Old Man and the Sea

Quotations in “The Old Man and the Sea”

by

Quotations in "The Old Man and the Sea"

Quotations in “The Old Man and the Sea” are listed below with explanations.

 1.     “Have faith in the Yankees my son. Think of the great Joe DiMaggio.” (Santiago)

Santiago spoke these lines in his shack to Manolin, when they were having a conversation about baseball.

Santiago’s appreciation and love for baseball is clearly showing in his words. He especially admires DiMaggio because of his great playing skills and energy in the field.

  2.    “There are many good fishermen and some great ones. But there is only you.” (Manolin)

Spoken by Manolin, these words were for Santiago. While going to bed, Santiago said that he knows many fishermen who have great skills and are much better. Manolin compares him to DiMaggio and tells him that he is unique just like him. He is a different fisherman who has respect for the sea and a deep relationship with it.

 3.    “They are good… They play and make jokes and love one another. They are our brothers like the flying fish.” (Santiago)

Santiago is talking about the porpoises here. They always come to the side of his boat at night. He feels lonely at times, thinking that no one should be like this in his or her old age. He wants Manolin to be on his boat, fishing with him but he is unable to do so. The porpoises are a sign of love for him. They come as a couple, which provides strength to Santiago and soothes him. He considers them as his brothers as he considers every other creature in the sea his brothers, especially the fish.

 4.    “Fish… I’ll stay with you until I am dead.” (Santiago)

He says this line to the fish marlin that he hooks. He knows that it is an extremely strong one. It will not be easy for him to trail the fish around until it dies by losing strength. Santiago expresses his determination by saying that either he will catch the fish or they will both die doing so.

 5.    “Fish… I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead before this day ends.” (Santiago)

Santiago’s heart goes out to the sea creatures but he has no choice. He needs to kill the marlin to prove and restore his identity back as a fisherman. He considers the marlin as equal in a battle of uncertainty. He does not know if he will survive it, but is still determined to stay with the marlin. He will keep trying until he kills it.

 6.    “He didn’t beat you. Not the fish.” (Manolin)

Manolin says this to Santiago after Santiago returns home, having lost the fish and slept through the night. In the morning, Santiago tells Manolin, “They truly beat me”. He is talking about the sharks that ate the fish after he caught it. It was not the fish who beat him. The fish and he were brothers in his eyes, and he feels like he has somehow betrayed the fish by letting it be eaten by the scavenging sharks.

 7.    “I didn’t know sharks had such handsome, beautifully formed tails.” (A female tourist)

 Almost at the end of the story, there is a female tourist examining the skeleton of marlin. She asks a nearby waiter in wonder what it is. He tells her “Eshark”, meaning that sharks ate it. She takes it as the skeleton being a shark, which is why she says those lines. It shows how less an average person knows about the creatures out there in the sea.

 8.    “I am a strange old man.” (Santiago)

Santiago says this to Manolin after they finish up a day of fishing on separate boats. It is meant as an explanation for how his eyes remain so good after going turtle-ing for so many years. Often he searches and searches but returns without a fish. It also shows how strong he is while wrestling the marlin and strange in a manner that he never loses faith and will to go on.

He considers himself strange because of his bond with the sea creatures.

9.    “Anyone can be a fisherman in May.” (Santiago)

He says this to Manolin after Manolin warns him to keep himself warm, since it is September. It is more difficult to be a fisherman when it is cold outside, but Santiago is up for the challenge.

He means that everyone can go fishing in the month of May because it is warm and easy. The actual challenge comes when the winter sets in. That is when an actual fisherman goes fishing.

 10. “If sharks come, God pity him and me.” (Santiago)

He says this aloud to himself while trailing the marlin with his boat, waiting for it to give up. He is determined to be “worthy of the great DiMaggio”, who is able to play baseball even with a bone spur. He suspects that the sharks will soon smell the marlin’s blood. They are surely going to come for its meat once they find the marlin. He sort of prays in this line.

