Assignment Paper 10 THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA: MAN’S STRUGGLE AGAINST NATURE

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THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA:

MAN’S STRUGGLE

AGAINST NATURE

 

Prepaid By : Kinnari Halvadiya

Semester : 3

Paper No. : 10 {AMERICAN LITERATURE}

E Mail : kinuhalvadiya17@gmail.com

Batch : 2019 – 2021

Submitted to : S.B. GARDI

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH  MKBU

 


Ernest Hemingway

His journey

{1899-1961}


 
 


vShort story writer, journalist ,sportsman

vWon Prize in literature 1954

vAn American Novelist

vInfluence on 20th century fiction

vMany Works considered CLASSIC OF AMERICAN LITERATURE

vHe published 7 NOVELS, 6 SHORT STORIES, 12 NIN FICTION WORKS


Introduction

 

v widely famed work of the 20th century

v Novel is based on true events

v It was his last major fiction which brought to him The Pulitzer Prize award as well as was instrumental in winning him the Nobel prize two years later.

v we find a use of omniscient narration

v Santiago asserted his individualism in the jaws of nature.

The story of Old man and the sea is not showcases escapism rather it is a battle of desire for liberation

According to himself, the novel is based on true events, at least partially being an avid fisherman himself. It was his last major fiction which brought to him The Pulitzer Prize award as well as was instrumental in winning him the Nobel prize two years later.

In “The Old Man and the sea” we find a use of omniscient narration; this narrative technique provides a wider perspective as it enables the author to stand outside and above the story itself. The tale is related from Santiago’s perspective and through his consciousness. The protagonist of this novel is not like a Hemingway’s other heroes from Nick Adams onwards who were caught in the bleak trap of society and was doomed to struggle, suffer and perish. But in this novel Santiago asserted his individualism in the jaws of nature.

 

Central Idea
 
  

vThe story of Old man and the sea is not showcasing escapism rather it is a battle of desire for liberation.

vAs far as social concern of the novel is concerned

v“The Old Man and the sea” is an extreme exploration of humankind’s relation with nature as well as of the human place in nature”

 

 

*   This novel presents a captivating story of Old fisherman named Santiago and his struggle of greatest catch of his life after not catching anything for forty-eight days. The novel is revolved around lonely and unlucky Cuban Old fisherman Santiago who struggles in catching enormous Marlin far out in Gulf Stream of the coast of Cuba.  At the end of the novel Santiago was physically defeated but his spirit remained younger. As it is reflected by Santiago when he says,

v This paraphrase showcases that idea of strong will or desire of a human; a person can be killed but can’t be defeated until he/she quit. 

v This statement of old man can be referred through the novel. Let’s have a look on consequence of this statement.

 


šSantiago is considered unlucky because he has failed to catch either the big fish. he has gone 84 days without a fish to sell at market.  Not only this, but he's old.  The other fishermen equate old age with unluckiness: they think his mind and skills have left him.  In short, they want him to retire.  

v                  But Santiago is not willing to compromise his fishing like the other fishermen.

v                  As you know, fisherman and baseball players are very streaky and, as such, very superstitious.  They go through the same rituals (wear the same clothes) when on a hot streak.

v                  He never allowed this unsuccessful journey to be an obstacle in his journey of fishing. Rather than to be disappointed by this journey, he decided to venture too far out in search of proving his manhood and set out on his boat for his adventurous journey. On this journey he also declined the Mandolin’s offer to go with him as well as promised him that he would not fail in his adventure because he was equipped with many tricks and strong resolution. His journey for his greatest catch showcases his strength and wit.

