By Emily M.

Throughout The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago faced many obstacles. Between catching the enormous fish, without any help from anybody, and barely making ends meet to survive, he had his work cut out for him. With all the struggles he faced, Santiago never gave up and because of his dedication to what he does, I found the theme to be “never give up.” There were many examples of such dedication; the time the old man had to hold onto his enormous catch for a long time, and when he harpooned the sharks to keep them from stealing his fish. This theme, or central message, that I got out of the book can also easily relate to my life, or anyone’s life, for that matter.

First of all, the old man’s ability to hold onto his catch for such a long time, was remarkable. As soon as he realized what he’d caught, Santiago made sure to brace himself, knowing that the fish would need to wear itself out before he could make his move. “Then he was sorry for the great fish that had nothing to eat and his determination to kill him never relaxed in his sorrow for him” (75). Although Santiago sees the fish as noble, he knows he must have hope that he will eventually kill him, because it’s essential to his profit and life.

Santiago, although without the boy, knew he couldn’t give up. If he had given up, especially if he’d given up hope, he knew he wouldn’t be rewarded with this fish that’s dragged him across the ocean for days. Upon the arrival of the first shark, Santiago had not expected it, but had seen it as it closed in on the prey. “It is silly not to hope, he thought” (104). The old man had struggled with the fact that the worst was yet to come, bringing more sharks to his catch, and a much harder fight. He later compared having no hope to committing a sin.

Finally, the theme of this book is used by everyone at least once in their life. Some people can relate to this because they experience the rationalization of “never give up,” every day. Whether the problem faced is dealing with a personal issue, or just completing a project, Santiago helps teach that you should never give up. For the old man, he never once gave up, although he might have wanted to and lost hope at some times, but in the end, he was proud of himself for catching the fish, even if he did lose it. This theme, and the feeling that goes along with it, can be overwhelming. By giving up, you accomplish nothing and you make yourself feel useless, but by trying your best, even if you don’t succeed with the first try, you at least have the gratification that you stuck with it. I know I’d rather have that feeling than the notion that I quit because I wasn’t dedicated enough to handle something.

Ernest Hemingway portrayed a number of characteristics and human flaw throughout his story, but the most prominent themes was never to quit, to keep trying until you succeed. Santiago was the perfect candidate to show this theme, this message, because even when things went from bad to worse for the old man, he knew he hadn’t given up. Without giving up, he had installed some pride within himself, which was almost as good as catching the fish, because he knew he did the best he could. And I think this goes for everybody; keep trying because eventually, you’ll either reach your goal, or miss but in the end, still be proud of yourself for never giving up.