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.
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.
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