By Morgan P.

In the novella, The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago, a perseverant old man, had to overcome many obstacles. Some of these included his hand cramping up, fatigue, and battling sharks. Each of these obstacles demonstrated Santiago’s strength and courage, that isn’t commonly found in men his age.

When Santiago had first caught the marlin, he began to think that everything was going to be just fine. Then, his left hand cramped up. This angered Santiago a good deal. “’What kind of hand is that,’ he said. ‘Cramp then if you want. Make yourself into a claw. It will do you no good’” (58). Santiago catches a fish one handed, and eats as an attempt to relax his muscle. He continues to massage his left hand with his right one. When he feels the line rising with his right hand, he manages to maintain control of the line and the marlin. He does not release his magnificent catch because of something as insignificant, but yet useful, as his left hand cramping up.

Being out at sea for three days, by himself in a skiff, with hardly any food or water, Santiago found himself extremely worn out. The huge marlin was pulling the skiff out to sea at an alarmingly quick pace, and Santiago was doing all he could to keep control over the fish. When Santiago felt the fish begin to slow, he sympathized with the marlin. “[Santiago] held steady, and settled back against the strain of the line. ‘You’re feeling it now, fish,’ he said. ‘And God knows, so am I’” (56 ). Santiago openly admits that he is fatigued. When a man as determined as Santiago admits to being tired, you know that he is exhausted. But he fights through this exhaustion, and is still able to catch the marlin.

When Santiago finally caught the marlin, he faced something that, considering the circumstances, almost nobody else could’ve come out alive. If having a catch of an eighteen foot marlin, being out to sea for four days, and having almost no food, water, or sleep weren’t enough, why not just add in a couple sharks? “He hit [the shark] with his blood mushed hands driving a harpoon in with all his strength. He hit it without hope, but with resolution and complete malignancy” (102). Santiago battled his first shark that day. There would be many more to come. And he would battle all of them, striving to protect his catch.

Throughout Ernest Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea Santiago faces many obstacles. Obstacles, that probably took just about a miracle to overcome. However, miracle or no miracle, Santiago did overcome all of them. He may have returned home with just the skeleton of what had been a great fish, but he returned home safely. Some may say that he ‘lost’. But in my eyes, Santiago is, and always will be, a winner. He overcame the many obstacles that this portion of his life threw at him. Even in his old age, he survived. Even in his old age, he never gave up.

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By Matt C.

The Old Man and the Sea is a great novel and like all good books the main character faces obstacles that he has to overcome. That trend is not changed as Santiago faces many obstacles on his way to catching the giant marlin. It is amazing that he has the strength to continue through every challenge that the great ocean throws at him. These obstacles do not only challenge him physically but also mentally.

While fighting the monster marlin Santiago has to continue although he is 84 years old. This makes him extremely tired. It takes Santiago four days to catch the fish and get back home. This is an enormous obstacle because any regular man his age would collapse of exhaustion after putting out that much effort for that long. "I'll try it again, the old man promised, although his hands were mushy now and he could only see well in flashes." Santiago overcomes this obstacle with his determination and great strength. A regular person of any age would have given up after less than a day of struggle but Santiago fought a legendary fish for three whole days. Most people of his age can hardly do any daily activity but is out and using all his effort for a straight 72 hours.

Another one of Santiago's obstacles is the creatures of the ocean. The strength of the marlin is enormous and it takes all of the old mans effort to catch him. Even worse than the marlin are the sharks that attack the dead body of the marlin. They are an obstacle because they prevent him from reaching home with the whole fish. They also test Santiago's mental toughness because once the fish that he worked so hard to get is gone there isn't a lot of motivation to go home. When Santiago went home it proved that he wanted to catch the fish just to beat him and it wasn't about the money that he would have gotten from catching him. He also knew that it was about not giving up no matter what the obstacle was. "What will you do now if they come in the night? What can you do?' Fight them,' he said. 'I'll fight them till I die." Santiago worked hard and got through this tough obstacle. He didn't make it home with the fish but he had not given up and had fought them as hard as he could.

