Strickling 1
Lydia Strickling
Mr. Youngs
AP English 12
30 May 2014
A Memorable Catch
Ernest Hemingway’s novella, The Old Man and the Sea, tells the tale of Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman who has gone eighty-four days without catching a fish. On this eighty-fourth day, he sets off into the harbor of his sea-side town in search of a large fish that he hopes will make up for the long period of time he has gone without a catch. Around noon, a fish bites one of the lines he has set up in his skiff and he decides not to immediately try to reel it in. Santiago concludes that the fish is fairly large and he lets it drag his boat out to sea. Three days later, the fish is still dragging the old man, who is far out into the ocean by this point.[L1] The fish jumps out of the water numerous times, allowing Santiago to see that it is much bigger and magnificent then his first thought. When the fish begins to swim in circles around the boat, the old man realizes that his opportunity to kill the fish, who he sees a worthy adversary has come. He manages to catch the fish, concluding what ends up being an eighty-seven day stretch without catching a fish.
Santiago’s catching of the fish is perhaps the most memorable moment in the novella because of the climactic suspense surrounding it and because it is the purest example of the novella’s theme of perseverance[L2]. Because the fish has been pulling the old man for three days, a great deal of suspense is built up from the time he hooks the fish to the time he captures it. His “conversations” [L3]with the fish, which include statements such as “’Fish’…’I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you…’” and taunts such as “’Better weather for me than for me than for you, fish’” upon a change in the wind and “’Bad news for you, fish’” are especially effective in augmenting the suspenseful atmosphere of the novella. The tension of that suspenseful atmosphere is released when Santiago finally catches the fish, making that moment truly memorable to the reader. Another factor that makes Santiago’s catch memorable is that it is the truest example of the novella’s theme of perseverance. Leading up to his catch, the old man experiences several obstacles such as a cramp in his left hand, stiffness in his back, and cuts in his hands. Just before he catches the fish, Santiago “felt faint and sick and he could not see well” and he tells his head repeatedly to “clear up” while he faces his biggest obstacle, dehydration. The old man manages to overcome all of these challenges by catching the fish, exemplifying the value of perseverance, the novella’s main theme. The uplifting feeling gained upon the payoff of Santiago’s perseverance makes his catching of the fish memorable.[L4] Because of the climactic suspense surrounding it and the major theme of perseverance that it highlights, Santiago’s catching the fish is a particularly memorable event in The Old Man and the Sea.
[L1]I’m not sure how realistic this aspect of the story is, but it is necessary in order for the events that follow it to occur.
[L2] Perseverance is a crucial characteristic needed in order to achieve success . This theme is significant because it applies to all people because most often, success does not come without hard work.
[L3]I found the old man’s conversations with the fish and with himself to be rather humorous. For whatever reason, the thought of an old man alone in the middle of the ocean talking to a fish amused me. Because of them, I came to like the old man more and feel a great sense of empathy towards him.
[L4]This is a big “way to go, Santiago!” moment for the reader.