Obstacles by Zack G.

Throughout the novella, Santiago has many different obstacles that he has to overcome. His last fishing trip was one of his most challenging experiences. The obstacles that he had to overcome were the fact of being alone, the strength of the marlin, and the lack of food and water. All of these obstacles were working against him, making it very hard for him to even survive out on his trip. Santiago is 85 years old and he still is out in the sea fishing which shows you how determined he was to catch this marlin.

Santiago’s first obstacle that he had to overcome was the fact of being alone. If he had Manolin with him during his last fishing trip I think that he would have caught the marlin a lot faster and he would have been able to successfully bring the marlin onto the boat. At one point in the story Santiago says out loud to himself: “ ‘I wish I had the boy. To help me and to see this’ ” (48). Since he did not have the boy with him he got very tired from the fight with the marlin. He barely got any sleep and he didn’t get much time to rest either. Since Santiago was on his own it made it much harder for him to catch the marlin.

Another obstacle that Santiago had to overcome was the lack of food and water. When Santiago was preparing for the fishing trip he never would have thought that his trip would last as long as it did. He packed some food and a good amount of water, but that proved to not be enough. When Santiago has the marling hooked it was for 3 days long. He had no food left on the third day but just a little bit of water. I know that if he had more food that he would have been in a better condition to catch the marlin and he could have got it to his boat quicker. “For an hour the old man had been seeing black spots before his eyes and the sweat salted his eyes and salted the cut over his eye and on his forehead” (87). He had been very faint and I think this could have been caused by him not having enough water and possibly being dehydrated.

The last obstacle that Santiago had to overcome was the strength of the marlin and the attacks from the vigorous sharks. This was easily the hardest obstacle that Santiago had to face. Santiago had the marlin hooked for several days and he could not reel it in. The marlin had so much power, but the old man was not giving up. Santiago was so determined to catch this marlin he would do anything for it. On about the third day of the marlin being hooked he had the marlin close to his boat and he threw his harpoon at the marlin and killed it. After about an hour a few sharks started appearing and eating the marlin. A few sharks came and Santiago killed some and injured some, but: “One came, finally, against the head itself and he knew that it was over” (118).That shark ate the last piece of the marlin and there was nothing left.

Santiago did his best to try and overcome these obstacles. I don’t think that there was any other way that Santiago could have tried to fight off the sharks.. He did the best he could, but that didn’t help him in the end. Santiago did gain something in his last trip even though he didn’t catch the marlin. He gained a lot of experience and knowledge during his final fishing trip. I think that since he was 85 and he was in very bad condition that he ended up dieing at the end of the book because of the different obstacles he had to try and overcome.

Obstacles by Zack T.

Throughout the novella The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago has faced many challenges. Santiago had to overcome the obstacles of being alone, not having good technology, and being unprepared. If Santiago had not gone out alone, and Manolin had gone with him, he might have caught the fish. Even though Santiago is 85, he still chose to go out to sea alone, in a small boat without technology. This undoubtedly affected the outcome of the story.

The first challenge Santiago had was that he was alone. This affected him because it was very difficult to keep a fish on a small boat, try and get to shore, and not let the sharks get the marlin. “’I wish [Manolin] was here,’ he said aloud.” (50) The old man is trying to perform too many tasks at once, and if he was with someone else such as Manolin, maybe he could have caught the marlin. The reason he could not get the fish to shore safely is because the marlin was 18 feet long. Since Santiago is alone, he talks to himself, to the birds, and to the fish. Even though this sounds weird, I think many people would do this while out to sea alone.

A second obstacle Santiago faces is not having good technology. When most people go out to sea, they have many tools to help them fish more efficiently. In the book Santiago talks about how most fishermen now use their radios to talk to each other. However he feels he doesn’t need it which is true. Despite the fact that this technology could help him, he decides to go out without it. “’ But since I am not crazy, I do not care. And the rich have radios to talk to them in their boats and to bring them the baseball.’” (39) Even though technology would help Santiago, he does not care and wants nothing to do with it. Which I do not get because only good could come from trying it, nothing bad.

The third challenge that Santiago faces is being unprepared. This is a huge part of why he did not catch the fish. If he planned on coming across such a fish, I am sure he could have prepared better. “He felt faint again now but he held on the great fish all the strain that he could.” (91) Since he is unaware of the challenge ahead, he went out alone, did not bring food or water, and I am sure he was exhausted, he was not feeling good and started feeling faint and dizzy. All he does is fish, without breaks, and then goes straight to catching an 18 foot marlin. He is also 85 years old, which makes it a lot more difficult to catch.

As a conclusion, I can rightfully say that Santiago has many obstacles that he must overcome that other fishermen do not have. However, since he caught an 18 foot marlin, with a boat not even that size, while being alone and eighty-five are incredible circumstances. The chance of someone doing it present day is very unlikely. Not only is this hard to do, but with all the technology today, who would?

Obstacles by Wes C.

In the novella The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago may have had to overcome more obstacles than any one I know. His life has been a very rough time, especially while fishing. Santiago had to face many obstacles, such as his physical abilities, the aggressive nature and power of the sharks [dentusos], and the frustration that comes with being unprepared. All of these obstacles worked against Santiago and made it more difficult for him to land the fish of his lifetime.

Santiago’s first obstacle was his physical abilities, especially his left hand; “But his left hand had always been a traitor and would not do what he called on it to do and he did not trust it” (71). In the story, Santiago’s hand cramped up on him, and he couldn’t move it, even if he wanted to. This slows him down while trying to gain some line on the fish, and makes him use his brain to think of other ways that he can hold on to it. Not only is his hand bothering him, but also he is around 85 years old, and has limitations as to what he can physically do.