Santiago's other great obstacle is the fact that he is extremely poor and has very simple fishing supplies. He has strings attached to sticks for his fishing poles and because of that he is forced to pull the line in while the great fish uses all of his might to swim away. Pulling on the very skinny line against the fish causes his hands to become much less powerful because they have deep gashes running through them. Also because of his inadequate supplies he is forced to fend off the sharks with his knife tied to his oar. " But there was nothing to be done now. ‘Yes there is,’ he said aloud. ‘I can lash my knife to the butt of one of the oars.’" Had he been able to buy a gaff or other simple hook he would have had a better chance of fending off the sharks and saving his fish.

Throughout the book there are many obstacles that Santiago must fight through and he always makes it although giving up would be much easier. He strives to defeat all obstacles that he is faced with on a day to day basis. Santiago is able to break through and continue because of his great determination and persistence. Santiago is a strong man in both his body and his mind.

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By Lindsey H.

In The Old Man and the Sea, the main character, Santiago, faced many different obstacles on his treacherous fishing trip. Santiago faced fatigue, loneliness, and vicious sharks while on his trip. These obstacles aren't ones that people usually have to face on a daily basis unless you're a fisherman like Santiago, of course.

It took Santiago about three days to catch the marlin, and those three days wore him out excessively. Santiago didn't have much time to eat or sleep, so he was very tired and hungry which caused him to be fatigued. "'But you have not slept yet, old man,' he said aloud. 'It is half a day and a night and now another day and you have not slept. You must devise a way so that you sleep a little if he is quiet and steady. If you do not sleep you might become unclear in the head'" (77). This quote from the old man shows how he has had no sleep in days and is very fatigued. If he loses any more sleep he will begin to hallucinate which will not be good while he is alone at see.
Santiago was very lonely during his fishing trip which was another obstacle. The only company that he had was his mind, the birds, and the fish while he was at sea. Manolin, the young boy who usually fished with Santiago, was no longer allowed to go fishing with him because of his parents, and that left Santiago with no one to help him out at sea. "Yes. If the boy were here. If the boy were here" (83) shows that the old man needed the boy in more ways than one while out on the sea. The old man needed him to help him fish, but he also needed him to keep him company. When Santiago says, "If the others heard me talking out loud they would think that I am crazy" (39), you can tell that he is lonely because he was talking out loud, but he doesn't care what people think about him because he needs himself to keep his head clear.

After Santiago caught the marlin, vicious sharks began to attack it. He had to protect the fish from the sharks, and he also had to protect himself. "But the shark came up fast with his head out and the old man hit him squarely in the center of his flat-topped head as his nose came out of the water and lay against the fish" (109). Hemmingway used a great amount of detail in this portion of the book such as this quote shows to explain what Santiago needed to do in order to protect the marlin. The sharks were one of the greatest obstacles in Santiago's way because he had already caught the fish, and all he had to do was get the marlin safely back to shore. His goal, however, was not achieved when the sharks began to devour it. He ended up only bringing back a skeleton as proof of his epic fishing trip.

In conclusion, Santiago faced many different obstacles in the novella The Old Man and the Sea. He faced fatigue, loneliness, and vicious sharks throughout the story. Sometimes, obstacles can cause people to become stronger people. Even though Santiago was physically weak by the end of the story he was more emotionally and mentally stronger.

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By Kay T.

Specific qualities that authors give their characters in a novel help shape the story and that character. Most of the time, specific qualities tie in with the theme. In the novel The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemmingway, the main character Santiago shows a great deal of determination throughout the story. This very important theme Hemmingway is trying to get across is never give up despite the odds. Placing this theme in the story allows the readers to be able to connect with the story and the characters. I have discovered that this is very important to remember when going through life.
During the book, after Santiago captures the marlin, his determination kicks into gear. He spends three days with the Marlin at sea and he never let go. No matter what he was convinced he was going to reel in the fish. Most fishermen, you would think, would let go of the line and try again for another fish, but not Santiago. After already being in pain he spoke these words. “‘Fish,’ he said softly, aloud, ‘I’ll stay with you until I am dead.’” (52).His hands were torn and bleeding and yet still he kept holding onto the line. He wasn’t about to give up on this fish. In his mind he was going to reel in the marlin no matter what it took At that point the words “letting go” were not in his vocabulary.