 11. “It is better to be lucky. But I’d rather be exact.”  (Santiago)

Santiago says this when his community starts calling him unlucky. He believes that his success has nothing to do with luck. He has complete faith in his skills and talent through which he can easily turn the things around in his favor. If he goes fishing with the right knowledge, and uses it to his advantage, he will surely catch a fish.

 12. “All my life the early sun has hurt my eyes. Yet they are still good.” (Santiago)

Fishing took a toll on Santiago. He says this to show the readers how he keeps going even after he endured the hardships being in the sea and under the bright sun. The early sunrays always hurt his eyes but he is proud that they are still fine.

 13. “I wish I could show him what sort of man I am.” (Santiago)

Santiago says this aloud, thinking that if Manolin were with him, he could show him everything. He could prove that he was still a good fisherman.

 14. “A man can be destroyed but not defeated.” (Santiago)

Somewhat defenseless after having lost his harpoon when protecting his catch from the sharks, the old man shows that an individual’s willpower and resourcefulness will ultimately help him persevere. He says that to show his determination that even if he lost his harpoon, his defense mechanism, he is still not going to give up.

 15. “It is silly not to hope.” (Santiago)

Santiago concludes that hope is everything. When everything goes wrong and there is nothing that you have, hope is still there. It is an ever-present feeling for him that things will be normal again. Hope is eternal and ultimately leads to triumph.

About Authoress: The article “Quotations in The Old Man and the Sea” was written by Sayeda Javaria. (javaria.hanan@gmail.com).

Articles related to “The Old Man and the Sea”

1. Introduction and summary of “The Old Man and the Sea”

2. Main characters and their analysis in “The Old Man and the sea”

3. Theme of the novel “The Old man and the sea”

4. Symbolism in “The old man and the sea”

5. Quotations used in the novel “The old man and the sea”

Symbolism in “The Old Man and the Sea”

by

Symbolism in "The Old Man and the Sea"

What is a symbol and what is symbolism? 

A symbol is something that gives a certain meaning to an action, person, place, word, or thing in a piece of literature.  Story-writers use symbolism to form a view of emotions or moods rather than just saying them plainly. Following are the main symbols used in “The Old Man and the Sea”: Marlin, dreams, loins, sea, mast, shark, harpoons, bird, bear, cottage etc.

Main symbols used in the novel The Old Man and the Sea 

Santiago, the Old Man

The old man is compared to Christ in a religious manner, in terms of stamina and endurance. He is a teacher like Christ who teaches Manolin to fish, and the way he is humble. Repeatedly, it is demonstrated that the old man is a symbol of Christ with the way he fights the marlin. Later on, he also survives the shark’s attacks.

The Sea

The sea is a symbol of life and the struggles that every person is bound to endure. According to Hemingway, man is the most worthy in isolation because he has to work and survive on his own. The sea, in the novel, is a sign of life and Santiago’s isolation in the universe. As we can see that in the sea, there is no help or laws at all. Santiago faces his ultimate challenge all alone and survives. The novel, in this regard, is an example of Naturalism in Literature.

The Marlin

The Marlin is a good opponent of Santiago, worthy of fight. It is a symbol of dignity and pride. The Marlin is in contrast to the sharks that are shameful rivals, not commendable to Santiago’s endeavours. Magnificent and radiant, the Marlin represents a perfect rival. In the world’s reality where, “Everything kills everything else in some way”, Santiago feels truly fortunate to wind up against an animal that draws out the best in him. The Marlin brings out his qualities of courage, talent, fortitude, love, and regard.

Manolin

Manolin symbolizes pure love, compassion, and circle of life. He dearly loves Santiago and cares for him. Between Manolin and Old Man, there is a vast age difference. It symbolizes their skills of fishing. One day Manolin will be able to reach that point and carry Santiago’s legacy. Manolin is the symbol of hope.

Sharks

The sharks in “the Old Man and the Sea” symbolize the obstacles in life and the labour against them. Sharks are the opposite of the marlin. For Santiago, the sharks are vile predators, that are not worthy of admiration or glory. They are like detrimental energies that promote no other purpose in life.