Another obstacle that Santiago had to overcome was the aggressive natured and extremely powerful sharks. He thought of these as very large nuisances; “But I killed the shark that hit my fish, he thought. And he was the biggest dentuso that I have ever seen. And god knows I have seen big ones” (105). The sharks were attacking and eating Santiago’s prized marlin that was attached to the side of the boat. During these attacks, he had to try to fend off “dentusos,” which was tremendously difficult. To do this, he had to use weapons. These weapons repeatedly broke, and he was strained to use parts of his skiff to make weapons. This made it more difficult for him to navigate his way back to Havana . But if he did not fend off the sharks, they would have devoured his marlin within a few hours. It was a sacrifice that was necessary to do.

A final obstacle, which Santiago must overcome, is frustration. He gets frustrated from being unprepared; “You should have brought many things, he thought. But you did not bring them, old man” (110). Santiago was not planning on being on the water for four days; he only brought about two days’ supplies. In order to survive, he needed to drink sparingly, and to eat, he had to catch other fish, which took his mind off of the marlin, and gave the marlin a chance to get away from Santiago. That’s what frustrated him. He wasn’t paying attention to the marlin so he could catch food. This was because of his “stupid” mistake in not being prepared. Being frustrated never helps when in a situation such as he was.

As you can see, Santiago had some challenging obstacles to overcome. Some of these that he was forced to face were his physical abilities, the aggressive nature and power of the sharks [dentusos], and the frustration that came with being unprepared. He overcame all of these, and caught the fish of a lifetime. One who has completed such a task as he must feel very proud of one’s self.

Obstacles by Meghan M.

In the novella, The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway depicts the story of an aged fisherman who sets out on his most extravagant journey yet. Along the way he faces many obstacles that affect the outcome of his fishing adventure. The old man, named Santiago, encounters many struggles such as the marlin, the sea, and even himself before his fishing trip can end.

One obstacle that Santiago has to face on his voyage out to sea is the marlin. The marlin was sixteen feet in length and weighed about one thousand five hundred pounds (his skiff was only fourteen feet long). Throughout most of the novella, Santiago struggles with the marlin in order to catch it. The old man also never doubted the strength or power of the marlin. “You are killing me, fish, the old man thought. But you have a right to. Never have I seen a greater, or more beautiful, or more calmer, or more noble thing than you, brother,” (92). In this quote the old man is saying that it would be somewhat of an honor to be killed by the fish that he greatly looked up to. That is how the marlin was an obstacle for Santiago.

Another obstacle that the old man faces is the sea. The sea that Santiago is referring to is the Gulf of Mexico. He was out in the middle of the ocean for a total of four days with the blistering heat and no food or water. Even though Santiago was lost in the middle of the ocean, he always thought of the sea as, “feminine and as something that gave or withheld great favors, and if she did wild or wicked things it was because she could not help them,” (29). Santiago never spoke badly of the sea and always spoke kindly of it. Even through Santiago’s worst times he always admired the sea and treated it as a person would toward another person, or someone they loved.

The final obstacle Santiago faces is himself. Throughout the entire novella, the old man struggles against himself in order to catch the fish. He is always pushing himself to further extremes and testing his body. Santiago never doubts that he can do anything and for that reason he was able to catch and hold the marlin for as long as he did. Santiago explained that, “’A man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated,’ ” (103). This quote sums up Santiago quite well. He is saying that a man can be brought down to the lowest of lows, but he will never be beaten by someone, or a marlin.

The old man, Santiago, faced many struggles on his extravagant journey into the ocean. Although he may not have caught the fish, he persevered and never gave up on himself. He always thought he could do it even when he might not have been able to. Even though he struggled with the marlin, the sea, and himself, he managed to catch the fish. Although the fish was eaten by the sharks he was able to bring a carcass to shore to prove that he had actually caught the fish. He felt very satisfied and accomplished even though he did not necessarily have the whole fish.

A Struggle for Life by Martha H.

In The Old Man and the Sea, the main character, Santiago, encounters many different obstacles that he must conquer or be faced with dire consequences. Santiago’s disputes begin when he manages to snag a marlin that is to amble and durable to reel in. Instead of giving up and letting the marlin go, Santiago stays with the massive fish and is carried further and further out to sea. With a short supply of food, loss of body movement, and the struggle with the loneliness of the sea, the walls begin to close in on Santiago. As the problems continue to pile up, Santiago’s strength begins to weaken.

A little while after the fish is caught, the first struggle inaugurates. Santiago begins to feel weaker and he gets a cramp that creeps into his hand. Santiago goes to great lengths to take care of his hands and does whatever it takes to ensure they stay healthy and strong for him. The relation between the old man and his hands is shown in the quote, "‘How do you feel hand, I’ll eat some more for you’" (58, 59) Santiago explains how he’ll eat unpleasant fish such as dolphins to gain strength in his body and hands to maintain a good hold on the marlin.

Soon after, Santiago discovers that the small amount he ate wasn’t enough to corroborate his body. With the extremely unlucky streak the old man encountered, he was unprepared for a voluminous catch such as the marlin. Without another source of food, Santiago knew he would soon die of starvation. As a result, Santiago looks to catch more diminutive fish to eat. Although his body is weakening, his mind stays sharp but he knew that wouldn’t last much longer. An example of his determination and clear headed thoughts was when Santiago looked down into the dark water at the slant of the line and thought, "Eat now and it will strengthen the hand. It is not your hand’s fault and you have been many hours with the fish. But you can stay with him forever. Eat the bonito now." (58)

With nothing but the ocean surrounding him, Santiago quickly begins to feel the emptiness of being alone. While he usually has the boy as company, Santiago deals with the struggle of surviving without him. The boy who was his son, his friend, his brother, his partner, was now an extensive distance away and had no way of helping Santiago. The hollowness and loneliness Santiago feels is suggested by his thoughts continually drifting towards him thinking, "I wish I had the boy to help me and see this." (48) This quote shows the dependency he has on the boy. Without him, he was enabled time to sleep, Santiago’s strength warred away more easily, and he had to maneuver through every obstacle by himself without any back up.

