OMS Essay

The power of nature is often overwhelming, especially when one is ill prepared. Nature can change the course of events in story, a movie, or even someone’s actual life. In The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway’s character, Santiago, constantly battles with the unchecked power and unpredictability of the sea, and many of the creatures that inhabit it. He fends off sharks, battles with a giant marlin, and weathers the harsh conditions that he encounters.
Of the many obstacles that face Santiago during the story, the marlin us surely the greatest. After 84 days without catching a single fish, Santiago finally has a chance to prove to Manolin, the other fisherman, and himself that he is not a failure. In a way, Santiago needs this fish. “When the sun had risen further the old man realized that the fish was not tiring”(53) The way that the marlin is battling to get away and Santiago refuses to give up, shows that the marlin represents Santiago’s fleeting self pride. Santiago will go to great lengths to recapture this pride, even if that means sacrificing his body, and possibly dying at sea.
In order to catch a 1,000 pound fish, tremendous strength and physical shape is required. Santiago is very old, and his body, while still relatively strong, is beginning to weaken. Santiago’s less than ideal physique makes his task incredibly difficult. Well aware that he is not as strong as he once was, Santiago likely feels as though catching the marlin will be a task much too daunting for him, but instead fit more for a younger fisherman. “ Then the fish came alive, with his death in him, and rose high out of the water showing all his great length and width and power and beauty”(94). Santiago’s determination helps him to overcome the arduous task of capturing a giant marlin.
As is stated in the title of the novella, the sea plays a large role in the story. This is one of the most challenging obstacles that Santiago faces as he fights to capture his prized marlin and return it to shore. As previously stated, the Marlin is Santiago’s greatest challenge. The sea represents Santiago’s life, and the struggle between the fisherman and the marlin represent Santiago’s desperate attempt at reinstating his pride as a great fisherman. In order to free himself of his shame, Santiago needs to defeat the sea, and capture the marlin.
One’s pride is not to be taken for granted. A man who has lost his pride will go to incredible lengths to regain it, which is proved by Santiago. He struggles for three days against a fish five times his size, perseveres as his body withers, and combats the unstoppable sea and the creatures that dwell in its midst. Santiago’s story is one that we all can learn from, and is a story that should be told for ever.