Defeat in The Old Man and the Sea Essay Example

📌Category: Hemingway, Writers
📌Words: 986
📌Pages: 4
📌Published: 09 April 2022

Disappointment is an ever occurring reality that many people face each day. At some point, the hard work put into a project or situation will not go as planned. However disappointment does not mean defeat. Perceiving a problem from a different angle is essential for determining one's thoughts. In the book Old Man and the Sea, Santiago spent two days and two nights trying to catch a marlin. He successfully killed the marlin, but it was eaten by sharks hours later. Santiago's risk of killing the marlin seemed to be for nothing. Although some say Santiago was defeated, he was not because he rekindled a friendship with Manolin, completed his goal, and never gave up. 

Santiago was not defeated because Manolin returned as his apprentice. The boy's parents forbade him to fish with the old man. While Santiago and Manolin spent time together, they could not fish together, and that was detrimental to them. In the novella Old Man and the Sea, Santiago states, "If the boy was here he would wet the coils of line, he thought. Yes. If the boy were here. If the boy were here" (Hemingway 83). Santiago wanted his companion, apprentice, and someone he could trust to help catch the marlin. Santiago needed the boy more than he thought was possible. In the article "The Old Man and the Sea: The Culmination," Wirt Williams states, "The greatness of this triumph is underlined by the shift to the point of view of the little boy, who understands all... the conversation with the boy" (Par. 29). Although Santiago lost the marlin to the sharks, he earned his faithful apprentice back. Santiago's money from the marlin would not last, and he would need more at some point. Santiago's relationship with Manolin makes it more valuable than money. Santiago does not need to worry about fishing alone ever again. Santiago's ability to fish with the boy again shows how the book is more about Santiago's victory than defeat.

Many do not realize that he accomplished his goal by killing the marlin. Throughout Santiago's fight with the fish, he never focused on what he would get after killing the marlin. The fight with the marlin was more important than the money he would get after it. In the novella Old Man and the Sea, Santiago states, "Although it is unjust, he thought. But I will show him what a man can do and what a man endures. ‘I told the boy I was a strange old man,’ he said. ‘Now is when I must prove it.’" (Hemingway 66). The fight with the marlin is about more than proving that Santiago can still fish. It is about Santiago proving to his loyal apprentice that he was worthy of teaching him. Even if Santiago was not strong, he still wanted to prove to Manolin and himself that he is not some unlucky man who needs help all the time. He wants to prove to Manolin that wit and experience are still what make him a good teacher. Santiago was confident in his abilities, and it was his time to prove it. Santiago accomplished his goal when he killed the marlin. Santiago may have been disappointed that he lost the fish to the sharks, but he still proved that he is still an able fisherman by killing the marlin. In the article "The Old Man and the Sea: The Culmination," Wirt Williams states, "The fish itself is destroyed, but nothing can destroy his heroic action in having taken it and endured so much with it" (Par. 29). Santiago does not need to bring back the marlin to prove to Manolin and himself that he is a worthy fisherman. Santiago did it by killing the marlin and going through all the suffering that came with it. This proves that Santiago was not defeated because he accomplished all his desires for himself and the boy by killing the marlin.

Finally, Santiago was not defeated because he never gave up. Some say that Santiago was defeated because sharks ate the marlin, and it is true that Santiago was disappointed about the outcome of his situation. However, Santiago never gave up on his goal, demonstrating how perseverance can triumph over defeat. In the article "Santigo'' John Unrue points out, "Hemingway uses the term "undefeated" to refer to one who displays the durability of the human spirit while bravely achieving an objective, even though he or she might be killed later as a consequence of effort expended or by unanticipated outside forces" (Par. 2). Hemingway states that a victory is not necessarily about gaining physical evidence of the experience but about the durability of the human going through the experience. When Santiago got pulled by the marling and fought the sharks, he had to show durability. He was in physical pain and did not know what would happen to him. Even with that thought in mind, he was still committed to catching and killing the marlin. He never thought about releasing the fish and giving up. Santiago made a noise like he was having nails driven into his hands. Jesus died on the cross, and he went through a spiritual, transcendent victory. The parallelism between Jesus and Santiago indicate that Santiago also went through a spiritual, transcendent victory. Santiago's luck became apparent when the old man returned to land. Santiago has a new perspective on life, death, victory, and defeat. These reasons are why Santiago was not defeated.

Overall, Santiago risked his life for the marlin, only for it to be mauled by sharks. With a more profound psychological view of the situation, the realization that Santiago was not defeated becomes more apparent. Santiago was lost without his friend and needed his help. It relieved him when the boy decided he would fish with Santiago for the rest of his life. Santiago was not fighting the marlin for money; he did it for his satisfaction and pride. He was fighting the marlin to prove his worth to Manolin. When Santiago killed the marlin, he completed his goal. Even though he suffered through hunger, pain, and the unknown, Santiago never gave up on his goal to kill the marlin. This perseverance towards his goal brought him luck. Santiago's perspective in perilous situations could help society improve its negative outlook. Disappointment does not mean defeat, there will always be a lesson in which one can learn from challenging situations.

+
x
Remember! This is just a sample.

You can order a custom paper by our expert writers

Order now
By clicking “Receive Essay”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. We will occasionally send you account related emails.