Throughout his many grapples, Santiago’s decision to stay with the abundant marlin affected him physically and mentally. Throughout each brawl, such as the short supply of food, loss of body movement, and dwelling with loneliness, Santiago had to overcome all in order to maintain survival. One simple day of fishing in the sea turned out to be an adventure that made Santiago struggle for his life.

Theme by Maddie D.

In the novella, The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway intertwines many different themes within the story. Each having there own significance. One important theme is to never give up on something you want. I believe this theme fits in with Santiago’s character towards the marlin, in my life, and in an everyday life of human being.

After spending four hard, treacherous days of trying to reel the marlin in, he finally does, and Santiago is left with only the remains of the fish. Santiago says with disappointment, “‘they beat me. They truly beat me.’ “Then Manolin replies, “‘He didn’t beat you. Not the fish.’”(124) although Santiago believes that he has failed, Manolin disagrees with him. Even though his fish was pretty much eaten by sharks, he still proved to everyone that he wasn’t an unlucky fisherman. After 84 days of not being able to catch a fish, then on the 85^th day coming upon the most brutal marlin, Santiago didn’t come close to giving up. With his old age and not being able to eat for days, he was able to put up a great four day fight with the marlin. He had an experience that no one could ever say they had.

In my life, I have come very close to wanting to give up. Recently I had an experience that might never have happened. This year I wasn’t going to play basketball, but my family, and friend’s convinced me to play. I had the greatest time of my life. I have never worked so hard in my life. In the first playoff game we were losing and there wasn’t much time left. I’m sure everyone knew we were going to lose and wanted to give up, but no one did. We lost, but I know I wouldn’t change anything that happened over the season. I believe Santiago’s and my experience can relate. I thought a good quote that represents how Santiago never gives up was on page 93, “He took all his pain and what was left of his strength and his long gone pride and he put it against the fish’s agony and the fish came over onto his side and swam gently on the side…” This quote shows his determination and how he was willing to give all that he had left, which wasn’t much, to catch the fish.

When you want something, you should go for it. Even if it takes everything you have, you should never give up. I believe every person can relate to this theme. If you do give up I think you will be living with a few regrets in life. Santiago never gave up. The determination he shows to catching the fish is unbelievable. You can tell that his passion is fishing and he is willing to do anything to catch the marlin. “A man can be destroyed but not defeated.” (Page 103) Although Santiago was only left with pieces of the marlin, he came how with so much more. He came home with an experience of a lifetime. Santiago didn’t exactly get what he wanted, but he showed his pride for fishing and with that he proved himself to be a good fisherman.

Hemingway really shows how Santiago changes from the beginning of the book to the end. He battles the great marlin for four exhausting days. Santiago shows that when you have a passion for something, you should never give up. The theme really fits in with Santiago’s character and I’m sure me and everyone in the world can relate to it in someway.

Santiago & His Struggles by Maddie M.

Ernest Hemingway has created a noble and determined character, Santiago, in the novella, The Old Man and the Sea. This determined character faced many struggles while out in the sea including catching a marlin, battling off sharks, and fighting his sanity and old age.

It had been eighty-four days since Santiago had last caught a fish. Despite that, he set sail in hopes of having a great catch. Once Santiago had been in the murky waters for some time, he got a bite and hooked a giant sixteen-foot marlin on his line. Mind you, the skiff that he was fishing in was only fourteen feet long. He thought that the battle had almost concluded, but you will soon find out how very wrong he was. “‘Fish,’ he said, ‘I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead before this day ends’” (54). For four days Santiago battled with the marlin, yet he still cared for it because he knew that the marlin was a living creature.

Once Santiago finally caught the marlin, the sharks caught a drift and were at Santiago’s skiff momentarily. Even though there were many more sharks than Santiago, he kept his hopes up. “‘But man is not made for defeat,’ he said. ‘A man can be destroyed, but not defeated’” (103). Perseverance is the main point in this portion of the reading because without it, Santiago would never have been able to find the strength to fight off some of the sharks and last as long as he did.

Old age was also a key part in this novella. If Santiago had been younger, he probably wouldn’t have had as much of a struggle with the marlin and the sharks as he did. Also, if Santiago had had more food and water with him, he wouldn’t have been so fatigued at the time of the attack. “You are killing me, fish, the old man thought. But you have a right to. Never have I seen a greater, or more beautiful, or a calmer or more noble thing than you, brother. Come on and kill me. I do not care who kills who” (92). This quote is saying that even though Santiago was in desperate need of a catch, he respected the great marlin and even referred to him as ‘brother’ throughout the novella. “‘I am a tired old man. But I have killed this fish which is my brother and now I must do the slave work’” (95). Even Santiago knew that he was an old man, but he didn’t let that ‘minor fact’ in his eye deter him.

In conclusion, The Old Man and the Sea is a fantastic novella that teaches the reader many surface things, but also many deeper things like life lessons. I give a lot of credit to Santiago for what he did and more importantly, the way he did it. In today’s society and the way we live, I can’t name anyone that would be able to catch a marlin that was bigger than the skiff they were in. I don’t know anybody that has that kind of patience and perseverance to keep going. Nor do I know a person that could battle off sharks while fighting for their life and sanity.

Choices by Lida H.