 

vIn this Hemingway’s tale, he portrayed struggle of man against the sea and showcased nature as an opposing force of human being. Also, at the same time there is a respectful acknowledgement of the puissance of Nature against which man is often powerless

 

 


v Te long drawn strong fight which ensured between the old man and the youthful fish is such a unique epic battle.

v And this epic battle can be divided into three days journey adventure rather his three days fight against nature in order to his life’s greatest catch

 


v The old man and the Marlin suggests the never ending battle between man and the mysterious forces of nature, the necessity of

 

KILLING AND BEING KILLED

             i)     It takes three days for Santiago to harpoon and kill a great Marlin. He was tired but than even he continues to work relentlessly to lure and haul the fish, as he wanted to make the greatest catch of his career.

ii)            Even after catching the Marlin, Santiago could not get the fish into skiff. The struggle of harpooning the Marlin made him to feel tire. The old man felt faint and sick and he could not see well.

iii)            At the end, almost the situation came when he had has a need to defend himself against the shark; it was marked as a dangerous struggle of story. But then even he never left her younger spirit behind him. He said that,

 

š This is an allegory about a life, it is a struggle against the impossible odds of unconquerable natural forces in which a man can only lose but which he can dominate in such a way that his loss has dignity.

 

 I WILL FIGHT THEM UNTILL I DIE

vIt takes three days for Santiago to harpoon and kill a great Marlin.

v At the end, almost the situation came when he had has a need to defend himself against the shark; it was marked as a dangerous struggle of story.


THE SIGNIFICENCE OF SEA AS NATURAL ELEMENT


v The sea is a symbol of being mother whose lover is the moon and who gives favor from her children.

v The sea is like both creator and preserver of life. As Hemingway stated it in the novel when he wrote,

v In a fact it is struggle of Man against Nature, it is a distinct emotional grandeur.

š Though he succeeded in catching the Marlin, his victory was short lived as nature attacked the old man.

“But the old man always thought as feminine and as something that gave or withheld great favours and if she did wild or wicked things it was because she could not help them. The moon affects her as it does a woman”

 

struggle of Santiago against nature, the worth noticing factor is that this battle was not all about blood and violence but it is about deep sense of brotherhood which was felt by Santiago for the Marlin. In a fact it is struggle of Man against Nature, it is a distinct emotional grandeur. Though he was tired by fighting against unfavourable situation, he felt a deep affection for the fish and admiration for its great strength as it pulled his skiff out into the ocean. As in this nature and man grew closer and closer together in interlude, in spirit as well as in space, Santiago became conscious of the Marlin’s nobility.

 

the old man with his fighting spirit continues to fight even when his hands were pulped and he was blind with the extraneous effort the fish demanded. Though he succeeded in catching the Marlin, his victory was short lived as nature attacked the old man again with Galanos- the sharks which were bent upon devouring his prized catch. In spite of knowing that the fight was pointless,

 he kept on going at the sharks because his spirit never allowed him to let down the efforts in one or another way. His younger spirit made him impossible to give up in between.

Though he succeeded in bringing the marlin at sea shore, the sharks left him with just a long white skeleton to take home. But he was destroyed not defeated.

 

In such way Hemingway shows that Nature may take from Man all her had but cannot destroy his undaunted fighting spirit, his essential nobility of human striving because of which the battle between Man and Nature has been an eternal one. In every manner Hemingway proves that defeat is sometimes inevitable in this battle but what eventually makes man always victorious in the end is his capacity to struggle to the fullest despite the end results.


CONCLUSION

vThis way we can see the pairing down of struggle in the Old man to one between Nature and Man which provides us an insight into the true essence of man’s bravery. In this novella the Old man’s journey for his greatest catch serves as a seminal example of the man against nature conflict. Also, the character of Santiago hints at Hemingway’s life; it can be assumed that he preferred the way old man lived his life

 

Citations:  

v Man vs Nature. (n.d.). Retrieved December 02, 2020, from https://study.com/academy/lesson/man-vs-nature-in-the-old-man-and-the-sea-examples-symbols-power.html

v LitCharts. (n.d.). Man and Nature Theme Analysis. Retrieved December 02, 2020, from https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-old-man-and-the-sea/themes/man-and-nature

v Ernest Hemingway. (2020, November 28). Retrieved December 02, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Hemingway

v The Old Man and the Sea. (n.d.). Retrieved December 02, 2020, from https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/why-old-man-considered-unlucky-what-does-this-tell-163221

v Images from GOOGLE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

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