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The Old Man And The Sea

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There is hardly any progress, determination or success without unforgiving struggle and defeat. The road to success is a never-ending battle, but the outcomes of the war are rewarding and the avails are extraordinary. It is just a matter of having endurance when the will to continue becomes impossible and unimaginable. The idea of struggle lies deep within the plot of the novel, The Old Man and the Sea and the motion picture, Life of Pi. In the novel, the old fisherman, Santiago spends a few days out at sea attempting to capture the fish of his dreams. He battles through pain, thirst and hunger in order to bring the Marlin to the shore. However, while losing his prey, he gains a priceless experience combined with pride, respect and …show more content…

In Hemingway’s novel, the battle between a person and nature is predominantly shown through Santiago’s desire to catch a Marlin while overcoming obstacles set by the ocean, such as fluctuating temperatures and dangerous Mako sharks. Although these physical barriers impacted the old fisherman greatly by causing him to sustain wounds, he overcame these complications through his unbreakable will and desire to capture the formidable Marlin and return back to Havana with his prize. While fishing for the Marlin, Santiago consistently talks with the sea creature whom he considered an equal and emphasized his determination to overcome nature through his prayer. Not once, but many times he prayed: “Christ, I did not know he was so big. I’ll kill him though…in all his greatness and his glory, I will show him what a man can do and what a man endures” (Hemingway 66). This promise repeated numerous times through Santiago’s struggle, clearly presents the strength of the old man’s mind and his will to win the battle. Likewise, in the movie Life of Pi a young boy is faced with many challenges from the ocean when he is forced to survive while combating the dangers of nature and attempting to control the animals that were placed in his raft. Once again, this conflict

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