An Analysis of the Recurrent Theme present in Ernest Hemingway’s

The Old Man and the Sea

In Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements in English 45

(Survey to American Literature)

Submitted to: Prof. Donna Anna C. Cortez

Submitted by: Sanrio Marysze A. Gamba

May 2017
 Introduction

In our life, we may experience a lot of challenges and troubles along the way.

These challenges and troubles, it could possibly be made for us to be strong or perhaps

for us to experience downfall and learn something from it. Hardships weren’t made to

stumble us down along the way but to let us appreciate what we have, who’s with us on

our downfall and who stays until the very end.

In Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea”, the Old man was being judged by

his neighborhood. Judged in a way that he’s being told as salao means “worst form of

unlucky” because it has been almost 3 months that he haven’t caught any fish with him in

his boat. Luck is not something that we innately have, it is through our choices that

makes us lucky.

According to Thomas Fowell Buxton, “with ordinary talent and extraordinary

perseverance, all things are attainable.” Perseverance was experienced only by those

who suffer long and became triumphant. Being triumphant could be in many forms, such

as visible to everyone, it could be something that only the person knows or could be

something that one has proved to himself. Whatever that form of triumphant one has

experienced, triumphant or not in the conquest he had taken, he deserves to be respected

and shown gratitude because not everyone can sustain the momentum of pain and

suffering, gladly we knew one example, Santiago, the old man in the story The Old Man

and the Sea. He has the attitude of perseverance and have had experienced long suffering,

he endured this and that is through his eagerness to know his limit, to see the result of

what he had started and to prove himself that he’s not an unlucky man.
 Ernest Hemingway’s Biography

Noble Prize winner Ernest Miller Hemingway is seen as one

of the great American 20th century novelist, short story writer, and

journalist and is known for works like A Farewell to Arms and The Old

Man and the Sea. His critical reputation rests solidly upon a small body of exceptional

writing, set apart by its style, emotional content, and dramatic intensity of vision.

“Never confuse movement with action.”

—Ernest Hemingway

In his early life and career, Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899, in Cicero

(now in Oak Park), Illinois. Clarence and Grace Hemingway raised their son in this

conservative suburb of Chicago, but the family also spent a great deal of time in northern

Michigan, where they had a cabin. It was there that the future sportsman learned to hunt,

fish and appreciate the outdoors.

In high school, Hemingway worked on his school newspaper, Trapeze and

Tabula, writing primarily about sports. Immediately after graduation, the budding

journalist went to work for the Kansas City Star, gaining experience that would later

influence his distinctively stripped-down prose style.

On the other hand, in his military life, he went overseas to serve in World War I

as an ambulance driver in the Italian Army. For his service, he was awarded the Italian

Silver Medal of Bravery, but soon sustained injuries that landed him in a hospital in

Milan. There he met a nurse named Agnes von Kurowsky, who soon accepted his

proposal of marriage, but later left him for another man. This devastated the young writer
but provided fodder for his works "A Very Short Story" and, more famously, A Farewell

to Arms.

It was in Chicago that Hemingway met Hadley Richardson, the woman who

would become his first wife. The couple married and quickly moved to Paris, where

Hemingway worked as a foreign correspondent for the Star.

Hemingway’s life in Europe is kind of extraordinary yet different of what he has

expected because in Paris, Hemingway soon became a key part of what Gertrude Stein

would famously call "The Lost Generation." With Stein as his mentor, Hemingway made

the acquaintance of many of the great writers and artists of his generation, such as F.

Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, Pablo Picasso and James Joyce. In 1923, Hemingway and

Hadley had a son, John Hadley Nicanor Hemingway.

In 1925, the couple, joining a group of British and American expatriates, took a

trip to the festival that would later provide the basis of Hemingway's first novel, The Sun

Also Rises. Soon after the publication of The Sun Also Rises, Hemingway and Hadley

divorced, due in part to his affair with a woman named Pauline Pfeiffer, who would

become Hemingway's second wife shortly after his divorce from Hadley was finalized.

The author continued to work on his book of short stories, Men without Women.

In 1951, Hemingway wrote The Old Man and the Sea, which would become perhaps his

most famous book, finally winning him the Pulitzer Prize he had long been denied.

