The Old Man and the Sea question #3

There are several universal themes "The Old Man and the Sea" addresses. These include the circle of life, suffering and determination. As I said, the circle of life is one of the themes of this book. This is shown throughout the story. Santiago is human and needs to eat in order to survive. While on his epic journey with the marlin, he keeps his strength up by nourishing himself with dolphin, flying fish, and some tuna he has with him. After killing the marlin, Santiago has mixed feelings about killing the fish, but he thinks his actions are made up for his respect and love for the great fish. "You did not kill the fish only to keep alive and to sell for food, he thought. You killed him for pride and because you are a fisherman. You loved him when he was alive and you loved him after. If you love him, it is not a sin to kill him. Or is it more?" (Hemingway, 105). Another theme in "The Old Man and the Sea" is suffering. Santiago suffers much during his fight with the great marlin. One of the first ways he suffers is the fact that he has not caught a single fish in almost three months. He also suffers physically from the cuts in his hands and the pain on his back he receives while reeling in the marlin. Lastly, he suffers the loss of his prize catch. One last theme of "The Old Man and the Sea" is determination. To me, this seemed to be the strongest of all the themes. No matter how bad the circumstances got, Santiago never gave up. He was determined from the very beginning. Even after almost three months without a catch, he still goes out and fishes like he does every day. He shows his determination in the three day fight to kill the marlin as well. He struggles through physical and mental pain yet his strength never fails and he is able to win the battle against the fish. His determination is tested for a last time when the sharks attack and again he doesn't give up. He fights until there is nothing left to fight for. Ernest Hemingway understands humans' desire to survive, the pain we suffer through, and the determination to accomplish what we set out to do.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.