Hemingway sets the scene of this book on the island of Cuba, a place he is familiar with due to his residency there. An old man, Santiago, has been out on his luck for 84 days of fishing having caught no fish. He can be considered foolish in that he does not give up hope even when he is destitute with no way to make a living. He lives alone and his only companion is a young boy who he taught to fish, but is forbidden to fish with him due to his poor luck. Santiago hopelessly accepts this knowing inside this is what is best for the boy, though he has longed for companionship since his wife died. He pretends all is okay when in reality he is living a life of poverty, which portrays him as delusional. The young boy, who shows gratitude for Santiago’s teachings by taking care of him, reveals the realities within the novel that Santiago cannot choose to accept such as his lack of basic necessities.
Santiago is regarded by the town as incapable of catching fish which is displayed by his poor luck and lack of new fishing technologies. This seems to taunt the old man since in previous years he was a successful fisherman. He is continually striving to catch a fish that will not bring income. Santiago can be considered stupid for sailing out to sea alone when he accepts the sea is unforgiving and unrelenting. He willingly risks his life solely attempting to reel in the fish that he hooks. The fish is the promise of hope that continually taunts Santiago who relents at nothing to capture it. He spends days on the sea driving himself to insanity attempting to catch a fish in which he is unsure of the size. In this he is brave and trusts in God to deliver him a fish, yet foolish for relying so heavily on the possibility of catching one fish to change his life. He faces internal battles about his strength and ability and attempts to escape the judgement of the town.
Santiago finally catches his hopes only to lose them again right before his eyes in a continuing unrelenting cycle. Santiago is proven to be strong in that he had unrelenting hope though all odds were against him. The ending can be disappointing due to the unfinished and unsatisfying manner in which Hemingway left the plot. Hemingway positions the reader to side with Santiago and disappoints them with his “failure”.
Santiago is regarded by the town as incapable of catching fish which is displayed by his poor luck and lack of new fishing technologies. This seems to taunt the old man since in previous years he was a successful fisherman. He is continually striving to catch a fish that will not bring income. Santiago can be considered stupid for sailing out to sea alone when he accepts the sea is unforgiving and unrelenting. He willingly risks his life solely attempting to reel in the fish that he hooks. The fish is the promise of hope that continually taunts Santiago who relents at nothing to capture it. He spends days on the sea driving himself to insanity attempting to catch a fish in which he is unsure of the size. In this he is brave and trusts in God to deliver him a fish, yet foolish for relying so heavily on the possibility of catching one fish to change his life. He faces internal battles about his strength and ability and attempts to escape the judgement of the town.
Santiago finally catches his hopes only to lose them again right before his eyes in a continuing unrelenting cycle. Santiago is proven to be strong in that he had unrelenting hope though all odds were against him. The ending can be disappointing due to the unfinished and unsatisfying manner in which Hemingway left the plot. Hemingway positions the reader to side with Santiago and disappoints them with his “failure”.