Latter part of Hemingway’s life adventure begun to change due to his personal

and physical struggles, he continued his forays into Africa and sustained several injuries

during his adventures, even surviving multiple plane crashes. In 1954, he won the Nobel
Prize in Literature. Even at this peak of his literary career, though, the burly

Hemingway's body and mind were beginning to betray him. Recovering from various old

injuries in Cuba, Hemingway suffered from depression and was treated for numerous

conditions such as high blood pressure and liver disease.

He wrote A Moveable Feast, a memoir of his years in Paris, and retired

permanently to Idaho. There he continued to battle with deteriorating mental and physical

health. Early on the morning of July 2, 1961, Ernest Hemingway committed suicide in his

Ketchum home.

Hemingway left behind an impressive body of work and an iconic style that still

influences writers today.

When asked by George Plimpton about the function of his art, Hemingway

proved once again to be a master of the "one true sentence": "From things that have

happened and from things as they exist and from all things that you know and all those

you cannot know, you make something through your invention that is not a

representation but a whole new thing truer than anything true and alive, and you make

it alive, and if you make it well enough, you give it immortality."

 Background of the Story

The Old Man and the Sea is a short novel written by the American author Ernest

Hemingway in 1951 in Bimini, Bahamas, and published in 1952. It was his final-full

length work and the last major work of fiction by Hemingway that was published during

his lifetime. One of his most famous works, it tells the story of Santiago, an aging and

tired Cuban fisherman who struggles with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream off

the coast of Florida.

In May 1953, The Old Man and the Sea was awarded as the Pulitzer Prize for

Fiction, and was specifically cited when in 1954 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in

Literature which he dedicated to the Cuban people. . The Old Man and the Sea is

commonly taught and continues to earn foreign royalties.

No good book has ever been written that has in it symbols arrived at beforehand and

stuck in.... I tried to make a real old man, a real boy, a real sea and a real fish and real

sharks. But if I made them good and true enough they would mean many things.

-Ernest Hemingway in 1954

The story begun when an old man haven’t caught any fish after almost 3 months

of his fishing. He has a friend, his name is Manolin, a young boy and an apprentice of

him in some times. His neighborhood regard him as an “unlucky man”. Because of that,

he decided to go fishing farther than his scope. He saw and encountered a lot of sea

creatures and even a bird on his journey. One of his baits were being bitten and the old
man got excited about it because his long wait is over, when he try to look at it, a huge

marlin was being hooked. The old man was startled. He was being sailed by the big fish

all throughout instead of him supposed to sail the fish. He was tired, very tired. He

doesn’t have enough sleep, food and rest. When he got the chance, he killed the fish and

tie it in his skiff. He thought that it was all now a chance and blessing to change his life,

but something came up.

Some sharks attacked him and what’s with him, the product of Santiago’s

sacrifices and long sufferings – dead corpse of a marlin. Santiago got even wounded

because of his attempt in trying to protect what his property, but he ended up defeated.

He lasted 4 days on the sea and what was left of the product of his hard work was the

skeletal only, the head, body and tail. For some time, he had his way back home after

how many days of searching for the route towards their Terrace.

When he arrived, he directly lend his tired body on his bed and immediately falls

into sleep. When Manolin saw him sleeping and looks alright after all, he goes to the

nearest store and asks some rice and coffee.

 Summary of the Story

It has been 84 days since the old man, Santiago haven’t got any catch of fish. The

first 40 days, Manolin, his young friend is with him but after another 40 days of no catch,

his parents commanded the young boy to stop from joining and coming to that old man.

On the 85th day, the old man decided to go beyond his scope of route in fishing, at

first, he’s being jealous of the catches of his neighbors, a lot of fishes were being caught,

then just for luck, if he could catch any unusual or something big out of changing his

route, another is for him to prove that he’s mot salao, since he haven’t caught any. So,

Santiago wandered in the expecting that he would catch not only a school of fish, but also

can catch and bring into their Terrace a kind of fish that’s very rare/unusual, and of size

as well.

In his journey at the sea, some extraordinary and some first-time experiences

happened, he found some rare species of turtles, features of birds and he also discovers

some changes toward himself. Before, he’s aloof, doesn’t have any friends (actually, he

has only one friend, Manolin). He’s introvert, he only talks when he’s being talked by

somebody, and most of all, he doesn’t complain. But, during his sail on the sea, a lot of

things have changed and he recognizes it in himself. He talks aloud, he became very

talkative (he talks to himself, aloud in complaining tone) and even to the extent of talking

to the fishes, turtles or birds that accompany him in his sail. And amongst all realizations,

he knew in himself that he’s not an unlucky man.

