Ernest Hemingway makes his point quickly. From the first page, the old man becomes the focal point of the story and is depicted as, well, very old and worn out, viejo. Yet, he is still tough and enthusiastic. He is also very unlucky or salao and hasn't caught a fish in eighty-four days.
Hemingway contrasts the old man on the first page with a boy as well. The boy "had gone in another boat which caught three good fish," while still seeing "the old man come in each day with his skiff empty." It already seems like the old man's fishing days are coming to a close.
Although the sail of the old man's skiff is "patched with flour sacks and looked like the flag of permanent defeat," he still states he has faith that he will soon catch a big fish. When he, who we find out is named Santiago, goes to the Terrace with the boy, "other fisherman looked at him and were sad." Santiago does not care at all though. He says to the boy, "I am a strange old man," almost accepting who he is and showing the boy that some faith and confidence goes a long way for maintaining self-health.
Later on in the book when the old man is alone at sea on a fishing trip, he devotes three paragraphs to talking about sea turtles. I find this very interesting because the old man goes as far as to equate himself to the turtle's heart. Apparently, turtle's hearts beat for hours after a turtle is butchered. The old man does actually seem very similar to the butchered turtle. He doesn't have much going for him but his heart still manages to beat enough for him to continue pursuing big, beastly marlins. He even eats the turtle's eggs for strength. Oh and also, sea turtles have a life expectancy of over eighty years--probably a similar age to the old man.
Santiago seems to embody the physical and emotional characteristics of such a mighty sea turtle, but with his frail frame, I'm not sure how much longer he'll be able to live let alone support himself.
Very good insight into Hemingway's confusing yet simple text!
ReplyDeleteI really like what you said about the old man's comparison to the sea turtle. That, and other examples of symbols are what makes this simple book so fascinating in my opinion. I really liked how the old man refers to the sea as la mar, emphasizing how the sea is a woman. He says that women are good natured but are influenced by men to be treacherous, similar to how the sea is controlled by the moon, causing it to be dangerous.
ReplyDeleteWhat did you think about the metaphor between the sea and a woman?
Larsen,
ReplyDeleteYour initial descriptions of the old man's character do a lot to help me envision him as the main character of the book. I liked your incorporations and explanations of the Spanish words in your blog, and my favorite part is when you compare and contrast the old man and the sea turtles, particularly when you include the life expectancy of turtles. This allows me to see the old man as very old and yet resilient because he was able to live that long.
Do you think the old man is pleased with the solitary life he lives, or does he regret anything from his life?
Can't wait to keep reading your blog!
Grace
Larsen, good integration of quotes in your discussion of the character. The discussion of the sea turtles is a nice insight too. I wonder if you feel pity or sympathy for the old man, as someone who seems so down and out might be a hard character to feel for.
ReplyDelete