The young heart of an old man
Santiago, the main character in Ernest Hemingway’s “The old man and the sea”, is seen throughout the entire book as a hero, who personifies honour, endurance and courage. Along with these major themes, symbolism plays a big part in setting the overall tone of the novel. As the old man sets out on a venture far out in the Gulf Stream and struggles beyond his strength in his attempt to bring his catch on shore, the series of events that he goes through makes it clearer and clearer that the man’s spirit is undefeatable. Although Santiago doesn’t escape from poverty, along with a few of his fellow Cuban fishermen, he still manages to live a happy life by doing what he loves most: fishing.
The old man is portrayed as a wise and sensible person who takes great pride in his work, and who shows a lot of respect to the living beings sharing the same aquatic surface. In fact, his attitude toward the marlin, his greatest catch of all times, shows the extent of his honour when he emphasizes his admiration for the strength and endurance of his opponent: “I wish I could feed the fish, though. He is my brother.” (18) Also, when Santiago first notices the approaching sharks, his first reflex is to protect the marlin from the famished beasts to preserve its dignity.
“[...] his hands had the deep-creased scars from handling heavy fish on the cords. But none of these scars were fresh.” (1) This description of Santiago’s hands provides insight into yet another important theme of the novel: endurance. The multiple battles that the old man underwent throughout his life left him with a couple of marks, positive reminders of his great strength and indescribable willpower. The choice of Santiago to never back down and battle until the end may have provoked mental anguish in the eventuality that he loses the fight, but that type of pain is endurable, seeing as the outcome is less important than the struggle itself. Another essential link to his eagerness to follow his calling is his idolisation of the great “DiMaggio”, a baseball player who suffered from a bone spur, that didn’t give up on his ongoing dream and overcame his pain even in the roughest times.
The saying “believing you’ll do well is half the battle” can easily be applied to Santiago’s never-ending motivation at success. His courage and determination illustrate the kind of person the old man really is, despite his weakening body. In fact, the author includes some foreshadowing, like when Santiago often dreams about playing lions, providing him with a link to his younger days, when he was sailing around the African continent. This also reinforces his idea of idealism and his general light-hearted outlook on life. Some may see it as a negative response to his ageing body, but it is most likely the pleasure of looking back on life and enjoying the bits of memories that sculpted the happiness in his soul.
In any case, through themes such as endurance, courage and honour, “The old man and the sea” depicts the inner success and happiness of an exemplary man that almost any reader can relate to, since he makes us see that defeat isn’t losing a fight, it’s refusing the battle. (556 words)
Appreciation of "La Sagouine"
I really enjoyed the play overall, although it was a bit long for what it had to say. What I liked most about it was the way La Sagouine played throughout the piece and of course, the themes (both implicit and explicit) that were explored. For instance, the part when she said that happiness lies not in the happening of a desire, but in the wait for it to happen was a big eye-opener for me. She had a great flow in the tone of her voice as well as in the realism of her actions onstage. Right from the beginning, she captivated the attention of her audience by invoking rhetorical and sometimes amusing questions about life. Indeed, her view of the world was either simplistic or complex, depending on the interpretation of the viewer. The contrasting imagery used in the play really adds to the persona of the characters as well as to the general meaning of the piece. And so, I wouldn’t necessarily go see it again, but I could certainly recommend it to anyone seeking a subtle emotional thrill.