 After many hours of waiting and wanting to have something to do, something bit

the 100m bait that he prepared. When he take a look at it, at first he wasn’t sure of what it

is like and its weight, but after the huge fish revealed itself to Santiago, he was in mixed

emotion; he felt excited, astonished and even shocked of its size and feature. He thought

that this animal/fish would change his life for good but what have had happened was

different of what he’s expecting. Instead of Santiago should sail for the marlin, he was

the one being sailed by the marlin, farther than the old man’s expectation. Then his

struggles begin, he vomits from time to time, he doesn’t have enough food and water

even rest and sleep because of the marlin’s speed in sailing him. But when the marlin got

tired, Santiago took the chance to hook and kill the big fish and when he did, he tied the

fish beside its skiff. And, his way back home was his goal now.

But something came up, a shark attacked him and what is with him/or his boat,

the prize of his hard work and sacrifices. His arm got wounded- it was bleeding because

of his attempt of killing the shark. Then more sharks attacked the dead marlin and the old

man didn’t resist anyway because he doesn’t have any equipment anymore to fight for the

fish. He even wished to be dead also because he felt sorry for what had happened to the

dead marlin.

It lasted him 4 days at the sea because he lost track of the way back because he

got sailed somewhere else by the marlin without sufficient water and food, he rests

sometimes but cannot sleep because of the presence of the sharks. Only the head, skeletal

body and tail where being left of Santiago by the monstrous attacked. He finally arrived

home at dawn, directly leading his way towards his bed, wanting and longing to have a

real and deep sleep.

 Manolin saw him in his bed and went immediately to the store to ask for some

food and coffee. The neighborhood were amazed of the “souvenir” Santiago have with

him despite of the fact that the real deal weren’t there any thy longer.

A Recurrent Theme present in the Story

Theme:

“A man who had experienced long suffering has the greater story to tell.”

In the first part of the story, it was introduced that Santiago, the old man - the

main character in the story The Old Man and the Sea was such a needy old person; he

lacks proper habitation, enough food and water, and still even working despite of his age.

But because of these lacking things, it became his motivation to strive more in life and in

order to survive his daily needs and reach his limit. And, this eagerness of him to survive

is the path towards his suffering and sacrifices. Although he didn’t became triumphant at

the end, still he proved to himself that an old man can still go for an adventure and

explore a lot of things. That, an old man like him is able to prove something beyond his

measure.

So, the story started by introducing the main character having been struggling

because he doesn’t have any catch at all as the narrator stated on page 1 of paragraph 8:

“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 […] that the old man was now definitely and

finally salao, which is the worst form of unlucky.”

Because of his urge to prove that he can still do something despite of his age, and

he’s quite jealous of his fellow fishermen’s dozens of basket of fishes, he’s risked
everything as the narrator narrated on page 7 of par. 26: “He walked off, bare-footed on

the coral rocks, to the ice house where the baits were stored. The old man drank his

coffee slowly. It was all he would have all day and he knew that he should take it.” When

he was on the water now, usually an old person doesn’t acquire long patience in whatever

they tend to do but Santiago is very determined in doing so. This time, he has his subject,

and he’s not ready to give up yet as narrated by the narrator in page 12, par. 44: “but four

hours later the fish was still swimming steadily out the sea, towing the skiff, and the old

man was still braced solidly with the line across his back.”

The old man expected that this journey of his would take him long but for him to

get wounded is a different story, the narrator stated in page 15 of par. 56: “It was only a

line burn that had cut his flesh.” So, this made the day 1 of struggle of Santiago and he

expects more day of struggles to come, as the narrator placed on paragraph 66 of page 19:

“He felt very tired now and he knew the night would come soon and he tried to think of

other things.” This time, the old man lacks sleep, a real rest and abundant sleep as he,

Santiago talking to himself on page 21 of par. 76: “But you have not slept yet, old man,”

he said aloud. “It is half a day and a night and now another day and you have not slept.

You must devise a way so that you sleep a little if he is quiet and steady. If you do not

sleep you might become unclear in the head.”

When the old man had the terrific chance to hook the big fish, the subject of his

evidence and money, he grabbed it immediately. But instead of he’s the one should sail

the marlin, what happened was vice versa. It doesn’t look great but holding tighter to the

line with the speed of the marlin to the extent of hurting his hand is his only choice, as

presented by the narrator on page 23 of par. 82: “The speed of the line was cutting his
hands badly but he had always known that this would happen and he tried to keep the

cutting across the calloused parts and not let the line slip into the palm nor cut the

fingers.”

