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.