The lions

The lions in the story symbolize youth of the old man. They are a symbol of vitality. At the end of the novel, when Santiago dreams of the lions, it represents the hope of eternal life, of freedom and youth. Because of the qualities of strength of lions and their proud, the writer has used them to represent childhood days of Santiago. Lions are a symbol for his might and pride in days of his youth. Just as Santiago hunts the Marlin, lions are also mighty creatures and hunters.

DiMaggio

DiMaggio symbolizes the value of enduring through pain and suffering. He is a Symbol of motivation to keep Santiago on his feet. DİMaggio is a true representation of Santiago’s talent, pride, and ethics. He is also a sign of hope for the old man. Santiago desires that Manolin will grow up to become like the great DiMaggio, strong and young. He does not want him to be like him, a poor fisherman.

The Mast

The Mast is a symbol and represents as the cross of Jesus. The mast stands on Santiago’s skiff. It is similar to the cross because of the way Santiago suffers. He goes three days with painful injuries to the palms of his hands as Jesus did and to his back as well.

The Harpoon

While fighting off sharks, Santiago loses his Harpoon. It is a symbol for those who lose faith, and doubt everything in their life. When life tests them with struggles, they lose hope, as Santiago is without his harpoon, defenceless. People are exactly like that without faith.

About Authoress: The article “Symbolism in The Old Man and the Sea” was written by Sayeda Javaria. (javaria.hanan@gmail.com).

Articles related to “The Old Man and the Sea”

1. Introduction and summary of “The Old Man and the Sea”

2. Main characters and their analysis in “The Old Man and the sea”

3. Theme of the novel “The Old man and the sea”

4. Symbolism in “The old man and the sea”

5. Quotations used in the novel “The old man and the sea”

Theme of the Novel “The Old Man and the Sea”

by

Theme of the Novel "The Old Man and the Sea"

The Old Man and the Sea has themes of solidarity, courage, dignity, pride, values etc. Let us look into those themes of the novel “The Old Man and the Sea” in detail.

Different Themes of the novel “The Old Man and the Sea”

Solidarity

Hemingway invests a decent arrangement of energy drawing associations between Santiago and his indigenous habitat. Fishes, feathered creatures, stars etc overall, are his siblings or companions. He has core of a turtle, eats turtle eggs for quality, drinks shark-liver oil for wellbeing, etc. Likewise, clearly conflicting components appeared as parts of one bound together entirely. The ocean is both kind and merciless, ladylike and manly. The Portuguese battleship is delightful yet fatal, the mako shark is honorable, however a savage, etc. The novella’s reason of solidarity helps aid Santiago amidst his disaster. For Santiago, achievement and disappointment are two equivalent features of the same presence. They are temporary structures, which fancifully show up and leave, without influencing the solidarity among him and nature. For whatever time he centers around this solidarity, he considers himself a piece of nature, instead of as an outer adversary contending with it.

Whatever hardships happen to him, they cannot crush him.

 

Courage

Triumph over crushing difficulty is the core of valor, and all together for Santiago- the angler, to be a courageous image for humankind, his tribulations must be fantastic. Triumph, however, is rarely last, as Santiago’s effective killing of the marlin appears. Else, there would be no motivation to incorporate the last 30 pages of the book. Hemingway’s vision of valor is Sisyphean, requiring ceaseless work for characteristically transient closures. What the saint does is, confront difficulty with respect and effortlessness, consequently Hemingway’s Neo-Stoic emphasis on restraint and different features of his concept of masculinity. What we accomplish or fizzle at remotely is not as noteworthy to courage as comporting ourselves with internal honorability. As Santiago says, “[M]an isn’t made for defeat…A man can be obliterated however not crushed”.

