” he asked the cramped hand that was almost as stiff as rigor mortis’ (58-59). Another thing Santiago experienced was when the line holding the big fish cut his hand and it started to bleed. You can also tell that the old man went through many pains because when he got back home, he went straight to his house and slept for a very long time. The boy understood that the old man went through many struggles and that’s why he left him alone until he slept.

A third struggle the old man went through is the sharks attacking. “It was an hour before the first shark hit him” (100). The sharks came because of the scent of the blood from the huge marlin. Because sharks attack anything and try to eat anything where there’s blood, about ten sharks attacked the marlin, since it was bleeding. Santiago killed about seven or eight of them. To do that, he used a spear, a knife, the till of his boat, a club, and any other weapon he could find in his boat. There was no meat left on the marlin except the bones and the head. Although the people at the village saw that there was no meat on the fish and that it wasn’t worth anything, they still knew that this truly was the biggest fish they’ve seen and that the old man is a very good fisherman.

As you can see, the old man had many physical struggles throughout the story during his journey. He also had mental struggles such as his age and he is always alone so he talks to himself. But because of his fishing experience, he was able to catch the big marlin and bring at least the remains of the biggest fish caught. Those were some examples of Santiago’s struggles.

By Raheem M.

Life is filled with choices. In The Old Man and the Sea Santiago is faced with many difficult ones. Santiago Is a very knowledgeable man but, he made some bad choices while fishing which caused his eighty-five day drought. He usually thinks things through and makes the right decision but when he started having trouble catching fish he began to feel nervous and makes bad decisions. One decision that Santiago made which affected his trip a lot was when he decided to go very far out from shore to attempt to catch a fish. “The old man stared at his lines going straight down into water that was a mile deep” (40).

Santiago impulsively went deeper into the ocean. He felt as though he could not turn back. He told the boy that he was confident that he would catch a fish. I think that the old man was motivated to go out partly because he is Manolin’s role model and he did not want to let the boy down by not catching a fish. He also believes that there will be a lot of fish deep in the sea because it is September, the best fishing month of the year. “[September] The month when they great fish come, anyone can be a fisherman in May” (18).

Another reason the old man made the decision to keep going deeper into the sea was a decision he made because he was desperate for a fish. It was a good idea because he could catch larger fish than those which were close to shore. He was in need of money so he went very far out. The old man should have gone far out, but he had traveled too far. “He looked behind him and saw that no land was visible” (46).

Many bad things came from Santiago’s decision to go out. He was able to hook the marlin but he had to struggle with it for a very long time. He grew tired and weak. Santiago began to loose hope when the marlin was being taken by the sharks. The old man began to doubt himself. “You’re tired old man, you’re tired inside” (112). Also, if Santiago had not gone out so far he would probably still have been able to catch a large fish without as much risk of being attacked by the sharks. If Santiago did stay closer to the shore and was having trouble catching his fish he could have received assistance from a nearby fisherman.

Santiago was faced with many difficult choices in The Old Man and the Sea. One that had a very large impact on him was the decision to go deep into the sea. Santiago’s trip could have been less dangerous and painful if he had stayed closer to shore. His decision put a great deal of physical and mental strain on him However, Santiago was courageous and decided that he had to go far out to catch the perfect fish. His choice was bold but perilous and he returned from his journey weaker, but he was proud of himself for persevering.

By Patrick D.

In the classic story by Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago is faced with many struggles in his ongoing battle with the giant marlin. Obviously the largest and main obstacle Santiago must overcome is defeating the giant marlin. While doing this, he must battle with demons within himself. Not only these, but Santiago must return home through the shark infested bay area.

For three days and nights, Santiago battles the greatest marlin the world has ever seen. The battle is torture: Santiago must fight with mangled hands, an insurmountable hunger, thirst, unimaginable narcolepsy, and the constant turmoil within himself of whether or not to let the fish. Throughout the struggle, Santiago’s hands become wounded and morph into nothing more than bloody stubs desperately clinging to a sharp fishing wire. Santiago knows he must defeat the marlin, however; the fish is the only thing that may keep Santiago from death. The money and food it would bring him would keep him healthy for months. His will of iron is the only thing that keeps him alive during this agonizing battle: “A man can be destroyed but not defeated.” (103) The man’s pride is what wins him the fish; once Santiago has caught a fish, especially at this point in his life, he will not let it free: “You did not kill the fish only to sell or keep for food, he thought. You killed him for pride and because you are a fisherman.”(54)