In the thrilling novella The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway you go on an adventure with the character Santiago . You learn the struggles he faces throughout the story and the odds of catching such a great fish. The choices that were made at the beginning affected how the rest of the story turned out. I believe that Santiago ’s decision to go fishing without Manolin affected the obstacles he was challenged with. Manolin’s choice not go with Santiago not only affected Santiago but also Manolin himself.

After hours and hours of waiting for a great catch to come across the old man already knew he made a mistake by going fishing without the boy, “If the boy were here he would wet the coils of line, he thought. Yes. If the boy were here. If the boy were here.” (83) It shows that not only are the boy and the old man close to one another but the boy was very helpful. Santiago is getting much too old to be fishing alone and needs some extra help to prepare everything for fishing. Santiago is no longer the best fisherman he once was. He is much weaker now and getting more fragile because of his old age.

As the adventure goes on you begin to notice that Santiago is getting lonely. Santiago has no source of entertainment, not even a newspaper to read about his favorite sport and the great Joe DiMaggio. “If the others heard me talking out loud they would think I am crazy. But since I am not crazy I do not care. And the rich have radios to talk to them in their boats and to bring them the baseball.” (39) does he have the boy to talk to, so he resorts to talking out loud to himself to try to stay awake. After being alone at sea for several days you are bound to get lonely and go a little crazy and do whatever it takes to stay awake long enough to catch the fish.

At last when the great fish was hooked on to Santiago ’s hook is when he really could have used the boy’s help. You knew that Santiago was a determined man but some things you need assistance on no matter how strong you are. “For an hour the old had been seeing black spots before his eyes and the sweat salted his eyes and salted the cut over his eye and on his forehead.” (87) This shows how dead beat and dehydrated Santiago is and how much he needs to rest. If the boy were there he could take over the line while Santiago rested up and regained some strength. It is also clear that Santiago needs to get some food into his system so the boy could have tried to catch some food for the two of them while Santiago was stilling holding on to the massive marlin.

Throughout the novella The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway you notice that the main character goes through many challenges. The choices that were made in the beginning of the story had much affect on the rest of the story. I believe that Santiago ’s decision to go fishing without Manolin affected the obstacles he was challenged with. Had the boy gone fishing with Santiago I don’t think the book nor would the events have been the same.

Old Man and the Sea – Choices by Kyle L.

In the Old Man and the Sea, Santiago makes many choices that will affect whether or not he will ever catch another fish, or the giant marlin. When Santiago is out fishing, and catches the giant marlin on his line, he decides to stay with it and not give in. Although this really tires Santiago and he is almost powerless against this massive beast-of-a-fish, he feels he must catch this fish, which is the one he has been waiting for. This greatly affects Santiago’s physical health. He becomes weaker and the weaker he gets, the farther away his dream of catching the marlin gets.

One of the first important choices Santiago makes is to keep trying to reel in the giant marlin once he hooks it. He thinks that he has a chance at landing this behemoth. “What a fish, he has it sideways in his mouth now and he is moving off with it. Then he will turn and swallow it.” (43). Santiago chooses to stay and catch this fish, even though he has exhausted his food supply. This quote shows clearly how quick the old man was to assume he had the power and ability to catch this marlin. He knew the risks at stake and despite the odds; he decided to take them and the marlin on none the less.

The worst problem that faces Santiago when he chooses to continue out to sea is evidently the pain and suffering he has with his hands. While Santiago was trying to land this giant marlin, he sliced one of his hands. His hands are also very tired from all of the tugging and pulling of the fishing rope, but Santiago trusts his hands to guide him and reward him with the bounty of the marlin. “How does it go Hand? Or is it too early to know?” (59). Here, the old man is actually talking to his hand, the one he cut open while fighting the marlin. This tells a reader how much faith and trust Santiago has in his hands to actually be talking to them to ask if they are feeling better. He thinks of his hands as equal beings, not just another feature of his body that he takes for granted. This, I believe, helps Santiago mentally to have the will to continue on.

Besides physical pain, when Santiago is out in the dead middle of the Gulf of Mexico, he is mentally weakening. He has been fighting this enormous marlin for so long and I believe that underneath, the old man is starting to feel that he might not be able to accomplish this task. “But you have not slept yet, old man.” (77). Through Santiago’s lack of sleep and food, he is not only physically becoming weaker, his brain is not functioning as well as it could be. And that could ultimately decide whether or not Santiago makes it through this adventure alive.

When Santiago made the decision to keep on with the marlin, it might not have been the right decision in the eyes of others. But to Santiago, even though (we can assume) he dies at the end of his trip, and looses the marlin to a group of sharks, he made it to shore alive. He braved the viscous sea and overpowering marlin, he accomplished something that almost nobody his age could. Santiago may not have made the sane choice, he may not have accomplished exactly what he wanted to, but he proved to the marlin that he wouldn’t give in. No matter what.

The Choices Made by Katie P.

In the novella The Old Man and the Sea, there are many instances where the main character, Santiago, has to make choices that will have great consequences with his struggle to catch the great marlin. Even before he set out to catch the marlin there are choices that were made that had many consequences that effected Santiago. His friend Manolin’s parents made the choice that Manolin should no longer help Santiago on his fishing trips. Santiago made the choice early on that he would go out one more time to try to catch a fish, and while he was out on the fishing trip, he made many choices that have affects on his body greatly.

Santiago and the boy had been fishing together for a long time. They were good fisherman, and they knew what they were doing, but they were unlucky. The boy’s parents thought that Manolin should be making money and not hanging around with some old man all day, not catching any fish. “‘It was papa that made me leave. I am a boy and I must obey him,’ ” (10). This quote from Manolin shows that the he did not really want to leave Santiago and that if he had the choice to stay with Santiago, he would. His parents made the choice that Santiago needed to bring in money and that there was only one way that that could happen and that was if the boy was on a luckier boat.

