Old Man and the Sea
By: Bred • Book/Movie Report • 1,486 Words • November 24, 2009 • 1,398 Views
Essay title: Old Man and the Sea
This part of the story has to do with Santiago against nature and
the sea. In this part of the story, he goes out and fights nature in
the form of terrible forces and dangerous creatures, among them, a
marlin, sharks and hunger. He starts the story in a small skiff and
moves out in a journey to capture a fish after a long losing streak of
eighty-four days. Unfortunately his friend must desert him due to this
problem and a greater force, his parents. Santiago must go out into the
danger alone. For three harsh days and nights he fights a fish of
enormous power. This is the second form of nature he must conquer.
Earlier in the story, the first part of nature is himself, for which he
must fight off his hunger. This is a harsh part of the story. He
manages though to get a few bites in the form of flying fish and
dolphin of which he would like to have salt on. This part of the
story tells of a cold and harsh sea, that is, one that has value and
mystery as well as death and danger. It has commercial value as well as
the population of life in it. It is dark and treacherous though, and
every day there is a challenge. A similar story tells about a tidal
pool with life called 'Cannery Road'.
This part of the story has to deal with figures of Christ. It
mainly deals with Santiago as being a figure of Christ and other
characters as props, that is, characters which carry out the form of
biblical themes. On the day before he leaves when he wakes up, Manolin,
his helper, comes to his aid with food and drink. Also a point that
might be good is that he has had bad luck with his goal for a great
period of time and is sure it will work this time. Later, though, when
Santiago needs him for the quest he sets out to do, Manolin deserts
him, although he may not have wanted to at this time. In the novel
Santiago comes upon a force bigger than his skiff, the marlin which
misleads him out far past his intended reach. This is where he starts
to lose his strength against something which seems a greater force.
Santiago has a struggle of three days, which is significent because
of the three days in Easter, and continues to fight on though his goal
may not acquire
anything. This is another idea through which Christ did,
a struggle to get a goal done even though it may mean certain
destruction to himself. This might accomplish nothing but the
satisfaction of doing this and also has great risks. Finally he comes
upon a painful experience with his hand which is in great pain and
won't move. This is useful in the place where Christ loses his physical
self and has less to deal with. On the third day, he recovers himself
and returns to his home even though his only remaining treasure was a
broken skiff, experience, and a torn up marlin. And in the final
conclusion, you can see him dragging the mast of his skiff, a
cross-like object, in his hand. This story has a certain sequence of
events,