Santiago has many inner feelings and demons inside himself, including his affection for the local boy, Manolin. Santiago chose not to bring the boy on this day’s trip, and he began to regret it shortly thereafter. “I wish I had the boy” (45) is obviously quite a blunt quote, showing his need for Manolin, but there are other references within the book that Santiago needs or wants the boy. The old man, hence the title given to him by the author, is getting very old, and perhaps is losing a bit of sanity. “Why haven’t I ever realized I talk to myself?” is showing how Santiago talks to himself out of pure loneliness. "He no longer dreamed of storms, nor of women, nor of great occurrences, nor of great fish, nor fights, nor contests of strength, nor of his wife. He only dreamed of places now and of the lions on the beach." (25) The lion referenced obviously represents something inside of Santiago that is calling to him, but this quote does suggest that he may be a little tweaked in his head.

After Santiago conquers the great marlin, he must return to his home through the shark-infested bay. The marlin has pulled him out far, and he must let the fish hang from the side of his skiff, letting off a trail any shark within 100 miles could track. Santiago knows this and is prepared to defend his fish mentally, if not with proper weapons. For over a day, dozens of sharks attack his fish, each taking a large chunk from his prize. Santiago boldly defends it with what little he has, but by the time he returns, the fish is nothing more than a skeleton. “’They beat me, Manolin,’ he said. ‘They truly beat me’” (124) is the quote that shows Santiago knows he has lost, and is finally able to admit it after the great fights with the sharks.

Santiago faces many perils and struggles throughout Ernest Hemingway’s novel, The Old Man and the Sea. He battles the greatest marlin ever seen for three straight days, defends it from dozens of sharks, and battles turmoil within himself. His struggles were great, but the profit nothing. For Santiago, “It’s not about the destination, but the journey” is taken to an all time high.

By Max H.

In The Old Man and the Sea, there are many choices that Santiago must make that affect the outcome of his battle with the great marlin and ultimately his life. When Santiago chooses to stay with the fish and continue deep into the sea he is weakened and clearly out of his league, being so ill supplied. After making his decision, Santiago soon runs short of food and must catch multiple smaller fish to stay alive and competing with the marlin. The old man becomes weak and tired from so many days out on the sea, and fears the possibility that he’ll fall into a state of madness. Santiago is also physically disadvantaged after staying out on the sea for so long when he is cut by the fishing line and his hands betray him by “no longer working”.

Santiago is first affected by his choice to stay with the fish when his food is all eaten. Knowing he will become incredibly weak, loose his amazing fish, and eventually die of starvation, Santiago looks to catch smaller fish to eat. The old man clearly shows his desperation for food and his incredible tiredness when he says aloud to the marlin, “You’re feeling it now fish, and so, God knows, am I” (56). This quote explains in as little words as possible that Santiago is being run down in his incessant battle with the fish, and needs as much energy as he can acquire.

Evidently, the old man faces great weakness and mental instability after his time on the sea. Santiago is aware of his critical state but knows he must continue if he wishes to live. Santiago explains his need for sleep and to overcome some of his weakness when he says to the fish “Now let me get through the eating of this s dolphin and get some rest and a little sleep” (79). This quote perfectly describes how the old man is literally asking the marlin for a small break, so he can later continue to fight the fish for his life.

One of the old man’s biggest problems after continuing out on the sea is the physical issues with his hands. Santiago has somewhat of a relationship with his hands in that he keeps them healthy and they stay strong and don’t betray him. His relation with his hands is shown in the quotes “Be patient hand, I do this for you” (59) and also, “How do you feel hand, I’ll eat some more for you” (58, 59). Santiago explains how he will soon eat so his hands can benefit from the food and keep themselves strong. Soon after the old man’s hand is cut by the fishing line, it also deceives him by cramping. He responds by scolding his hand in the quote, “What kind of hand is that, cramp then if you want. Make yourself into a claw. It will do you no good” (58).

Incontestably, Santiago’s decision to stay with the great marlin and travel far out into the sea affected his battle with the fish and his life. A shortage of food, weakness on the verge of madness, and physical disadvantages followed Santiago’s decision. The old man soon realized the consequences of his actions but had a ceaseless drive to beat the marlin in an unimaginable battle for life.

By Kylie L.