Santiago went eighty-four days before he caught the marlin. He was not a lucky fisherman; many fishermen with luck like his would have probably given up on catching the great marlin. Also many fishermen would not be out deep sea fishing if they were eighty-five years old. “‘But remember how you went eighty-seven days without fish and then we caught big ones everyday for three weeks’ [Manolin said],” (10). The quote here shows how long Santiago has gone without catching a fish, but it was not the first time that Santiago has gone over eighty days without catching a fish, he had done it before, but he continues to go after the great fish in the sea. Santiago had made the choice that he was going to go out into the ocean to try to catch a fish that he may or may not come back with.

Santiago’s body was not as fit as it used to be when he was younger. His hands cramped up a lot while he was fishing. “Be patient hand, I do this for you. [Santiago said] ” This quote proves that Santiago knew what he was doing to his body. He also knew that what he was doing, and if he did catch the marlin, he would benefit from it. With the money he would get from selling the fish, he would be able to buy more than just black beans and corn.

Santiago is a very determined character in Ernest Hemingway’s novella, The Old Man and the Sea. He makes many choices that make the book the way that it is. Without the choices that Santiago made throughout the book how he was going to catch a fish or even the 16 foot marlin would affect the book greatly. Santiago has the consequences of Manolin’s parents’ choice to not allow him to fish on Santiago’s boat. Santiago has made his decision to go out on fishing, and he also made the choice to keep pushing his body beyond its limits.

Santiago’s Obstacles by Joe D.

Hemingway depicts the story of an old man battling the obstacles of deep sea fishing and how to get past the rough times in an attempt to be triumphant. “The Old Man and the Sea” tells a tale of how an 84 year old fisherman, named Santiago, struggles to capture a gigantic marlin. The difficult series of events that Santiago goes through like maintaining a clear mind, slaughtering sharks, and reeling in that fish put him through an extreme test. When Santiago first gets a hold of the Marlin he has no idea that this noble marlin will take him on the ride of his life.

Santiago is severely limited because the dangerous sharks that are attacking his skiff keep him from reaching land without dieing. Santiago complains about the massive Mako shark taking a huge amount of the fish from him, “‘He took about forty pounds,’” the old man said aloud. He took my harpoon too and all the rope, he thought, and now my fish bleeds again and there will be others” (103). In this situation the old man is struggling to fight off the sharks because his goal is to reach land with the entire beast, but this might not be accomplished.

The fish that Santiago is trying to bring in is an astonishing 18 feet, so capturing this bad boy will be very difficult. Not only does the old man have to pull in the marlin, he has to suffer thoughout the entire adventure because of his hands cramping up and the scars along his back and palms are bleeding excessively. “He could not see the fish’s jumps but only heard the breaking of the ocean and the heavy splash as he fell. The speed of the line was cutting his hands badly… and he tried to keep the cutting across the calloused parts and not let the line slip into the palm nor cut the fingers” (82-83). Wrangling in this sea monster is described to be an arduous obstacle to overcome. There are multiple things occurring while he is pulling in the marlin, like nausea from the stench of the dolphin, and keeping his pain at a minimum.

Although the physical obstacles of battling the pain, fish, and sharks are very laborious, the number one thing for the old man to do is to keep his composure. A sharp mind is necessary when trying to stay alive out at sea. “Now you are getting confused in the head, he thought. You must keep your head clear…‘Clear up, head,’ he said in a voice he could hardly hear. ‘Clear up’” (92). A foggy mind will impair his choices and his reaction time will be as slow as an intoxicated person. If Santiago is to capture this humongous marlin, then he needs to be capable of conquering each and every one of his obstacles because having a strong body is pointless without a quick mind to control it.

Hemingway takes us on a thrilling adventure with the old man as he attempts to capture the magnificent marlin. The ferocious sharks attack the old man’s skiff on multiple occasions causing Santiago to fight them off with only the materials in the skiff. Throughout the quarrel between Santiago and the marlin, his hands are severely damaged, thus making the battle more intense. All of these obstacles are amplified with the effect of light-headedness and Santiago’s reactions slowing. Although Santiago’s path to success is a rocky one, filled with pain, suffering, and monsters of the deep, he is still able to overcome these feats in the end.

OMS: Choices Essay by Corey C.

People make decisions every day, and Santiago from The Old Man and the Sea makes one that will later lead to his perish. Santiago is in his mid eighties, and he fishes with a teenage boy named Manolin. Manolin enjoys the time he spends with the old man. Together they are on a dry spout of fishing, and haven’t caught anything in eighty-four days. On the fortieth day, Manolin’s parents don’t let him fish with Santiago anymore. Santiago desperately needs a fish, and quickly decides that he will go out fishing by himself.

Once out at sea, Santiago hooks onto a large 18 foot marlin. He keeps the line taught, and when he can, tries to pull in the fish. Santiago cuts his hand severely; “He felt the line carefully with his right and noticed his hand was bleeding,” (55-56). If Santiago didn’t decide to go by himself, he could have the extra strength of Manolin, and this could of saved his hand. Throughout his time at sea, he complains about the pain, and he gets a little delirious. He also falls and cuts himself below the eye.

The fish is a lot stronger, and this greatly influences Santiago’s trip out at sea. The fish is constantly swimming, and Santiago is constantly pulling the line in, and Santiago’s strength is draining quickly. Santiago didn’t bring any food with him initially, and he only has a bottle of water. Luckily he catches other fish while the marlin is hooked. “’Now,” he said, when his hand dried, “I must eat the small tuna. I can reach with him with the gaff and eat him here in comfort,’” (57). Without the fish for food, I believe he would have died. Santiago is probably dehydrated too; sense he only had one bottle of water.