 

Masculinity

Hemingway’s optimal of masculinity is almost indistinguishable from the perfect of chivalry examined previously. To take care of business is to carry on with respect and nobility: not to capitulate to enduring. In addition, it is to acknowledge one’s obligation without objection, and to show a limit of discretion. The portrayal of gentility, the ocean, is described explicitly by its inclination and absence of poise. As written, “On the off chance that she did wild or insidious things, it was on the grounds that she couldn’t support them”. The portrayal of manliness, the marlin, is depicted as OEgreat,’ OEbeautiful,’ OEcalm,’ and OEnoble,’ Santiago prepares himself against his agony by letting himself know, “endure like a man. Or on the other hand a fish,” alluding to the marlin. In Hemingway’s moral universe, Santiago tells us, not only the best way to live courageously, however in a manner befitting a man.

 

Achievement

Hemingway draws a qualification between two distinct kinds of accomplishment: external, material achievement and internal, profound achievement. While Santiago plainly does not have the previous, the import of this need is overshadowed by his ownership of the later. One approach to depict Santiago’s story is as a triumph of relentless soul, over modest material assets. As noted over, the qualities of such a soul are those of chivalry and masculinity. That Santiago can end the novella undefeated after consistently losing his well deserved, most important belonging, is a demonstration of the privileging of internal accomplishment over external achievement.

 

Value

Value is also a theme of the novel “The Old Man and the Sea”. Being courageous and masculine are not simply characteristics of character, which one has or does not. One should continually show one’s valor and masculinity through activities directed with pride. Strangely, value cannot be presented upon oneself. Santiago is fixated on demonstrating his value to people around him. He needed to demonstrate himself to the kid: “the multiple times he had demonstrated it amount to nothing…Each time was another time and he never considered the past when he was doing it”. In addition, he needed to substantiate himself to the marlin: “I’ll slaughter him…in all his significance and brilliance. Be that as it may, I will give him what a man can do and what a man perseveres”. A chivalrous and masculine life is not, at that point, one of internal harmony and independence; it requires steady showing of one’s value through respectable activity.

 

The Honor in Struggle, Defeat and Death

 From the absolute first passage, Santiago is somebody battling against defeat. He has gone eighty-four days without getting a fish— before he will long pass his own record of eighty-seven days. Nearly as a token of Santiago’s battle, the sail of his rowboat takes after “the banner of changeless thrashing”. Nevertheless, the elderly person declines surrender every step of the way: he makes plans to sail out past the other anglers, to where the greatest fish guarantee to be. He handles the Marlin, tying his record of eighty-seven days, following a merciless three-day battle. He proceeds to avert sharks from taking his prey, despite the fact that he realizes the fight is futile.

Since Santiago is set in opposition to the animals of the ocean, a few per users decide to see the story as an anal of man’s fight against the characteristic world. Yet the novella is, more precisely, the account of man’s place inside nature. Both Santiago and the marlin show characteristics of pride, respect, and fortitude, and both are dependent upon the equivalent interminable law: they should execute or they should be murdered. As Santiago reflects when he watches the tired lark fly toward shore, where it will definitely meet the bird of prey. The world is loaded up with predators, and no living thing can get away from the unavoidable battle that will prompt its demise. Santiago lives as indicated by his own perception: “man isn’t made for rout . . . [a] man can be pulverized yet not crushed.”

In Hemingway’s picture of the world, demise is unavoidable, yet the best men (and creatures), in any case, will not surrender to its capacity. In like manner, man and fish will battle until the very end, just as ravenous sharks will devastate to an elderly person’s trophy get.

The tale recommends that it is conceivable to rise above this characteristic law. The very certainty of pulverization makes the terms that permit a commendable man or brute to rise above it.

It is definitely through the push to fight the unavoidable that a man can substantiate himself. Without a doubt, a man can demonstrate this assurance repeatedly, through the value of the adversaries he decides to confront. Santiago finds the marlin deserving of a battle, similarly as he once found “the incredible negro of Cienfuegos” commendable. His profound respect for these rivals brings love and regard into a condition with death, as their annihilation turns into a state of respect and grit that affirms Santiago’s gallant characteristics. One may describe the condition as the working out of the announcement “Since I love you, I need to execute you”.

