Hemingway's Struggles Essay

“But man is not made for defeat," he said. "A man can be destroyed but not defeated. (Hemingway 103).” This quote, written by Ernest Hemingway in the short story The Old Man and the Sea, captures the theme perseverance in numerous ways. This quote describes when the old man Santiago was struck down physically, with the injuries of his hands and the pain of staying awake for a number of days. However, he mentally kept pushing forward, leading to his ultimate survival and his arrival home. Ernest Hemingway wanted the readers of this story to learn about the rewards of perseverance because of the hardship Santiago and the marlin had to endure, rather than themes such as luck, pride, and suffering.

The forces of the universe have crucified both Santiago and the marlin.  We see this when Santiago carries his mast cross-like to his shack and the author's description of his exhausted repose "face down on the newspapers with his arms out straight and the palms up" (Hemingway  122).  Yet, through this struggle, through this pride that made him go far out beyond all people, Santiago learns the meaning of life in a meaningless universe is humility and love.  We see this expressed most clearly in his mentor-like relationship with Manolin.  Human solidarity and interdependence may not make a man any more capable of beating the forces of the universe, but they are sustaining as much as the courage and dignity with which Santiago faces life "the boy keeps me alive, he thought.  I must not deceive myself too much" (Hemingway  106).  Before coming to shore, Santiago recognizes he has gained humility and he is loved.  He is appreciative the other fishers will worry about him.  They bring him food and newspapers to

There are many occasions in life in which a person faces an arduous task and falls short of their goal, and in many cases they ultimately lose sight of what is important in life. Through trials and triumphs, it is a person's character that truly defines their successfulness in life. Ernest Hemingway, author of Old Man and the Sea, skillfully uses Santiago’s words, “A man can be defeated but not destroyed,” to echo the resiliency of not only an old man, but of the nature of the entire human race, throughout his novel.

The Old Man and the Sea was a story of Santiago’s courage. When Santiago could no longer see Havana he realized that he could not do anything with the fish. With courage he reassured him self that the fish could not do anything with him either so he might as well keep fishing and stay with the fish until he is dead. A little fear raised and with the courage he ignored the temptation of believing he was too old for fishing. Proving yet afraid of the outcome he stilled will sailed on with the fish. Without this factor, again there would not be a novel. If he did not have the courage from the beginning he would have cut the marlin free. Having no hero, having no plot, having absolutely no reason at all to write this story. But, Santiago did have the courage to go on to the very bitter end even when the sharks started to eat the marlin. He had his courage, which got him through the ordeal of the plot. Which help this story to be as great as it really is.

In Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago's struggle against the marlin symbolizes a struggle within himself that is rooted in proving the strength of the mind over the body. While Santiago may be engaged in a battle with the marlin, his true struggle is against himself to endure the challenge. The fight against the marlin weakens Santiago physically, but strengthens him mentally, and enables him to overcome his bodily ailments. Santiago’s unwillingness to give in proves that the strength of the mind can subdue the most merciless circumstances.

In Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Old Man and the Sea, an old fisherman struggles with the biggest fish of his life. After many days, he finally catches the massive monster, fantasizing about how much money the fish will bring in in the market. Catching the fish takes an enormous toll on the old man, but in the end, he loses the fish. The old man states that “a man can be destroyed but not defeated.” (Hemingway, 38) The following essay will attempt to answer the question “Was the old man defeated?” and, if so, to explain how and by what.

*Disclaimer: I could not find the rubric to complete this task and have a sinking feeling that this is way too long. Please have patience, and someone point me into the direction for next time?

