Every story has an important theme that shapes the story and its characters, and that readers can relate to and apply to their life. One very important theme to The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway, is that it isn’t where you’re going that’s important, but how you get there. I’ve found this to be true in the book, in my life as an individual, and in the life of every human being.
In the book, Santiago returns home with only the remains of the fish he caught. He says to Manolin on page 124, ‘ “They beat me. They truly beat me.” ’ Manolin then replies, ‘ “He didn’t beat you. Not the fish.” ’ One might think that Santiago failed, but Manolin disagrees. Although Santiago’s fish was ruined, he had to prove to himself that he was still a good fisherman, even in his old age, and Manolin feels that he certainly succeeded in that. Santiago didn’t come back with the fish, but he came back with an experience that is worth so much more.
I can really relate to this theme right now. If all goes as planned, I’ll be moving to Illinois this summer. I would have to say good-bye to all my friends and probably never see them again. However, I’m going to enjoy the time I have left in South Hadley. I’ll continue to make friends and have fun with people, and simply live in the moment. A quote that I feel reflects this is: “You are killing me, fish, the old man thought. But you have a right to…Come on and kill me. I do not care who kills who” (92). Metaphorically, it’s saying that the end, where one of them is killed, isn’t as important as everything leading up to it. I won’t be able to enjoy the rest of my year here if all I’m thinking about is moving.
Every person on Earth can apply this theme to his or her life. The absolute end for each individual is death, something that is completely inevitable. However, one cannot live their whole life worrying about the end. They must focus on how they get there, and on living life to the fullest. After having been attacked by sharks, Santiago speaks to the fish: “I ruined us both. But we have killed many sharks, you and I, and ruined many others. How many did you ever kill, old fish? You do not have that spear in your head for nothing” (115). It’s saying that although the fish was ruined in the end, he killed many creatures in his life. In the same way, each person should have a successful life, and be happy with what they’ve done.
This theme is very crucial to the book, in that it didn’t matter that Santiago didn’t bring back the fish, because it was his knowledge that he could catch such a magnificent fish that was important. It’s something I need to remember in my own life, because I need to not worry about the move, but instead make the months leading up to it as fun as they can be. On a larger scale, it’s something that every living person needs to keep in mind. There’s absolutely nothing we can do about dying, but we can make choices that will make our lives worthwhile. I have found it to be so true, that it is not the destination that matters, but the journey.
In the book, Santiago returns home with only the remains of the fish he caught. He says to Manolin on page 124, ‘ “They beat me. They truly beat me.” ’ Manolin then replies, ‘ “He didn’t beat you. Not the fish.” ’ One might think that Santiago failed, but Manolin disagrees. Although Santiago’s fish was ruined, he had to prove to himself that he was still a good fisherman, even in his old age, and Manolin feels that he certainly succeeded in that. Santiago didn’t come back with the fish, but he came back with an experience that is worth so much more.
I can really relate to this theme right now. If all goes as planned, I’ll be moving to Illinois this summer. I would have to say good-bye to all my friends and probably never see them again. However, I’m going to enjoy the time I have left in South Hadley. I’ll continue to make friends and have fun with people, and simply live in the moment. A quote that I feel reflects this is: “You are killing me, fish, the old man thought. But you have a right to…Come on and kill me. I do not care who kills who” (92). Metaphorically, it’s saying that the end, where one of them is killed, isn’t as important as everything leading up to it. I won’t be able to enjoy the rest of my year here if all I’m thinking about is moving.
Every person on Earth can apply this theme to his or her life. The absolute end for each individual is death, something that is completely inevitable. However, one cannot live their whole life worrying about the end. They must focus on how they get there, and on living life to the fullest. After having been attacked by sharks, Santiago speaks to the fish: “I ruined us both. But we have killed many sharks, you and I, and ruined many others. How many did you ever kill, old fish? You do not have that spear in your head for nothing” (115). It’s saying that although the fish was ruined in the end, he killed many creatures in his life. In the same way, each person should have a successful life, and be happy with what they’ve done.
This theme is very crucial to the book, in that it didn’t matter that Santiago didn’t bring back the fish, because it was his knowledge that he could catch such a magnificent fish that was important. It’s something I need to remember in my own life, because I need to not worry about the move, but instead make the months leading up to it as fun as they can be. On a larger scale, it’s something that every living person needs to keep in mind. There’s absolutely nothing we can do about dying, but we can make choices that will make our lives worthwhile. I have found it to be so true, that it is not the destination that matters, but the journey.
5 comments:
wow, rachel that was a great essay. Your thesis is stated very clearly in your first paragraph and sets up the whole essay nicely. I liked the theme that you used, and it made me want to read more. My favorite quote was the first quote because it provided good evidence that Santiago has not failed. My favorite part of your essay was how you applied it to real life. Most essays do not venture into that, and it was much more interesting when related to our world. Great job!
The thesis was extremely easy to pick out and very clear. My favorite example was the second paragraph. It's very true that you really have to enjoy the journey because if you're only thinking about the destination it's not worth it.
I really just liked this whole essay in general. It's not something i considered a theme of the book, but after reading this i can see how it would tie in well. No suggestions!
(P.S. you're not moving, you're living in my loft w. me, remember?)
Your essay's thesis was very clear and well-stated. It pulls the reader into the essay right away. My favorite quote that you used was the one from page 124. It isn't an obvious quote to choose for the theme you were writing about, but you did a great job of backing it up. Your writing style for this essay really kept me interested. It wasn't a boring rambling on. It was organized well, and it was descriptive, yet to-the-point. I cant think of any suggestions at the moment. Great work!
Rachel, your introduction and your thesis were very inviting. They pulled me into your essay right away. I thought your best quote was the one in your "moving" paragraph on page 92. It was meaningful and can relate to many individuals. You did an overall fantastic job with all of the main components of writing. My favorite thing you did was you applied the essay to your life. It made it really interesting to read. One piece of advice is too continue to write things that relate to your readers because you are able to connect things well.
P.S.(never see us again :( we'll see about that)
I think your theme makes perfect sense to Santiago's situation, and its a great theme that your essay is revolved around. my favorite quote was the first one where Manolin tells Santiago that he didn't fail and that he had beat the fish because it shows how much Manolin cares for Santiago. i liked how you chose to apply the theme of the story to your own life because that makes it more easy to relate to. also i like how you chose to put the quotes into the essay and then explained what they meant.
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