Alternately, one may draw a corresponding to the artist John Keats and his request that magnificence must be appreciated in the second before death, as magnificence bows to obliteration. Santiago, however, crushed toward the finish of the novella, is rarely crushed. Rather, he rises as a legend. Santiago’s battle does not empower him to change man’s place on the planet. On the other hand, maybe, it empowers him to meet his most honorable predetermination.

About Authoress: The article “Themes of the novel; The Old Man and the Sea” was written by Sayeda Javaria. (javaria.hanan@gmail.com).

Articles related to “The Old Man and the Sea”

1. Introduction and summary of “The Old Man and the Sea”

2. Main characters and their analysis in “The Old Man and the sea”

3. Theme of the novel “The Old man and the sea”

4. Symbolism in “The old man and the sea”

5. Quotations used in the novel “The old man and the sea”

Main Characters and their Analysis in “The Old Man and the Sea”

by

Main characters and their analysis in "The Old Man and the Sea"

In this article you will learn about main characters and their analysis in The Old Man and the Sea, and their roles in the novel. 

Main characters in the “The Old Man and the Sea”

Main characters in “The Old Man and the Sea” include an old man Santiago, a fish Marlin, and a young boy Manolin.

Character sketch of Santiago: The Hero of the Novel

Santiago is the main character of this novel. The whole story revolves around him and his moral values. He lives in Cuba and is impoverished because his good days are long gone. His wife has died earlier and he never had any children. Now, at such an old age, he is unable to catch a big fish or any fish at all at a regular pace. 84 days is the longest period in his life where he has not been able to catch any fish.

A fishermen’s reputation depends on his luck and how many fish he can catch. The old man is considered a stroke of bad luck in the community when it comes to fishing. He used to teach fishing to a boy who had been with him from a young age. Now his parents have sent him to learn from other fishermen because of Santiago’s bad luck. But, what sets Santiago apart from every regular fisherman is that he is dedicated to his profession on a spiritual level. Mostly fishermen join it to earn money but he takes it as nature’s course, which has to happen.

Santiago strongly feels that he is the part of that nature’s course, playing his role in catching the fish. His moral values are much different from the others when it comes to fishing properly and professionally. Indeed, Santiago’s philosophy and internal code of behaviour make him unconventional in his society. Santiago’s dedication to his profession and talent separates him from the pragmatic fishermen motivated by money. He stands apart from Cuba’s evolution to new materialism and a village fishing culture converting to the fishing industry. He remains dedicated to the profession he sees as a more spiritual way of life and a part of nature’s order in the eternal cycle. It makes all creatures brothers in their common condition of both predator and prey.

Santiago wants an extremely big catch – not only to survive but also to prove his skills once again. He wishes to restore his identity as a fisherman and secure his reputation in the community. To make sure that Manolin will always cherish his memories and becomes his successor, is one of the most important things in his life.  For Santiago, the most important thing in life is to live according to one’s beliefs with great enthusiasm and dignity. In addition, to use one’s talents and gifts of nature to the best of one’s ability, to struggle and to endure.  Moreover, save your individual existence through the work of your life, accept the inevitable destruction with dignity, and pass on to the next generation all that you have achieved. In these desires, He reflects the desires of all of us.

What makes Santiago special is that despite a lifetime of hardships, he is still a man in charge, and an expert who knows the tricks of his fisherman’s craft. His eyes remain young, cheerful, and undefeated. He knows how to rely on the transcendent power of his own imagination to engender the inspiration and confidence he needs. He wants to keep alive in himself and others the hope, dreams, faith, absorption, and resolution to transcend hardship.

Character sketch of Marlin

The marlin is a fish that has more to it to it than any other could possibly have. It is not just a big fish but also one with a true fighting spirit. Equally balanced with a successful fisherman and locked in a long battle.  It is also a creature to which Santiago offers the same qualities that he possesses, admires, and hopes to pass on. It has the dignity of the soul, greatness in life, loyalty to one’s identity and ways, endurance, and beauty.  Since Santiago and Marilyn get locked in battle for three days, they develop a close relationship.  Santiago first takes pity on the fish, praises it because he does not want to kill such a precious creature, then empathizes, and recognizes it.  He recognizes that just as a marlin was born to be a fish, so was he born to be a fisherman.