Everyone makes choices that could have good or bad consequences. In Ernest Hemingway’s novella, The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago, the old man, makes many choices that could have turned out much differently had he made other decisions. The biggest mistakes that Santiago made was not bringing the boy, Manolin, along with him, letting the fish drag him too far out to sea, and expecting to much of his good luck.

One big mistake in his choices was to not bring Manolin along with him out to sea. If he did Santiago wouldn’t be tired all the time because of the hassle of trying to hold on to the marlin all day and night. With the boy along with him, Santiago wouldn’t be as tired as he was alone because they could take turns holding the fishing line: “I [Santiago] wish I had the boy. To help me and to see this” (48). I think that with Manolin’s help Santiago could have brought the fish in a lot sooner and he wouldn’t have lost the marlin to the malicious sharks. Or if they couldn’t have brought the fish in in less time then the old man did alone, Manolin still could have helped catch the little fish so that Santiago wouldn’t have had to catch little fish while holding onto the marlin.

Another blunder Santiago made was letting the marlin tow him too far out to sea. Santiago knew what he was getting into by going far out and then having to travel all the way back to land with a dead fish. The chances of hungry sharks after his fish were high after the blood of its killing. After the first shark came he knew right away that “there would be others” (103) and that his chances of getting home with a good amount of tuna were slim.

The biggest mistake Santiago made was having too much confidence. He kept thinking that because he was on an unlucky streak that he would catch a big fish and finally get his luck back to normal. At one point he even got carried away of how much good fortune the fish would bring him: “He’s over fifteen hundred pounds the way he is, he thought. Maybe much more. If he dresses out two-thirds of that at thirty cents a pound? ‘I need a pencil for that,’ he said” (97). And once the first shark came he knew that all his hard work was for nothing.

If Santiago took some different actions throughout the book he probably could have caught the marlin within less time and a lot less effort than it took for him to do it alone. If he brought the boy he could have caught the fish sooner and wouldn’t have been as tired, if he did let the fish drag him out to sea he could have made it back to land before sharks came, and if he didn’t have so much confidence he wouldn’t have been expecting as much from his efforts. Every choice has good or bad consequences and Santiago made some bad choices that caused him a great deal of effort, his marlin, and almost his life.

By Kieran B.

In the novella The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, Santiago, the main character makes many choices that all lead to different consequences. Santiago sets out on a trip to catch some fish but it ends up being a long battle with a marlin. Santiago takes some very serious risks while he is out at sea. While he is out there he is punished cruelly for his actions. Hemingway fully describes Santiago’s choices and how afterwards he lives with the consequences.

Santiago made many choices while at sea and before he went to sea. A few examples of choices that he made are: deciding to bring food on the trip, to even go fishing, to hook the marlin and to even love to fish in the first place. After every one of these events, Santiago paid in some way. It is just like cause and effect. The cause is the action (choice) and the effect is the consequence. One really big choice for Santiago was if he should or shouldn’t bring Manolin (a young friend of his) on the fishing trip with him. Manolin’s father ends up not letting him go.

The biggest and greatest decision of all that is posed in The Old Man and the Sea is: Should Santiago even have hooked the marlin in the first place? “It was noon when I hooked him, “he said. “And I have never seen him”(47). This quote proves that Santiago has been fishing a while with no luck because in previous pages Hemingway states it had been 84 days since his last catch. So, I think this is why he went through the trouble (consequences) of trying to catch the marlin because he really didn’t want to go home empty handed. Nevertheless, when he did arrive home, he didn’t have anything other than a fish carcass. The reason is because on his way back home the marlin was bleeding so badly that every shark that smelled it took a chunk of marlin only to be killed by Santiago himself.

As the author clearly states, Santiago has never seen the fish he has hooked. Hemingway describes the marlin’s beauty and such on pages 90-94. “No,” he said. “He can’t be that big”(90). Santiago is shocked at the size of the fish he has hooked. He is not sure what he has gotten himself into. This is the consequence for Santiago’s action earlier on. If Santiago had never caught the marlin in the first place than he would never have to deal with all the consequences afterwards.

In the end Santiago returns home to meet Manolin who assists the old man to recovery. “I’ll bring food and the papers, “the boy said. “Rest well, old man. I will bring stuff from the drugstore for your hands”(126).This proves that the old man went through some serous consequences just to come back home empty handed. Santiago’s hands were badly injured from holding the line the fish was on which was one of many consequences that the old man received on the trip.

By Katie S.

