Themes of The Old man and the Sea

Name: - Makwana Monika

Paper no. 10- The American Literature.

Topic: - Themes of the old man and the sea

Roll no:-21

Enrollment no: - 206910842020190027

Email ID: - makwanamonika76@gmail.com

Submitted to: - S. B. Gardi department of English

Introduction

'The Old Man and the Sea' is a novel, written by the famous American author Ernest Hemingway. He was an author and journalist. Here we talk about the themes of this novel. First we discuss about the novel the old man and the sea. It is a short heroic novel by Ernest Hemingway. It was awarded in 1953 by Pulitzer Prize for fiction. This novel old man and the sea was his last major work of fiction. This story is on battle between an old experienced fishermen and a large marlin. The story of these novels is centre on an aging fisherman and who engages in epic battle to catch a giant Marlin. This novel is written in 1951 in Cuba. And it published in 1952. In is one of the famous works of Ernest Hemingway.  The novel 'The Old Man and the Sea' is canters upon the character Santiago. He was an aging fisherman who struggles with a giant Marlin far out in the sea. The novel 'The Old Man and the Sea, is the story of a battle between an old fisherman and a large marlin. The Old Man and the Sea. Opens with the explanation that the Fishermen, whose name is Santiago. The character of Santiago is a centre character of the novel. He has gone eighty four days without catching a fish. The character Santiago is considered Salao, the worst for unlucky. In the novel other people tells him unlucky and his friend b, manolin has been forbidden by his parents to sail with the old man and been ordered to fish with more successful fishermen. In these novel Santiago stoically fights an unwinable battle against the nature In the end he has done very good work. He struggled a lot for catching the Fish. He tries very much to catching the fish. In the novel, the boy visits old man's shack each fishing gear and getting him food and discussing American baseball. The old man tells manolin that on the next day old man will sail far out into the gulf to fish, confident that his unlucky streak is near to its end. In Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea he illustrates how man can be defeated, but he can never defeat. By Santiago, the marlin and shark he Hemingway creates symbols that reinforce his themes that man can never be defeated.

About the author (Ernest Hemingway)

Ernest Hemingway is an author and journalist. He was born in 1899 and died in 1961. He was born in Oak Park, Illinois. He started his career as a writer in newspaper office. At the age of seventeen he works for an office of newspaper in Kansas City. After he comes united state and he became a reporter for American and Canadian newspapers and he was soon sent back to Europe to cover such a events as the Greek revolution. Then he joined a volunteer ambulance unit in the Italian army after the First World War. During the 20th century he became a group member of expatriate Americans in Paris. During civil war he used his experience as a reporter

His important work:-

The Sun Also Rises in 1926 And Equally successful was A Farewell to Arms in 1929, the study of an American ambulance officer’s disillusionment in the war. Ernest Hemingway's role as a deserter. Hemingway used his experiences as a reporter during the war in Spain for his most ambitious novel, For Which the Bell Tolls in 1940. And among his later works, the most well known is the short novel, The Old Man and the Sea in 1952, this novel is famous novel of him. He explains the story of an old fisherman’s journey, his long and lonely struggle with a fish and the sea, and his victory in defeat. His full name is Ernest Hemingway and who is an American journalist. He is a novelist. He is short story writer. He is also sports. He had strong influence on 20th century fiction. His lifestyle is adventurous. His most of work is produced between the mid 1920s and the mid 1950s. In 1954 he won the Nobel Prize in literature. During 20th century he published his seven novels, six short story collection, two short story and three nonfiction works. He was raised in Oak Park. After high school he became a reporter for few months. He returned home in 1918. His famous novel is 'A Farewell to Arms'. He marries with Handly Richardson in 1921. Both of them moved to Paris and where Hemingway worked as foreign correspondent. Hemingway's first biographer is Carlos Baker. Ernest Hemingway filed 88 stories for the Toonto star newspaper. In the end of the year Pauline, who was pregnant and she wanted to move back to America. In March 1928, John Dos Passos recommended Key West, and they left Paris. Ernest Hemingway suffered a severe injury in their Paris bathroom and when he pulled a skylight down on his head thinking he was pulling on a toilet chain. This left him with a prominent forehead scar, which he carried for the rest of his life. When Hemingway was asked about the scar, he is reluctant to answer.  Hemingway "never again lived in a big city" after his departure from Paris.

Character

Santiago - Old Cuban Fishermen

Manolin - the boy who is Santiago’s friend

The giant marlin (symbolic)

The sea (symbolic)

The shark (symbolic)

Joe DiMaggio (symbolic)

Theme

• Pride and determination
• Perseverance
• Suffering
• Strength and the skill
• Memory and the past
• Defeat
• Isolation
• Man and the natural world
• Hunger

Pride and determination

Here I talked about the theme of pride and determination. In these themes Santiago's pride becomes his tragic flaw and after the shark destroys the marlin then he apologizes to his brother. However pride motivates his to overcome the 84 days of misfortune. The theme of pride and determination are the source of greatness.

Perseverance

The theme of perseverance in the old man and sea since 1952 bringing man and fish together. The old man's battle of strength, but battle of wills. Endurance becomes a way we connect the old age with incredible endurance.

Suffering

In The Old Man and the Sea this theme is mentioned a lots. Because when he catching a big fish that time he suffered a lot and other people tells him unlucky by their arguments he suffering from that. He suffered also from physical pain.But for Santiago suffering is necessary because step in his battle with the fish. When he battles with fish in the sea at that time he stuggles a lot but he fails in his battle that time he suffered a lot. In this the old man is feels pain in the end. We can say him that he is good fishermen.

Strength and the skill

The theme of Strength and skill are interesting themes in the old man and the sea. Because in this novel physical strength is as important as skill and experience. The old man may not be as strong as in his youth, he is old here, but he makes up for it and we see that he has knowledge of sea and his fishing Prowess. Skill and strength are required for fishing. In the old has these both themes and he also proved it in the novel.

Memory and the past

This theme is a dominant theme in this novel because we know that memory is overlaid with correct action. In the past something happened badly it is used to comment on the present. Here we talked about the memory of Santiago. His memory of the lions is a constant motif. This is significant point that they are from his past.

 Defeat

In end this theme is mentioned. In the novel this is persistent question by the end the story. We can say that old man is defeated with his situation. In the end this question is raised in our mind that was the Old man defeated? The old man identifies something is broken in his chest. But defeat implies the breaking of one's spirit. It is spiritual act.

 Isolation

The theme of isolation is more we can see in life of Santiago. He lives alone and he feels loneliness very much. He lives isolated from most people. In the novel we see during his time on the sea. The isolation theme defines that that he was in his life. It is emphasizes the unique nature of his character. In the novel old man suffers from loneliness. But it is necessary to his battle with the fish on the Sea.

Man and the natural world

In this novel old man is unique and better in his relationship to and understanding for the natural world. He sees birds as friends and the shark as personal enemies. Santiago examines the relationship between turtles and jellyfish between his fish and birds. We see in the lions function, in this discusses about the national order of things.

Hunger

By the theme of hunger author say that hunger of fish. In the novel old man is described almost super human in eating pattern. His eating is very little and not at all. He does not refer to hunger as pain but he talking about hunger of fish not his own.

Conclusion 

So we can the character of Santiago (The Old Man) is struggles a lot. He loves his work. He was alone in his life but he never give up. In the end he proved that his fishing is very good. He hungers for catching the fish. He struggled a lot and suffering a lot in his life.