Santiago’s fight with the fish shows his impeccable determination. Determination goes hand in hand with my life. I am a dancer. If I want to continue to pursue my dancing career as I get older I have to work much harder than the “tiny-tots” classes I participated in when I was five years old. As Competitions and conventions get more strenuous and intense, I have to learn harder choreography and tricks if I want to become exquisite in this art, just as the odds were against Santiago in the book. “ He tried it again and it was the same. So he thought, and he felt himself going before he started; I will try it once again. He took all his pain and what was left of his strength and his long gone pride and he put it against the fish’s agony and the fish came over onto his side and swam gently on his side, “(93). The old man finally defeated the odds he was up against being alone at sea and came through to defeat the Marlin. I can relate to this immensely. Many people say it’s hard for dancers to pursue careers as successful professionals. I have already proven many people wrong that I will go far with my dance career. I am not going to give up despite the odds.

Just as Santiago tries to capture the fish multiple times throughout his three days in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, with dance I have to repeatedly try again when I make mistakes. If I just gave up o the first try, I wouldn’t learn anything. This is what makes Santiago such a great fisherman, and what makes me a great dancer. We both refuse to give up no matter how tough things might get. If I don’t get a step the first time, or if I need to learn a challenging leap, I keep repeating what I can’t get to try and master the choreography. Particularly in Conventions, the teachers will not slow down for you but if you can get their choreography and listen to what they have to say you will become a better dancer for it. Just like the Marlin will not slow down for Santiago, he keeps up with it and doesn’t give up. “ ‘Fish,’ he said, ‘ I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead before this day ends.’”(54). Once Santiago is able to reel the Marlin in, and gets attacked by the sharks, when he finally gets back to the shores he is only a better fisherman from his experience. The more you experience, the more you learn in life.

This is an encouraging theme that has helped me remember to never give up in life, in whatever I want to do, despite all the odds that go against it. Santiago in his old age was able to endure all of the things that hit him out at see metaphorically speaking. He stayed determined which is something everyone needs to remember to do in their lives. There is something very different in the mind set of the determined. The determination or whatever gets triggered in their minds motivates them to never give up makes them stand out significantly. They possess a certain quality that allows them to achieve their goal. Not everyone is able to stay determined when trying to complete a task in life. For those who can they are very strong people and I’m sure you could learn a great deal from them.

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By Kaitlyn B.

During life, we all have to face challenges and overcome obstacles, it’s unavoidable and it’s vital in everybody’s life. On his 85^th voyage without a catch, Santiago was pushed to his overall limit. Three struggles the old man had to overcome were shark battles, his age, and being unprepared.

Some of the most intense parts of the story were the shark battles. Hemingway described some to be very big, only showing how much harder Santiago would have to fight. “And he was the biggest dentuso that I have ever seen. And God knows I have seen big ones” (103). Santiago had to fend off sharks a couple time through the story, whether it be single sharks or sharks in greater numbers, but he didn’t let anything stop him. “The old man drove the knife into the juncture, withdrew it, and drove it into the shark’s yellow cat-like eyes. The shark let go of the fish and slid down, swallowing what he had taken as he died” (108). Santiago really proved determination to save his catch here.

Throughout this story, Santiago struggled with his age and was pushed to his physical extent. He is weak, battling against fatigue, and sleep deprivation. Catching the marlin was even harder with all of this holding him back. “I wish I could show him what sort of man I am. But then he would see the cramped hand” (64). This quote really showed how much his hand was affecting his capability on reeling in the marlin. A hand cramp was not about to stop Santiago from accomplishing his dream though. He worked around it by catching something to eat and massaging it. I feel that if Santiago didn’t have as much determination and ambition as he did, he never would of returned back home.

Being unprepared was another task Santiago struggled to overcome. Even though this was his 85^th trip without a catch, he still managed to forget vital things he needed, which surprised me seeing Hemingway described him as an experienced fisherman. “You should have brought many things, he thought. But you did not bring them, old man” (110). Santiago forgot a stone to sharpen his knife, limes and salt to make his food more appetizing, and the boy. Out of all of these things he forgot, the boy, Manolin, was the most important. He could have kept the old man company and help him reel in the marlin faster. But the old man realized he had to work with what he had, not with what he didn’t, to catch the marlin and to ultimately survive.