Santiago is getting very lonely on the skiff. Manolin did not come with him, and his wife passed away. Santiago starts talking to a bird, and from there it all goes downhill. He talks to himself, and is going crazy. He is longing for the boy to be there with him; “Then he said aloud, “I wish I had the boy. To help me and to see this,’” (48). Finally Santiago is able to get the marlin up close enough to the boat to spear it. He pulls it up to the side of the boat, and ties it up. On the way back to Cuba, hoards of sharks eat the fish. This is a mind blowing defeat.

At the end of the book Santiago gets back to his hut, and it says he takes a long and deep sleep. I believe he dies. Going out to sea alone was a bad choice to make, because it resulted in his death. His hand and cheek were bleeding causing him to lose a good amount of blood and getting a little delirious. The combination of losing energy, and not eating made him more delirious. When you add in the dehydration, and the mind blowing defeat of having the fish being eaten by a hoard of sharks was just too much for Santiago to comprehend. All of that along with his old age caused him to die in his sleep.

Problemos by Connor A.

In the story of The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago is put up against many great challenged that seem impossible to over come at times. The old man is physically drained from being pulled by the fish for several days and not having any real food and little water. Santiago is emotionally drained because he knows that this may be his last great adventure out at sea and he may die from it. He’s also not all there mentally. He carries on conversations with himself and the marlin and in one part a small bird that lands on his fishing line. All of these take a great toll on Santiago and it is a miracle he does not die in the process of catching the great marlin.

Santiago is not prepared to be out at sea for more than a day and is mal nourished. On the first day he catches an albacore while pulling in the marlin but does not eat it until the next day. Due to his lack of eating and the over use of his hand, it begins to cramp up. “You are killing me, fish, the old man thought. But you have the right to. Never have I seen a greater, or more beautiful, or a calmer or a more noble thing than you, brother. Come on and kill me. I do not care who kills who.”(92) Santiago then decides he must eat the albacore to regain his strength. Aside from his lack of strength and little food the rope that he is holding the marlin on slips from his grip at one point and cuts his palms quite severely.

Being alone and hung and tired at sea is very emotionally draining as well. After being out at sea for a couple of days Santiago is not all right in the head. He begins talking out loud to himself and to the marlin. At one point a small bird lands on his line and Santiago says, “Take a good rest, small bird. Then go in and take your chance like any man or bird or fish.” Very often he will randomly say “I wish the boy was here.” This grueling experience is definitely taking a toll on Santiago’s physical and mental health for sure.

Lastly, the greatest obstacle for Santiago was his trip home after being dragged so far out to sea. Santiago finally catches the great marlin and is feeling happy and successful but then he realizes that he still has to get the fish to shore and there could be trouble. The wound in the marlins head is leaking blood and is like a magnet for predators in the water. “Fish that you were. I am sorry that I went too far out. 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 on you head for nothing.”

I think Santiago could have had a better chance of catching the fish and getting it to shore if he was better prepared. If he had better food he would have been stronger and if he was able to sleep he could have been thinking clearer. Being alone did not help Santiago either. He went a little crazy out at sea and would always talk to himself of the marlin. I also feel that if Santiago wasn’t so anxious to catch a fish and stayed in closer to shore he could have caught a great fish eventually but, being as far out as he was I don’t think he stood a chance to begin with.

Old Man and The Sea essay by Alex M.

In the Old Man and the Sea, Santiago chooses to go out to sea trying to catch a giant marlin. However, this directly leads to his downfall. Being out at sea while you are 84 years old can and probably will be detrimental to your health. All sorts of things started to happen to him while he was at sea. First off, he was losing his physical strength. Then, he began to lose his mental strength. Finally, he came very close to being lost at sea, or at least very far from land, which definitely would have killed him.

While at sea, Santiago was exposed to tremendous physical stresses. He had to hold on the line with the marlin for an incredibly long time, more than many of us would be able to. He had to move the rudder around to steer, which, after a while, becomes very tiring to the arms. Santiago expresses his physical pain when he says: “‘I am a tired old man. But I have killed this fish which is my brother and now I must do the slave work.’”(95). It says in several passages that he cut open his hands, and that they had severe cramps. That would have been extremely painful, but he had to hold the line because he wanted to catch the marlin, even if he died trying.

Santiago also faced many mental and emotional pressures while at sea. He was alone and he had no one to talk to, which forced him to talk to himself. He noticed this and thought that it was odd because he had never done that before. He was at sea for such a long time that he was probably in a perpetual state of fear, never knowing whether or not he would be attacked by sharks, hit by bad weather, or capsize. The narrator says: “He did not remember when he first started to talk aloud.” (39) This constant isolation may have caused him to develop a form of mental illness.

Santiago was very far from land, and he could have gotten lost at sea. Although good at navigation, after several stressful days at sea, one could imagine that he could get confused or go the wrong way. He was pulled out several miles from Cuba, to a point where he could no longer see the lights of the port of Havana. The narrator explains how serious this situation was when he said, “… the glow of Havana was not so bright.” (47) This did not happen, but it could have. After several days of dehydration (he had very little water with him), it would have been easy for him to have gotten

As you can see, Santiago’s decision to go out to sea directly causes him to die in the end of the book. All the stresses, both physical and emotional, took a toll on Santiago, as it would on any normal person. It is my firm belief that Santiago never wakes up from the sleep that he takes at the very end of the book. It would be almost impossible for him to anything otherwise.

Overcoming the Sea by Rachael B.

