Old man and The Sea is a philosophical novel by Earnest
Hemingway. The title suggests the conflict between man and Nature. Everything
is symbolic in the novel. Hemingway is a war writer and though he present war
of fish against Santiago. Hemingway shows the idea of clever that we have to be
clever with whatever we have.
The journey of Santiago begins in the morning. He wants to achieve
something but he doesn’t care whether he gets or not. He wants to prove himself
different. The novel gives the idea of birth and death that we come with empty
hand in the world and we have to go same. There is no need to worry about life.
“Thank God he is travelling and not going down”
It speak about fish but we can interpret it as if we find
obstacle in life we should not stop our journey. We should keep a hope and we
have to chase it until we don’t get. Santiago made a goal that whatever happens
but he want fish before he die.
“I’ll stay with you until I am dead”
Death is ultimate reality and we can’t escape from it so we
have to struggle until our death. The language of the novel is simple but in
simplicity Hemingway used ambiguity.
“Anyone can be a fisherman in May”
Santiago went on September, month of storm so he said that
anyone can be fisherman in calm weather but in storm it too difficult. Nature
is goes on changing but we should come out from the situation than we can prove
our skill. He prefers to live alone because no one can criticize him.
He has struggle a lot but still he is enjoying. He has
respect and love for fish. He wants to feed fish but what can do? Because he is
fisherman and therefore he is killing fish. On the journey he has not only care
about himself but also for fish.
“Better weather for me than for you fish”
If weather is calm than it is better for Santiago to catch
fish and if it is not well then it is better for fish that he can be safe.
He is an honest man. He doesn’t wants to kill but he born as
fisherman and therefore he is killing fish.
“Perhaps it was a sin to kill the fish…..
But then everything is a sin.
Do not think about it. You were
Born to be a
fisherman as the
Fish was born to be a
fish”.
The fish was large but the mind of Santiago is more than it
and therefore he becomes triumph to catch fish. He believes
“Every day is a new day and every struggle is a new
struggle”
Therefore we have to goes on struggle rather than stop. Life
is only for fight. If we wish to end life but we can’t end it.
“A man can be destroyed but not defeated”
A man is not born for defeat. A man has to struggle and then
get success. Our life is full of problem but we have to come out of it.
Santiago ever wishes to be boy with him on voyage and he
also goes on his past. It seems he has wish for youth but it will never come
just like tomorrow. He ever feels that he went too far and he put his self in
death and therefore he want to return after achieve something.
Hemingway has presented the idea of existentialism and
continuation. We cannot clearly say, Santiago is winner or loser. He talks
about civil war and world war. The novel itself becomes fish for Hemingway.