Ernest Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899 in a small community of Oak Park, Illinois. He was the second child out of six, with four sisters and one brother. The area Ernest grew up in was a very conservative area of Illinois and was raised with values of strong religion, hard work, physical fitness and self-determination. His household was a very strict one that didn’t allow any enjoyment on Sundays and disobedience was strictly punished. Ernest’s father taught him good morals and values that he if he followed that he would be good in life. His father also taught him to hunt and fish around the Lake Michigan area and to love nature. The family would spend their summers in the wilderness and their winters back near Chicago. For the rest

Due to his situation his young apprentice Manolin’s parents have deemed Santiago as “salao, which is the worst form of unlucky” (Hemingway 9). With these first few words we see our protagonist at a current low point in his life. Hemingway even writes about the sail of his boat which has been patched with flour sacks as a symbol of Santiago’s permanent defeat (Hemingway 9). Even though with just the first few words of Hemingway’s story we expect to see an man whose zest for life is gone with very little to live for. Yet Santiago is described as having eyes that were the color of the seas and that are cheerful and undefeated (Hemingway 10). This helps us view Santiago in an altogether different

was his favorite spot in the school. There, under a beam ceiling, Ernest discovered the

In Ernest Hemingway’s novel, The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago demonstrates the traits of the code hero. The Hemingway’s code hero covers the principal ideals of honor, courage, and endurance in a misfortune life. Throughout the novel, Santiago shows a contrast between opposite attitudes and values which associate his behavior with the guidelines of the code. In this case, the depiction of conflicting values, such as dignity despite humility, perseverance despite despair, and victory despite defeat are aspects that help to describe and understand the role of Santiago in the novel, and reflect the reason why this character is perfectly suited to the heroic conduct established by Hemingway.

     Hemingway's view of human nature was that happiness was rare and was found within a man and not in his outside circumstances or surroundings.  Hemingway illustrates this in three ways.  First, he portrays the human nature of Santiago, the main character, as being one of humility and compassion, full of strength and pride.  He is shown not as a gleefully happy man, but one who meets life with a serene, quiet resilience.  Second, Santiago's fellow villagers are shown as shallow and materialistic, with a narrow view of life compared to his.  Their focus on appearances is in sharp contrast to Santiago's focus on intrinsic values.  Third, it will be shown that his rare

Some believe to live is to suffer, and in Hemingway’s “The Old Man And The Sea” this philosophy is dealt with and viewed in many situations. In this poignant short novel Ernest Hemingway beautifully illustrates the trials and tribulations of everyday man, through Santiago’s struggle at sea. The old man’s adventure with the marlin is one of loss, pride, and achievement all combined into one emotional fight for life itself. Hemingway’s use of allegory in “The Old Man And The Sea” establishes many deeper aspects that man struggles with in everyday life. The numerous hardships and battles Santiago encounters on the sea can be viewed as conflicts man is forced to deal with in his lifetime.

In the novel, The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway shows that through hard work and trial, great things take place. This concept is shown many times throughout the book. At one point, when Santiago the fisherman is out at sea, his hand cramps. This inconveniences him for quite some time, for he is no longer able to hold the rope as well as he wants without feeling pain. At a second point in the book, Santiago realizes how far out he is, but still chooses to not give up his fish. Finally, near the end, Santiago’s hard earned fish gets mauled by multiple groups of sharks on the way back home. But through all this misfortune and dedication, Santiago still has a happy ending. The other fishermen realize what a great fish it was that he caught, and Santiago gets the fame for the catch.

The Old Man and the Sea is the longest of the short stories discussed here, but it still comes in at only 127 pages. Three of the literary techniques used in this story are conflict, simile, and reflection on the past. A variety of conflicts are squeezed into this story: man vs. self, man vs. society, man vs. nature, Santiago vs. fish, and present vs. past, to name a few. All of these conflicts are due to Santiago trying to mend his wounded sense of pride. Santiago challenges himself to sail farther into the ocean than he ever has in order to prove to society that he is not just an old, washed up fisherman. He is trying to prove this to himself, too. While out in the ocean he has to deal with the wrath of Mother Nature and the conditions that tag along with her. He wrestles with the Marlin for days before he can actually capture it, and when he finally does, sharks eat it up. Poor Santiago just cannot win. While all of these conflicts are going on,