Everyone makes choices in life. Some of those choices can affect you in a positive way or a negative way. Santiago had to make some life threatening choices when he was at sea. He decided to fish in an armature boat, to bring aboard limited and unprofessional fishing gear, and to continue his chase for the marlin. When does he start to make these choices? Well, it all started the morning he woke up Manolin to help him prepare for the adventure of his life.

The day Santiago woke up Manolin was the day to set off to sea. “They walked down the road to the old man’s shack and all along the road, in the dark, barefoot men were moving, carrying the masts of their boats” (26). The aging fisherman only had a small skiff to sail in. He didn’t like the modern motorboats that people used to fish in. By using a skiff the marlin was able to drag Santiago into uncharted waters, where he would only be able to see a crystal clear blue horizon. If he had a motorboat, he would have had a more fair fight with the great marlin.

Some of Santiago’s supplies happened to be plain fishing line, two albacore, and a bottle of water. The fishing line had a great affect on him. His hands would be devastatingly cramped, which affected his grip of the line. “He rubbed the cramped hand against his trousers and tried to gentle the fingers” (60). When he decided to get some shut eye, the marlin started to swim incredibly quickly, and the fishing line cut his hand. Santiago tried to treat his hand, but he didn’t have the right medical necessities to do so. After this event, the old man knew that the marlin wasn’t going to let him get any rest.

When Santiago got a bite on the line, he wasn’t going to let it get away from him with eighty-four days of being unlucky. “He felt the light delicate pulling and then a harder pull when a sardine’s head must have been more difficult to break from the hook.” (42). When he realized how far away from shore he was, he had finally grasped the marlin. He tried to get back to shore as quickly as he could without the sharks catching a scent of the marlin’s blood. Unfortunately, the sharks showed up, and ate most of his award. Santiago afterwards knew that he shouldn’t have decided to go out as far as the marlin pulled him.

All of us look back and wish that we could change what we have done. Santiago felt the same way after he returned from shore reflecting his journey to Manolin. Manolin gave him some encouraging words to raise his spirit. Some times we do things at the spur of the moment, and we don’t think about why we did certain things when you can’t change what has already happened. We can’t alter the past, but we can control the future.

Setting by Phil M.

In every book the setting plays an important role in the story. They are sometimes deadly and sometimes the setting might even save the characters life. In the Old Man and The Sea the setting does both. The setting, the ocean, saves the old man, Santiago, but at the same time it kills him. It saves him by feeding him, and giving him something to do, but it kills him because the sea is very dangerous and also the marlin nearly kills him.

The ocean saves Santiago’s life by letting him catch the fish and make money, also because he could eat the fish. Santiago could sell the fish for money but it could also give him money and something to eat. If he didn’t have the sea I think it is easy to say he would die. The ocean also saved him by letting him do something. I think that was the main reason for him to wake up every morning. He was an old man who couldn’t afford to retire and was forced to spend his days on the dangerous sea. He had no one to talk to: “He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty- four days now without taking a fish” (1).

In the way the sea saved him it killed him. It’s very dangerous because of the sharks and the currents. You could be sent out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and you wouldn’t even know it. At one point Santiago couldn’t even see the land. He was moving closer and closer to his death. He wasn’t scared and didn’t even care at all. “The glow of Havana was not so strong, so that he knew the current must be carrying them eastward” (47). He said this with no emotion which shows that he was expecting it.

Another part of the sea that almost kills Santiago is the big fish. Being an older man he doesn’t have the kind of strength a younger man does. Also he doesn’t have good fishing gear; he is poor so he can only afford certain things. The marlin is a very big fish that was killing Santiago just as much as he was killing the marlin. “You are felling it now fish and god know that I am” (56). This shows how much he is fighting the fish and how the fish is killing him at the same time Santiago is killing the marlin. Santiago eventually kills the marlin but the sharks come from further out in the ocean and they eat the marlin. Santiago thinks he did all that work for nothing, so he thinks he was defeated.

Santiago all and all might have been defeated but that did not get him down. But it meant a lot to him because he caught the monster of a fish, and he had the bones to show for it. As they say you can win a battle but not the war. It is just the opposite for Santiago. The sea won the battle but Santiago won the war because he caught the huge fish that no one wanted him to and everyone thought he was great after that. He then went into a deep sleep and that is when the book ends.

Santiago's Obstacles by Jon P.

Over the course of Hemingway’s novella The Old Man and the Sea many obstacles were created which affected Santiago in numerous and important ways. While some of these obstacles were easy to recognize (like the sharks), others, like his old age, solitude, and lack of supplies, had a more subtle effect on the story. Although Santiago fought admirably and bravely under these conditions, I believe that the Old Man’s trip would have been a complete success had he been with another person, in his youth, or had better or modern tools.

Although Santiago’s friend Manolin had often accompanied Santiago fishing in the past, the Old Man’s run of bad luck caused Manolin’s parents to put him on a luckier boat. If Manolin had been with Santiago, he would have been able to catch the fish without almost killing himself, which would have given him more energy to defeat the sharks. Even Santiago seems to know this, as evidenced in his repeated wishing for Manolin’s company. “If [Manolin] were here he would wet the coils of line, he thought.”(83). Even in the midst of his life-threatening struggle with the fish, Santiago wishes for the boy’s assistance.

Often during his fishing the Old Man would dream of his younger days, sailing around Africa and arm-wrestling people. If Santiago had been in the prime of his youth, it would have been far easier for him to defeat the giant fish. Although he was far from being in bad shape for an 80-some-year-old, Santiago would have had much more stamina if he was the Young Man, and he was still the strongest fisherman in his town. While he is fishing the Old Man gains confidence by thinking about when he “was not the Old Man… but was Santiago El Campeón” (70). This Santiago, the Champion, would have been able to bring back the fish.

