I label the title of this post, Part II because that is what this section of the book feels like to me. I found it considerably more boring than the first section of the book but there are still a few significant parts I'll talk about.
The old man changes in this section of the book, especially in context with the boy. The boy is mentioned less and less as Santiago has now been at sea for two days. He is apart from any other humans, apart from society and daily life, but he does not seem to not be completely alone. He greets a bird with "how are you?" and later tells it that it to stay at his house. Additionally, he says "Fish, I love and respect you very much." Santiago's self-immersion into the oceanic community speaks volumes to his character. There is no human there to keep him company yet he finds a way to keep himself socially occupied.
Santiago perseveres physically as well as socially. Although his hands are cut up from holding the lines for such a long time, he continues to grasp them so he doesn't lose his prized fish. He hasn't eaten in a few days, so he "ate all the wedge-shaped strips of [raw] fish."
One profound thing that changes as I read this section of the book was the old man's reliance on religion. With more days out at sea, he begins to mention God repeatedly. He says, "God help me to have this cramp go," and, "thank God that [the fish] are not as intelligent as we who kill them." Based on these references, I think Santiago senses he may never be able to reel in his prized marlin. Earlier on in the book, he was confident every day he went out to fish that he would catch one. Now, his self-faith is fading while his faith in God is being required by his desperate situation.
He even goes so far at the very end of what I read as to question if who seems to be his baseball idol, "the great DiMaggio," would pursue a fish as long as he has. If you don't know anything about baseball, Joe DiMaggio had the longest consecutive game hitting streak in major league history--56 games in the 1941 season. This is, again, similar to the turtle's heart, something else that the old man equates to himself. To Santiago, DiMaggio's streak represents the long streak he has of not catching fish. He envies him because DiMaggio is successful in his affairs while he is not. When he questions if DiMaggio could stay with a fish for as long as he does, he is really asking himself, "how much longer can I go after this fish?"
The old man changes in this section of the book, especially in context with the boy. The boy is mentioned less and less as Santiago has now been at sea for two days. He is apart from any other humans, apart from society and daily life, but he does not seem to not be completely alone. He greets a bird with "how are you?" and later tells it that it to stay at his house. Additionally, he says "Fish, I love and respect you very much." Santiago's self-immersion into the oceanic community speaks volumes to his character. There is no human there to keep him company yet he finds a way to keep himself socially occupied.
Santiago perseveres physically as well as socially. Although his hands are cut up from holding the lines for such a long time, he continues to grasp them so he doesn't lose his prized fish. He hasn't eaten in a few days, so he "ate all the wedge-shaped strips of [raw] fish."
One profound thing that changes as I read this section of the book was the old man's reliance on religion. With more days out at sea, he begins to mention God repeatedly. He says, "God help me to have this cramp go," and, "thank God that [the fish] are not as intelligent as we who kill them." Based on these references, I think Santiago senses he may never be able to reel in his prized marlin. Earlier on in the book, he was confident every day he went out to fish that he would catch one. Now, his self-faith is fading while his faith in God is being required by his desperate situation.
He even goes so far at the very end of what I read as to question if who seems to be his baseball idol, "the great DiMaggio," would pursue a fish as long as he has. If you don't know anything about baseball, Joe DiMaggio had the longest consecutive game hitting streak in major league history--56 games in the 1941 season. This is, again, similar to the turtle's heart, something else that the old man equates to himself. To Santiago, DiMaggio's streak represents the long streak he has of not catching fish. He envies him because DiMaggio is successful in his affairs while he is not. When he questions if DiMaggio could stay with a fish for as long as he does, he is really asking himself, "how much longer can I go after this fish?"
Hi Larsen,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog post! I thought it was interesting how you discussed religion and how he became further reliant on god and not himself as the days without him catching a fish increased; I think that that's typical for anyone experiencing some type of hardship.
Honestly from what I've read from yours and Henry's blog the book seems a bit boring, but considering that it's written by Ernest Hemingway, I was wondering if the main character "fishing" was actually symbolic for something else?
This could be completely off base but I remember the other stories that we read in English classes by Hemingway were often simplistic stories themselves but were symbolic of something larger; typically something related to war. When you quoted the book stating, "How much longer can I go after these fish?", I was just curious as to whether this book had a deeper meaning than what's being presented as just a man trying to catch some fish.
I look forward to reading the rest of your blog and seeing what else happens in the book!
Larsen, your discussion of Santiago's character and how he's developed and changes is good. Certainly Hemingway is known for leaving a lot unsaid about his characters and what they are going through and reacting to. Don't forget what we discussed about Christ figures with Song of Solomon, as there are some clear connections between that discussion and details of your post.
ReplyDeleteAre you sure he's reliant on religion? If I head my head on a door frame and say "Jesus" that doesn't mean I'm relying on god. I think the book is certainly religious, but I think that might just be an exclamation to express his pain. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems like a case where a cigar is just a cigar.
ReplyDeleteThanks for clarifying some of the DiMaggio history though. I know nothing about him, and he is basically a character in the book considering how much he is brought up.