Santiago is one of the most ambitious people I know. I’ve never heard of any old man in his 80’s going far out to see to catch a 1,500 pound fish. Never did Santiago ever let his battles with sharks put him down, his age tire him out, or being unprepared hold him back. He worked with what he had and to his physical limits to catch the marlin. Even though he came back with bones, Santiago is a winner in my eyes.

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By Garrett B.

After reading The Old Man and the Sea what really interested me was that why Manolin always hung around Santiago even after he stopped working for him. Manolin still asked the old man if he could do anything to help him catch some fish. Was it out of pity or did Manolin really enjoyed spending his day with an old fisherman, instead of playing with kids his age or just relaxing on the beach? I don’t believe a realistic boy would rather do chores for an old man than do something fun.

In the very beginning of the story Manolin could have rid his life of Santiago, but instead he starts to take care of Santiago and makes sure he is taken care of. “He sent two beers.” “I like beer best in cans.” “I know. But this is in bottles, Hatuey beer, and I take back the bottles.” “That’s very kind of you,” the old man said. “Should we eat?” “I’ve been asking you to,” the boy told him gently. “I have not wished to open the container until you were ready.” (20) In this conversation between Santiago and Manolin, the boy is acting like a mother. He is asking the old man what he wants, explains what they are going to do. The old man can barely take care of himself and Manolin is sort of filling in for the old man’s dead wife.

Eventually, while the old man is in with the Marlin, the boy was probably going hysterical. When the old man comes back the boy is happy that the old man is back, and he cries. “The boy saw that the old man was breathing and then saw the old man’s hands and he started to cry. He went out quietly to go bring some coffee and all the way down the road he was crying.”(122)This shows Manolin’s love for the old man. I believe that he was crying for mixed reasons; he was happy that the old man was alive and he was also crying because the old man was hurt and that he might never be able fish again. I think that the boy sees the old man as a father figure and if he lost the old man he would be devastated and would be hurt for a long time. Also the boy was hurt when he was not able to fish with the old man any more. So in the end when he was going to again the boy was very happy. “Now we fish together again.” “No. I am not lucky anymore.” “The hell with luck,” the boy said. “I’ll bring the luck with me.” (126) This shows that Manolin doesn’t care what happens as long as he can fish and be with the old man. The boy loves Manolin and Manolin loves the old man.

Throughout the story, Manolin stayed a static character. He never changed his opinions on baseball or the old man, he always loved the old man and baseball the same. Manolin, most importantly, never changed his ideas about getting to fish with the old man again, no matter what happens. I don’t believe that Manolin is a very realistic character because it really seems hard to believe that a little boy would want to hang out and take care of an old man and to fish with him and not make any money, but that is Manolin’s choice. The one thing that is very realistic is the love that Manolin and Santiago share for each other.

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By Casey O.

Without a friend the world can be a dark and lonely place to live. With Manolin at Santiago’s side it brings light into the sometimes depressing life of a fisherman. The relationship shown through out the book, The Old Man and the Sea, is remarkable. It reveals the meaning of best friend, and or father-son. Though Manolin was not Santiago’s son, Ernest Hemingway portrayed the relationship as though they were. Santiago took on the task of teaching the boy not only to fish but life lessons as if he was his son, and also sometimes felt lost when the boy wasn’t by his side. They shared one true interest also, which was baseball. Santiago was affected by Manolin and it showed as the story progressed.

Santiago I believe sees himself in Manolin. He, like Manolin, began fishing at a young age to provide for his family. While reading I saw how much compassion Santiago had towards Manolin, and how much he wanted him to become the best he could be. As stated in the quote, “They played like young cats in the dusk and he loved them as he loved the boy.”(25) It is telling the reader that he really does care about the boy. I believe that Santiago is grateful for Manolin being there, because I believe as though he always wanted a son to pass on his knowledge to.

Every now and then we would find Santiago talking to himself, and how he wishes the boy was with him on the voyage with the marlin. When Santiago says “I wish I had the boy… I’m being towed by a fish and I’m towing the bitt.”(45) It showed me that Santiago feels as though he is stronger when the boy is there, and alone he is lonely. Also, with the strength of the boy the marlin would have been a lot easier to tow in. Without the boy, Santiago does feel lost at times though, and it shows every now and then.