Perhaps the most crucial factor in Santiago’s journey is his equipment. In the end, this may have been the cause of the Old Man’s partial failure. After his 80-day run of bad luck the Old Man was too poor to afford equipment, or even food for dinner. This proved to be a problem when he faced many sharks, as he was not well-prepared. He expressed his annoyance at this after fighting vicious Galano sharks. “You should have brought many things, [the Old Man] thought. But you did not bring them, old man.” (110). Imagine if Santiago had had a motorboat and all the equipment a modern fisherman has. Those sharks would have stood no chance.

The Old Man was in a sense more victorious in the book because he did not have these things. He faced all the obstacles thrown at him alone and without the benefit of any unnecessary tools. However, I think that the Old Man could have caught the fish and gotten money for it if he was just a little bit better prepared. A companion, some supplies, or a younger Santiago might have produced a happier ending to this story.

Who Knows a Greater Fight Than One That Has Struggled? by Krista S.

Everyday, everywhere, there’s always someone who is struggling. And many writers incorporate this mass struggle into their stories because everyone goes through troubles. The writers can relate their characters to this well known struggle. So, I believe that the lesson to be learned in the novella, The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway, is to push on. Don’t throw in the towel when the going gets rough or when the boat ride gets rocky. There are three ways you can apply this theme to. First, Santiago’s strength to catch the marlin. Second, my struggle in finding what I want to do in life. And third, the world’s battle in fighting against animal cruelty and abuse.

The first way that I applied the theme, don’t give up even when the boat ride gets rocky, is to the book where it comes from The Old Man and the Sea. Santiago had such a strong determination to catch the marlin, which giving up wasn’t an option. “But four hours later the fish was still swimming steadily out to sea, towing the skiff, and the old man was still braced solidly with the line across his back” (45). The old man, Santiago, was in deed an old man; he was in his eighty’s. Yet he just wouldn’t give up on reeling in the marlin. A huge fish that could kill the old man, but in even in the toughest of situations this fact in return just fueled the old man’s fight to win over the fish.

The second way that I can apply this theme of not giving up is to my own life in searching for what I want to do when I grow up. There are hundreds of possibilities, but

the decision is a challenge in itself. There are so many things to take into consideration,

like what am I good at? What will I enjoy doing? It takes a lot of effort to decide on an

occupation. An effort that many people will try but just give up, or don’t even try at all.“Now

is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there

is.(110)” I think that this quote relates to my determination to not give up on my future because,

I might not have all the resources in the world to figure out what I want to do, but I have

to think of what I have. Not of the things I can wish I did.

The third way in which I can apply the theme from The Old Man and the Sea is to

world animal activists fight against animal abuse. I guess it is ironic that I am applying

a theme from a book about an old man set to sea to kill fish, to a vast amount of people

who fight against the cruelty towards animals. But, that just goes to show that The Old Man

and the Sea’s theme of not throwing in the towel is so universal. “Luck is a thing that comes

in many forms and who can recognize her? I would take some though in any form and pay what

they asked”(117). Many people fight to stop animal abuse, I included pray for luck that

companies who inhumanly kill animals will end the struggle by giving in. One example

would be the Canadian fur companies , slaughtering young baby seals. Many animal activists

know that this will be a tremendous battle, but they will not give up.

In conclusion, the theme of not giving in, not giving up is able to be applied in many

ways. The three things I applied this theme to were, Santiago’s struggle to catch the noble marlin, My struggle in finding out what I want to do in my future, and animal activists battle

in stopping animal cruelty. It is inevitable that life will always have struggles, battles, and

fights. But a true lesson is don’t give up, because the boat ride of life will sometimes get rocky.

The Result of the Old Man's Choices by Anna R.

Santiago was a smart, old man who knew how to fish, but made some bad choices on his fishing trip. He first made the verdict to not bring food, and only water. His next choice was to stay with the fish. Then, in my opinion, it was pretty bad judgment not to bring the boy, or at least have the boy’s boat close by in case he caught anything. These were his decisions and there were some consequences to his actions.

In the beginning of the story Santiago prefers not to bring any food along. He brings only his water and he says he gets bored with eating, and never brings a lunch anymore. This choice to not bring any lunch weakens him. The old man needs all his strength to fight the marlin, and he has little, because he has nothing to eat. The old man shows his stupidity of not bringing anything when he says to the fish, “You should have brought many things, he thought. But you did not bring them, old man” (110). This shows that even the best can mess up, but he probably learned from his mistake for next time.

Soon after making the decision to stay with the fish, it causes Santiago to get tired and hungry. It shows when the old man is tired when he asks the fish, “ ‘Now let me get through the eating of this dolphin and get some rest and a little sleep’ ” (79). When he stayed with the fish, the marlin kept bringing him out further and further into the sea. The fish kept pulling, and pulling for three days and never gave up. The old man just asks for a little time to rest, so he can continue the fight for their lives.

The boy and the old man are best friends. I was surprised that Santiago didn’t ask the boy to come on the trip with him. He could have really used the help with the marlin, and someone to talk to. He admits he misses the boy when he says, “ ‘I wish I had the boy’ ” (45). This shows he really does miss the boy, and needs all the help he can get. If he had chosen to ask the boy to come along, he may have caught the great marlin fish.

The old man was smart, but he did make some mistakes. The result to not bring food caused him to get weak and delirious. The determination to stay with the marlin was an adventure, but with out any help he got tired and hungry, and he got nothing out of it but a good story to tell. The lack of companionship and help was the outcome of the old man’s final choice of not bringing the boy. The old man saw his wrong actions, but still won in the battle with the marlin.