Because of the old man’s eagerness to ‘bring home the bacon’, he realized that

there’s no turning back now, it’s now or never; and that eagerness of him made Santiago

sacrificed a lot of his time as the narrated stated in page 24 of paragraphs 85-86: “… the

sun was rising for the third time since he had put to sea when the fish started to circle”

and “the old man was wet with sweat and tired deep into his bones two hours later…” To

the extent that the old man asks some help from God to endure everything he’s

experiencing in the sea as Santiago exclaimed on page 24 of paragraph 86: “I’ll say a

hundred Our Fathers and a hundred Hail Marys, but I cannot say them now. Now that I

have him coming beautifully, God help me endure.”

Now, the long wait and agony of both parties are over! as presented in the text by

the old man on page 27 of par. 95: “There is very much slave work to be done now that

the fight is over!” After that, the old man was thinking that there’s no greater happiness

compared to any accomplishments he had before, but about thinking so, another battle

comes up as the narrator stated on page 28 of paragraph 99: “It was an hour before the

first shark hit him. The shark was not an accident. He had come up from deep down in

the water as the dark cloud of blood had settled and dispersed in the mile deep sea.”

Santiago, after all these things happening pitied himself. Then, some other sharks

took a bit of the marlin’s flesh as the narrator and Santiago narrated on paragraphs 106

and 111 of page 30: “… trying to rest and to be strong, when he saw the first of the two
sharks […] now they have beaten me, he thought. You’re tired, old man,” he said.

“You’re tired inside.”

Santiago, after a lot of compensations and considerations, he decided to finish this

battle, no matter what and wherever this battle takes him as the old man and the narrator

presented on page 32 of par. 114: “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 your head for

nothing. […] then we might have fought them together […] I’ll fight them until I die.”

The old man gave his all, and these causes him a lot; a lot of body pain due to his age and

without enough rest at all as the narrator said on paragraph 116 of page 33: “He was stiff

and sore now and his wounds and all the strained parts of his body hurt with the cold of

the night. I hope so much I do not have to fight again.”

Then at last, the sharks stop reappearing, the battle was now truly over and the old

man is heading towards his home, specifically to his bed as expressed by the narrator on

page 34 of paragraphs 117-118 and 120: “One came, finally, against the head itself and

he knew that it was over. The shark let go and go away. That was the last shark of the

pack that came […] he had to sit down five times before he reached his shack, then he lay

down on the bed and pulled the blanket …”

 Conclusion

In our lives, we are prone of being judged and misjudged by the people surround

us, sometimes it affects our ego that could change our disposition in life, our relation to

them and pushes us to our limit. Usually, those person who suffered long were regarded

as unlucky ones, and because they happen so, they were thought that they don’t deserve

happiness. But if we think about it at deeper sense, they ought to deserve more of our

appreciation and honor because they have overcame such unpleasant moments and

gained moral lessons from it.

According to Harry Golden, “the only thing that overcomes hard luck is hard

work.” Santiago as shown in the story, he didn’t just proved his neighbors about himself,

he also marked to everybody that he’s still capable of some adventure despite of his old

age and his old age won’t stop him from doing so.

We might say that those people who suffered long are such pity persons, but

sometimes we forget the product of their sufferings. We tend to forget their sacrifices that

made them who and where they are now. Worse, sometimes we give lesser value on them

where in fact it should be on the contrary of it. That is why they have greater story to tell
and experiences to ponder such as Santiago; the next time around the old man would do

it, and he has now the knowledge on how to catch bigger fishes and to bring equipment

that are really needed.

Those experiences he had were such amazing and instructive ones. That although

the old man live poor, still he has something that his neighborhood do not have, and that

is story and lessons he learned from it.

References

 Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea”

 Lillian Hellman ( December 12, 2013) Encyclopedia of World Biography

Retrieved May 06, 2017, from

http://www.notablebiographies.com/He-Ho/Hemingway-

Ernest.html#ixzz4fxqWDl1M

 A&E Television Networks, Biography.com Editors (April 28, 2014) Ernest

Hemingway Biography.com Retrieved May 06, 2017, from

http://www.biography.com/people/ernest-hemingway-9334498