Lastly, baseball America’s favorite pass time was something that Manolin and Santiago both could relate to. “…When I come back you can tell me about baseball.” (17) This conversation goes on for about a page about baseball, and the teams that they feared, and wanted to win. Santiago believed in the Yankee’s while the young boy feared the Indians of Cleveland. I believe that Santiago enjoyed talking about baseball with Manolin because it was something more modern, and it was something that could bring the two of them closer together. It was the one true thing besides fishing that they could relate on.

Throughout the story the friendship between Manolin and Santiago becomes more and more distinct. I believe that the story would have been a completely different story if it weren’t for Manolin being in Santiago’s life. Manolin somewhat brought in the son aspect of Santiago’s life, and that was something that Santiago never had. The friendship was more of the good father-son, and without it Santiago’s journey may have been a bit duller.

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By Brian R.

Throughout life, a person is forced to make choices and live with the consequences that follow those choices. In the book Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway writes about a poor, everyday fisherman who has to make important choices and live with the consequences. One of the greatest choice he had the make was the decision to stay out at sea for three straight days. After making this important decision, he puts his physical fitness, health and even his reputation at sea, on the line.

Santiago makes the choice and when he comes home from being out at sea, his physical fitness is weak. Throughout the book, you can somewhat see that the old man has a relationship with his hands. Being a fisherman, he uses them all the time, and relies on them to do his everyday work. You can understand the relationship from this quote, "How does it go hand? Or is it too early to know?" (59). From being out at the sea and using his hands all the time, they must have started to hurt, and wear down. Also, considering Santiago was an old man, around 80 years old, he must have experienced many pains. He battled a fish about twice his size, that is a huge amount of weight, especially for an old man of his age.

The old man had to live painfully through the physical part of the trip out at sea, but he also had to live through problems with his health. At first, he had enough food and fresh water, but after awhile, his supply ran out and he was left with nearly any. Being so determined, he tried not too think of how little he had and he focused on catching the marlin. Also, the old man went days without sleeping, so he would not miss his chance to catch the fish." 'But you have not slept yet, old man,' he said aloud." (77). Going without sleep, food, or fresh water is extremely dangerous for your health. When Santiago stayed out at sea, he had to risk his health to catch the marlin.

Santiago is an elder who has been fishing for all of his long life. Ever since he was a young kid, he has been out with his father on the sea, catching hundreds of fish. When the old man catches and kills the marlin, I feel like the fish felt disappointed and a sort of anger toward him. “ ‘Keep my head clear,’ he said against the wood of the bow. ‘I am a tired old man. But I have killed this fish which is my brother and now I must do the slave work.’ “ (95). This quote shows how close he is to the fish and creatures of the sea, having spent so much time around them. I believe that once he killed the marlin, their relationship sort of faded and died.

The book Old Man and the Sea was full of important choices that Santiago, the old man, had to make. He knew that with every decision he made, came consequences that were for the worse. He stuck through those consequences and showed a lot of courage throughout the book. Santiago showed that he could live through physical and emotional pain, he showed he was stronger than how he looked.

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By Anna K.

In The Old Man in the Sea, the main character Santiago has to make a crucial decision as to whether or not to continue to battle the marlin He decides to fight. This decision is mainly because of pride. He needs this catch to prove that he isn’t unlucky and that he can succeed. He needs it for his own benefit. He needs to prove it to himself as much as to everyone around him. As a result of his choice the rest of his journey and life are affected. His hands begin to cramp, he cannot get any sleep, and he has to fight off sharks that try and get to the marlin.

On effect of him elongating his struggle with the marlin is his hands cramping up. As he holds the line steady his left hand begins to face problems. When he realizes that it will only get worse, he gives his hand a break “You let the cord go, hand, and I will handle him worth the right alone” (58). Even though his hand is cramping and he’s filled with pain, he still holds on to the line, because he needs this fish. “cramp then if you want. Make yourself a claw. It will do you no good” (59-60).