He comes to the realization that he needs to kill it in order to survive, and restore his dignity. They are brothers in the strange circumstances brought upon them by nature, trapped in the natural cycle of hunting. Marlin’s death represents Santiago’s greatest victory and the promise of all the confusion he desperately hopes to redeem his individual existence with.  Yet, like Marlin, Santiago must lose and suffer.  After being attacked by the Mako shark, Santiago eats marlin to maintain his body, and completes the natural cycle in which the great creature transfers itself to Santiago.  Not only are all creatures hunters and prey, but they also nurture each other.  Marlin’s brave and relentless struggle in order to save its life becomes Santiago’s bravery, which is inevitable in Santiago’s struggle to save the marlin from the predators.

The Scavenger sharks snatch all the material value from the marlin’s body, leaving only its skeleton for Santiago.  Nevertheless, before the skeleton washes away with the flow of tide and turns to garbage, it becomes a quiet witness to Santiago’s greatness. It becomes a vehicle for internal moral values, ​​through which he wants to give meaning and dignity to his existence.  The fisherman who gets the privilege to measure marlin’s skeleton reports that it the fish is 18 feet long. It is a clear evidence of the largest fish the villagers have ever known of coming out of the bay.  And when Manolin accepts the spear of marlin, he accepts everything Santiago wants to give him in his life.

Character sketch of Manolin

Manolin is a young boy who goes fishing with Santiago. Since he is not able to catch any fish, his parents put Manolin with another fisherman. The bond that the two share is still strong, despite the circumstances. Manolin prepares food for Santiago, helps him with his tools. Santiago tells stories of his adventures to Manolin and they always mesmerize him. Manolin deeply cares for Santiago and tries to follow his teachings. Santiago feels that Manolin is his last true relationship that has feelings and depth in it. He takes him as his own replacement after death in the human cycle. That is the reason why Santiago wants to teach his skills, talent, and vision to Manolin, so the young boy can carry on his legacy.

Through the whole novel, Manolin has expressed his trust on Santiago more than three times. At last, when he accepts the spear of Marlin, it shows that Manolin has trust in Santiago’s skills. It is also a sign that he will carry on his legacy and whatever he wants to teach him.

About Authoress: The article “main characters and their analysis in The Old Man and the Sea” was written by Sayeda Javaria. (javaria.hanan@gmail.com).

Articles related to “The Old Man and the Sea”

1. Introduction and summary of “The Old Man and the Sea”

2. Main characters and their analysis in “The Old Man and the sea”

3. Theme of the novel “The Old man and the sea”

4. Symbolism in “The old man and the sea”

5. Quotations used in the novel “The old man and the sea”

Introduction and Summary of the Old Man and the Sea

by

Introduction and Summary of "The Old Man and the Sea"

In this article you will learn about introduction to the The Old Man and the Sea, Introduction to author; Earnest Hemingway, and summary of The Old Man and the Sea.

The Old Man and the Sea: An Introduction

The Old Man and the Sea is a short novel, based on three-day journey of an old man, to catch a big fish. Ernest Hemingway wrote it in 1951, published in 1952. The Old Man and the Sea is his last chief fictional work. It is a heroic novel, and it deals with the concepts of aging, self-identification, and commitment. The novel was an immediate success and is still famous worldwide. It has been adapted into film three times, one of which was animated. The Old Man and the Sea won Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1953 and Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954.

Ernest Hemingway (July, 1899 – July, 1961)

Ernest Hemingway, the author of this novel, was an American. He was a sportsman, journalist, and writer of fiction and nonfiction. His iceberg theory, writing in an economical and minimalistic style, influenced the fictional writing of 20th century. He was born in 1899, and was second of the six siblings. Hemingway had adventurous and happening life. He was an ambulance driver in World War I and was present as a journalist in World War II. He married four times and had four children. He shot himself in 1961, ending his life. 