Often in works of writing, an individual struggles against powerful obstacles that affect him significantly. Such is the case in the compelling novella The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. Manolin, the boy in the story, comes face to face with difficult impediments. He is torn between his duty to his parents, his love for Santiago, the main protagonist in the novella, and his unwillingness to believe that Santiago must be dead after three days at sea. Being a boy of a young age, he has difficulty juggling all of his mixed feelings and ideas.

Manolin wants to fish with Santiago, but his parents have forbidden it. After 40 days without a fish, his parents were convinced, "that the old man was now definitely and finally salao" (9). They put him on another boat that caught three fish in the first week. He even tells the old man, "I could go with you again. We’ve made some money" (10) showing his desire to fish with the man who taught him how to fish. I think this might also have something to do with the way the old man feels about the sea. Most of the younger fishermen think of it as el mar, something masculine to compete against. Santiago thinks of the sea as la mar, as a woman. He believes that she is, "something that gave or withheld great favors" (30). This might affect Manolin because he believes one thing while his superiors believe another. He doesn’t know what to do. He knows the old man is right, but he can’t disagree with the men he is fishing with.

The boy has been with Santiago since he was five. When they fish, they probably spend a large amount of their time talking. It must get boring out there with nothing to do but wait. They know each other very well. The boy is "sad to see the old man come in each day with his skiff empty" (9), he wishes that there were more he could do for him. As it is, Manolin is feeding him and buying him bait to try and help him get that fish. The boy understands that Santiago does still have some pride and allows "this fiction every day. There was no pot of yellow rice and fish and the boy knew this too"(16). After a long day fishing, they talk baseball. The boy has unrelenting faith in the old man: "There are many good fishermen and some great ones. But there is only one you" (23), he gets the way the old man fishes. Hardly anyone fishes the old fashioned way anymore. They have buoys and motorboats. The old man uses his skill and strength and that iswhy Manolin loves and admires him.

After Santiago has been gone for three days at sea, everyone has given up. It is common knowledge that a fisherman’s life is dangerous. The boy, however, refuses to give up. Every evening "he waits and watches for an old man rowing a dilapidated skiff towing the biggest marlin ever seen" (131). His faith in Santiago never wavers for a second. His parents, on the other hand, are trying to brace him for the inevitable; when the time comes that the Coast Guard does bring in a piece of skiff or the man’s body. This causes a rift in their relationship "Manolin couldn’t understand his parents’ doubt. Didn’t they know that Santiago was the greatest fisherman ever?" (148). This point in the story could be considered a second climax. It is the point where Manolin’s duty and love head-butt each other and he has to choose between them.

It is strenuous for a youth such as Manolin to keep all of his mingled consciousness and concepts straight. He knows that his obligation is to his parents, but at the same time he feels that Santiago is a shrewd grandfather figure who deserves just as much respect as his parents. Manolin also keeps faith that Santiago will return alive, unlike everyone else who writes him off as deceased. Manolin’s internal conflicts can be felt throughout the story. Ernest Hemingway did a marvelous job finding a way to give Manolin a voice, no matter how small the voice.

By Jacob P.

In the captivating novella, The Old Man and the Sea, author Ernest Hemingway creates an astute character by the name of Santiago. Santiago is what most people call and old man, and thus is referred to as one, hence the books title. Like all protagonists however, Santiago faces different obstacles throughout the book. They cast a strenuous task on his physical abilities, as well as his mental. Santiago’s challenges include; coming to terms with his old age, keeping his sanity while at sea alone, and surviving under harsh conditions of a fisherman. Thus you could say since these problems derive from the sea, that the sea is Santiago's biggest obstacle.

Santiago was and always will be a man of the sea. In his youth he was a respected man, with a plethora of energy. He had once been in an arm wrestling contest for two days straight. However, time has taken a toll on his body and he is not quite what he used to be. This is a serious problem for Santiago as must fish to make a living. Throughout his days at sea he physically becomes weaker and he must eventually accept his dilemma. He is an old man who has been weakened by time and his fishing will never be as successful as it once was, as long as he does it alone. One of the biggest problems he faces is that his left hand, which is vital for fishing, becomes cramped. "...his left hand was cramped...' "What kind of hand is that, cramp then, if you want to." ' " (58) Santiago, despite the truth, brushes it off until he goes without sleep and realizes the threat of his old body at sea.