Another effect of the choice he made was him not gaining enough sleep.. The marlin is putting up a great fight and if he lets go he’ll loose the most important catch of his life. The catch that proves that he isn’t unlucky. He has to fight through his tiredness. “It is a day and a night and now another day and you have not slept.” (77). He realizes that he ha to get sleep because he won’t be a able to think clearly, but his thoughts and actions will blinded by lack of sleep. “If you don’t sleep you might become unclear in the head” (77).

Yet another result of Santiago’s choice is the fact the he had to fight sharks to keep them away from the marlin. “He hit it with his blood mushed hands driving the harpoon with all his strength” (102). He killed the shark before the shark consumed the whole marlin but not soon enough however, the shark ate a large portion of the marlin. The blood from the marlin steamed through the water and he new more would come to feast on such easy pray. “Now my fish bleeds again and there will be others.” (103).

Therefore the characters in this book face many choices that they have to make. These choices have effects, effects that can change the whole book and the whole life of a character. The choice can be simple or large but the way we continue to live out our lives can depend of a choice we made. The people you hang out with, can and probably will shape the rest of you life. Santiago’s choice to battle the marlin affects the way the book turns out. If he would decide to not continue to fight then the book would be over. There would be a small possibility that he could catch a fish that big again. His choice affected the book because his hand began to cramp, he wasn’t getting any sleep and he had to fight off sharks so that they couldn’t get his magnificent catch.

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By Ryan L

Throughout The Old Man in the Sea Santiago, an old fisherman who lives a simple life has to overcome a variety of obstacles. Not unlike the normal everyday person. He has extraordinary strength for a man with 85 years behind him. A great majority of Santiago’s obstacles have been because of physical boundaries. Hemingway, the author, describes these obstacles in a simple yet effective way, which makes the novella even more enticing.

One obstacle that Santiago is forced to face is that his left hand began to cramp. As I stated, Santiago is an 85 year old man and holding onto a fish twice the size of his boat. The last thing he needs is for his hands to cramp up. As the book states, “He could feel the steady hard pull of the line and his left hand cramped. It drew up tight on the heavy cord and he looked at it in disgust.”(58) At this point of the story he’s had the fish on the line for several hours, and is in too deep to let go of the line. He doesn’t want to disappoint the boy and the other fishermen at shore, so he must try to push through the pain and bring in the fish. He seems to be annoyed with the cramp, because it says that he’s disgusted with his hand.

Another obstacle that Santiago must boast is his lack of supplies. Santiago goes out to sea with nothing but a fishing rod and of course his skiff. This is surprising considering that Santiago has many years of experience at sea. “You should have brought many things, he thought. But you did not bring them, old man” (110). He should have brought salt and different seasons, because after he ate his plain food, he would feel nauseous. Also, he should have taken a rock so he could have sharpened his knife as a better defense to fight the sharks that attacked his skiff.

Towards the latter parts of the story, Santiago has to protect himself against the sharks. By this time, he has pulled in the marlin, and the sharks want to feed off of them. For over a day, sharks attacked the prized fish, and Santiago did not have the proper weapons to defend himself. They tired him, and took a large portion of the fish. “‘They beat me Manolin,’ he said. ‘They truly beat me.’’’ (124). This quote shows how he had trouble against the sharks, but was still able to persevere and make it home.

When Santiago goes out on what could be his final fishing trip, many obstacles slowed him down. But with great patience and perseverance, he was able to push through them. His hand cramped which could have caused him to lose the line, and with his lack of supplies, he couldn’t eat much, or help protect himself. Finally even when sharks attacked his boat, Santiago persevered, and got home. If Santiago was not so wise from experience at sea, he probably could have lost the marlin, or even died. I think without these obstacles in the story the book would have been very different, and Santiago would not have changed as greatly throughout

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By Jessica M.

Everyday, we as people, struggle with life’s challenges, the obstacles that barricade us for our goals. We force ourselves to overcome these walls, and at the end try as hard as we can to achieve our final aspiration. In the novella, The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway, Santiago faces many obstacles on his quest to catch a marlin. Through his three gruesome days at sea, he suffers through physical and mental exhaustion, treacherous hungry sharks, and the pure struggle of being alone. Such obstacles postponed his success with the marlin, creating a book full of suspense, and a well-rounded, realistic character.