Summary of  “The Old Man and the Sea”

The story revolves around the central character, Santiago. He has gone straight 84 days, without catching a single fish. Due to this, the people have started seeing him as ‘salao’, the worst of unluckiness. He is considered so unlucky that the young boy, Manolin, who was his apprentice, is stopped by his parents to go for fishing with Santiago anymore. However, Manolin has admiration for Santiago and sees him as a mentor. Therefore, Manolin visits Santiago each night at his shack. They talk about American baseball, Manolin prepares food, and they just enjoy each other’s company. One day, Santiago tells Manolin that the following day; he will go far out into the Gulf Stream to fish. He is confident that the unluckiness, that has attached itself to him, is going to wash away with this venture.

On the start of 85th day of unluckiness, the old man does what he decided to do. He goes far off into the Gulf Stream and very optimistically waits for his big catch. At noon, Santiago sees that a big fish, which he identifies as a marlin, has taken his bait. Filled with joy, he tries to pull the marlin, but instead, the marlin pulls the old man with his boat. He tries to tie the cord with the boat but fails. The marlin keeps on pulling the boat all through the day and night, for two days. In all this, trying to hold on to the fish, the old man gets badly injured and exhausted. Every time the marlin pulls hard, his hands end up getting more wounded. However, just like the marlin, he does not give up.

The old man admires the marlin for it staying true to its nature and struggling for freedom. He feels like the marlin is partner in his pain, suffering, and also in his strength. Finally, on the third day of old man’s struggling to keep the marlin, the fish tires and gives in. It starts to circle around his skiff. Santiago, with all that he has in him, pulls the fish and manages to kill it with a harpoon. He ties the fish to the side of the skiff and finally, after days of unimaginable struggle, aims for home. Santiago is happy and proud of himself that he has managed to catch a fish that would have a great price, and feed a lot of people. However, he is also concerned that his eaters will be unworthy of it because of its greatness.

Just within some time, due to scent of marlin’s blood, sharks gather round. They start to tear flesh away from marlin. Santiago manages to drive away a few but loses his harpoon as a result. Then as more sharks keep coming, he makes another harpoon by putting his knife into an oar. He kills several sharks and scares many away. However, still filled with hunger, the sharks keep coming and stealing the flesh off of the marlin. In the end, they leave nothing but the shell of marlin, which too only consisted of mainly its backbone, head, and tail. Santiago feels defeated at the loss of his precious opponent. He feels like his entire struggle, and labour ended in vain and he lost. He tells the sharks too that they have destroyed him and his dreams. He even blames himself for going too far.

Santiago reaches the shore, crushed with the labour of past three days. With very little that was left in him, he carries his stuff and struggles towards his shack. He leaves the skeleton of the martin, which he had very arduously caught, behind. He thinks that it is of no use to him now. Santiago makes it to his shack and just collapses on his bed. He goes into a deep slumber and becomes oblivious to everything. Now on the shore, where his boat is, fishermen gather round. They see the skeleton of the marlin attached to it and measure it. It turns out to be 18 feet (5.5 m) from nose to tail. The fish appears to be the biggest that the village had ever seen. The fishermen tell Manolin to tell the old man how sorry they are over their rude behaviour.

Manolin gets teary when he sees the old man alive, but injured. The old man tells Manolin that he lost again but Manolin assures him that everything was fine. He brings him coffee and newspapers. They chat and agree on going fishing together again. Some tourists that same day see the marlin’s skeleton and mistake it as a shark. Now in the shack, the old man goes back to his sleep and dreams of lions that he had seen in his youth when he was in Africa. (1)

About Authoress: The article “Introduction and summary of The Old Man and the Sea” was written by Sayeda Javaria. (javaria.hanan@gmail.com).

Articles related to “The Old Man and the Sea”

1. Introduction and summary of “The Old Man and the Sea”

2. Main characters and their analysis in “The Old Man and the sea”

3. Theme of the novel “The Old man and the sea”

4. Symbolism in “The old man and the sea”

5. Quotations used in the novel “The old man and the sea”