Another obstacle Santiago must obliterate is that he must maintain his sanity out at sea. Every day his is out there with that one fish, his mind grows wearier. Santiago is constantly forced to substitute inanimate objects for real beings to shadow his loneliness. For instance he talks to his cramped hand often, ' " Be patient hand, I do this for you." ' (59) As well as his hand Santiago also talks to himself in the "second person", where he replaces the word "I" for "You". ' "You better be fearless and confident in yourself old man," ' (84) However unhealthy it may seem, it does good for him, as he does not have to be completely alone at sea. Doing things such as these help him forget that he is the only one out there, and he has no help at all. Santiago is forced to do such things to keep sane. For if he had lack of sanity, his fishing would be more dangerous than it is. He would become unclear in the head, and maybe make devastating mistakes that could cost him his life.

Santiago's other big problem is that he is in a small skiff alone, with minimal supplies, and he must survive the sea. Foolishly he has taken few foodstuffs and water and becomes malnourished. Santiago has enough nourishment to keep alive, but his health decreases as he just has the bare minimum of food, and is running out. He has also not packed any form of first-aid, and faces a lacerated and cramped hand due for possible infection. Of course when under these conditions you must stay alert to protect yourself. However, Santiago says, “If [I] do not sleep [I] might become unclear in the head.” (77) Santiago has it bad enough, but the fact that he devises a way to sleep vastly increases the threat to his life. While asleep, the marlin he hooked could do any number of things such as change directions in the night, and Santiago might not know which way to turn back home.

Santiago faces all of these challenges from one source, the sea. Thus you could reason that Santiago’s obstacle is the Sea, and within it are sub-obstacles that he faces. All of the difficulties except for his age however, are derived from the sea. (His hand cramps and lacerations, his sanity and malnourishment.) Santiago faces difficulties like all characters but because the thing which torments him is also the same thing he needs to live, it makes his dilemma rather original.

By Connie F.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway is one of those books that have more than one central idea. It contains many messages it tries to get across through the main character, an old man named Santiago. Themes of courage, pride, and defeat are woven throughout the novella. However, the theme from the novella that I thought was strongest was that man can be destroyed but not defeated. In other words, a person can be ruined or spoiled, but not beaten. Examples of this occur in the very beginning, when the sharks devour the marlin, and when the man comes home at the end.

This theme is introduced at the very beginning of The Old Man and the Sea. In the very first sentence of the book Hemingway tells us “[Santiago] had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish” (9). This allows us to infer that his luck has been ruined. We are further assured of this fact when we are told, “many made fun of the old man…others, of the older fishermen, looked at him and were sad” (11). Many men would be extremely discouraged by this and would just give up hope altogether. They wouldn’t even try to fish any longer. However, Santiago will not accept the fact that he has been destroyed and is determined to continue trying to make a catch. ‘The boy’ who encourages him to believe in himself and continue fishing also helps him along. Because Santiago continues fishing he is not defeated; he still loves to fish and has a passion. He has not been beaten.

Another example of this theme is when the sharks begin to eat his great marlin. In fact, this is the part of the story when the theme is quoted. The sharks slowly steal the profit of Santiago’s suffering with each bite they take out of the marlin. They spoiled Santiago’s three days and endless effort put into catching the fish. Yet, he continues home and busies himself with thoughts of baseball. He refuses to stop, and always looks on the bright side of things. Indeed he convinces himself that at least “she’s [the fish] much lighter now” (111). He’s not defeated; he musters up the courage and determination to return home. His determination and courage keeps him from being beaten or conquered.

Upon arriving home the harsh reality of daylight reveals the fact that nothing of the fish is left except the head, the tail, and the spine. The loss of his fish destroys the old man; all the effort he’s put into the fish is worthless. The great marlin that was such a catch had been completely demolished by the sharks and was not fit to be eaten or sold. At this point the old man loses all hope. He would have been defeated, but upon arriving home he is consoled by the boy, who still has faith in him: “He didn’t beat you, not the fish” (125), the boy says. Because a person still looks up to him he cannot truly have been defeated. He still has a purpose and a will to live.

This theme can easily tie into any life. You may seem destroyed in the eyes of some, but you will never be defeated unless you feel so. The many messages of the book all tie into the main theme; man can be destroyed but not defeated. This is demonstrated by the example at the beginning of the book, when the sharks eat the fish, and when the man returns home. We know pride can be slashed and courage can waiver, but defeat will never come if there is still a tiny spark of hope or will to continue living and fighting.