Introduction
Every person is an individual with definite purposes, needs, and problems. Santiago is an ordinary fisherman that lives according to certain standards and by holding fast to those standards he triumphs even in his defeat. The Old Man and the Sea is a profound and thought-provoking novel of a renowned American writer Ernest Hemingway published in the middle of the 20th century that was highly acclaimed by critics and now is regarded to be an immortal classic. The book tells the story of an old fisherman Santiago who goes fishing on his boat in the sea and manages to hook on a huge marlin but has to struggle with all his forces to get it on the shore.
Santiago’s image as an everyman
Santiago is a poor fisherman that makes his living with the help of fish he manages to catch. Though his catch can happen to be tiny and insignificant, the old man does not seem to be upset. However, he believes that he is an unlucky person and that destiny had sent him a period without luck which should be gained again. The struggle accompanies the old man throughout his life; it can be considered an integral part of being an everyman because all people tend to fight for something they passionately want to reach. The eyes of the old man, “cheerful and undefeated” (Hemingway 10) are always directed to the sea which seems to wage the human being. To his sheer amusement, the old man manages to hook on a marlin that appears to be so huge and too heavy for him.
The main idea of the book is every man’s unceasing fight with difficulties and deprivation in life. Through the words of the old man Hemingway tries to bring to the world his conviction that it is the purpose of every man to struggle in life and never surrender: “A man can be destroyed but not defeated” (Hemingway 48). And just to prove it, losing his prey Santiago does not lose his human pride and dignity. It is actually the feeling of pride that drives him into the ocean following the fish. Santiago respects the fish and thinks that it should not be eaten, he thinks that “There is no one worthy of eating him from the manner of his behavior and his great dignity” (Hemingway 27). Moreover, it is the fight with marlin that reveals the hidden strength in the old man, though he suffers from physical pain he does not give up morally. In fact, Santiago shows himself as a wise man understanding that it is his weakness that makes his triumph over the fish so significant.
It is necessary to emphasize that the pivotal figure of the book presents an image of everyman. The old man as a vivid representative of the human civilization is opposed here to the fish that seems to fight for its life. The opponent in this fight is strong and powerful and human existence does not presuppose to win the fight, though it concerns the concept of standing one’s ground, resisting, and never losing hope, even when the eventual result is always death. To support the idea of the necessity to resist the feeling of disappointment we find Santiago’s words in the text: “It is silly not to hope…besides I believe it is a sin” (Hemingway 12). The old man reaches the coast tired and humiliated with no food but he perceives it with dignity and with “no true loss of pride” (Hemingway 50).
Conclusion
To conclude, it is necessary to say that Hemingway succeeded not only in writing a story that is understandable to everyone but also in creating a powerful book that inspires every reader to assess their life and not to give up when facing a problem.
References
Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Hueber Verlag, 1995.