The Old Man And The Sea
Ernest Hemingway
“But man is not made for defeat," he said. "A man can be destroyed but not defeated"(46of62)
Character Analysis
Santiago, the protagonist of the story, went through many hardships throughout the course of the book. He was very poor and hadn't caught a fish for eighty four days. Santiago tells the boy Manolin, who had fished with him but left after forty days without catching a fish, that eighty five was a lucky number. Santiago told him that he could bring in a fish that weighed over one thousand pounds. When he left the next day he went out before the sun came up. He catches a marlin with one of his lines. The marlin is too strong to pull in without breaking the line so he waits for it to swim until it is tired and he can pull it in. He holds on to the line for three days while the marlin pulls the boat. The line cuts through his hand and his back, but he never gives up. He is determined to catch this fish and change his luck. When the fish finally tires and gives up Santiago pulls him in. The fish is so big that after Santiago kills it he can't bring it inside the boat. Santiago can only tie the fish to the side. When the fish was on the side of the boat it bled into the water. The blood attracted sharks that Santiago had to fight off with a spear, club, and the tiller of the boat. When he gets back to shore all that is left of the fish is the head, the spine, and the tail. Santiago is crushed but earns the respect of the other fisherman of the town and the companionship of Manolin.
Evaluation
I would recommend this book to other readers. This book was very interesting and gets you hooked when he is fishing and when he is attacked by the sharks. It is a fairly short book and is for the teen to adult reading level. Hemmingway used imagery and personification throughout the book. He makes you want to see Santiago catch the fish and get his luck back. I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read.