Determination and Perseverance in The Old Man and the Sea (Book Analysis)

📌Category: Hemingway, Writers
📌Words: 523
📌Pages: 2
📌Published: 31 January 2022

Ernest Hemingway presents the determination and perseverance of the old man, Santiago, who eventually feels exhausted, tells himself that he must fight through the pain and bear with it as a genuine man would. Throughout the passage, the old man’s conflicts are primarily man versus self and man versus nature, as his struggles are always against himself to overcome his pain from the fish. Additionally, the fish and the biblical principles symbolize overall themes of determination and perseverance. Ultimately, the dedication of the old man demonstrates that a true man can keep fighting through tough times to achieve the success he wants.

Santiago is constantly fighting against the fish, having an impact on himself, causing both internal and external conflicts. Santiago tells himself "I have no cramps," he said. "He'll be up soon and I can last. You have to last. Don't even speak of it.” Readers tell that this is a man versus self conflict as he has cramps through his body, but is tolerating the pain and not wanting to prove it. Additionally, demonstrating the theme of determination as he is decisive to kill the fish and be stronger. The man versus nature conflict is among Santiago and the fish as he is tenacious and struggling to kill the fish. The fish is also fighting him as it is creating the man's pain while it is “banging and jerking on the line.” Santiago pushes past his dizziness and makes himself see past the black spots in his tired vision to capture the fish, causing a bigger competition against the old man and the fish. The dedication of both the fish and the old man demonstrates the theme of determination in the passage; it is not just showing how Santiago is determined yet everyone in this text is strong willed to fight and be better. The conflicts enhance the theme of the text as it provides a better understanding of the passage to the readers. Through both conflicts, Santiago is determined to persevere them just to catch the big fish. 

Hemingway uses fish and biblical concepts to create vivid symbolic representations. The fish symbolizes power and perseverance, showing a mirrored image of Santiago. Although they appear to be mortal rivals, it is realized that they are related because they are fighting for the same reason: to survive. This symbol enhances the theme of perseverance, giving readers a denotation of how they both are battling for the same outcome. The biblical concepts symbolize Santiago’s religion. When he prays to God for help catching the fish, he battles the fish over the importance of praying, saying, “I'll say a hundred Our Fathers and a hundred Hail Marys. But I cannot say them now." The repeated prayers are recited by Catholics as penance after sinning. Santiago's promise to perform them later indicates his perspective of himself as having sinned against the fish. The text shows how both the fish and biblical principles develop the theme of determination and perseverance. The symbolic elements convey the message of how a man and fish neither accept defeat and are both determined to be better.

The passage is focused on when attaining the achievement you desire, a true man can persevere through adversity. Hemingway’s symbolism and conflicts are an intelligent way to express the themes of the story to the readers. Santiago shows the dignity a person must have to overcome their biggest foe.

+
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.