One of Santiago’s most defeating obstacles was his struggle with fatigue. He has the knowledge of at least twenty fishermen combined, and the experience from his life at sea. Nothing would seem to be able to stop this strong old man, until he hooks an enormous 1500 pound marlin. Santiago starts to breakdown, one by one. Each day making it harder and harder for him to open his eyes to realize the fish was still pulling strong on the line. “He took all his pain and what was left of his strength and his long gone pride and he put it against the fish’s agony” (93). In this quote, Ernest Hemingway really expresses Santiago’s physical and mental exhaustion. When it states, “He took all his pain and what was left of his strength”, it explains how tired and the extreme discomfort he experienced while at sea. His tired mind and injured body make each day harder and harder for the old man to stay alive. When it says, “his long gone pride”, I think this shows that he is ashamed of how his body has started to fail him. From the fish’s overall strength,

Santiago had to endure, and overcame exhaustion. Another one of Santiago’s struggles is with a group of hungry gruesome sharks. When he finally ropes in the giant marlin after three days of hell, he thought the hard part was over, he soon realizes the worst is yet to come. “The old man could see pieces of the meat of the fish spilling white from the corners of his jaws as he bumped the fish and closed his jaws.” (113) In this quote it shows Santiago’s desperation on trying to save what is left of the half eaten marlin. Over the course of a day, sharks mutilate the enormous fish. Taking chunk by chunk of the precious meat. Santiago tries everything in his power to stop the sharks, but in the end he ends up with only a skeleton and the memories of a horrific journey at sea.

he most significant and difficult obstacle I believe Santiago went through was being alone at sea. He is in his mid eighties and has gone through a life time job as a fisherman. On his journey he realizes how his age will affect him. It makes me think what if he had had another person join him. Would he have successfully caught the marlin? “‘I wish I had the boy. To help me and to see this.’ No one should be alone in their old age, he thought.” (48) This quote definitely explains how much Santiago needs someone by his side, helping him to catch the fish. Like in the quote, Santiago is way too old to be out alone in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. Santiago is becoming desperate for a helping hand. He is exhausted, and can’t manage to wrangle in this marlin by himself. I believe if he had a partner to assist him in this fishing trip, he would have made it back with the marlin, fully intact.

Through the novella, The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway puts many obstacles in Santiago’s path. Some that make him stronger and others that make him frail and weak. These challenges make the book worth reading. Letting the reader sail through the obstacles with Santiago, experiencing them at the same time. In the course of three tiresome days, Santiago goes through many mental and physical challenges. Leading him to a catch of a life time that he will never forget.

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By Danny F.

In Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, the main character, Santiago, makes some very important choices at the beginning of the book when he first sets off on his journey. For the past few weeks, he has had no luck and caught few fish, but at the start of the book, he believes he is due to catch a giant fish. When he begins his voyage, he carries little supplies on his skiff, including a bottle of water, fishing lines, hooks, and baits, a short club, the tiller, and the oars. However, his struggles with the giant Marlin he eventually catches while at sea would have been greatly lessened if he had thought to bring a few key items on his expedition, such as stronger rope, food and water, or better weapons. He made a choice to bring only the bare essentials and he would come to regret that decision more and more as he his forced to deal with its consequences.

Some items that would have been vastly effective in relieving the old man of great pain and hardship would be a stronger rope or a simple spring mechanism. “How simple it would be if I make the line fast, he thought. But with one small lurch he could break it. I must cushion the pull of the line with body and at all times be ready to give line with both hands.” (77) With a stronger rope or a spring to dampen the marlin’s abrupt tugs, the old man wouldn’t need to constantly hold the rope.

The old man does eventually catch the marlin through his great struggle, but he is left malnourished, and under slept and tired. Because of this, he loses his catch to attacking sharks on the way home. However, he might have saved some of his prize if he had chosen to bring along some better weapons. “I have the gaff now, he said. But it will do no good. I have the two oars and the tiller and the short club.” (112) With those supplies and his ingenuity, the old man is able to defend the fish from the sharks for a short time. But eventually he is defeated. With a second spear or longer stronger knife, he might have been able to save his fish even in his exhausted state. The old man uses lots of energy while trying to catch the great marlin. He must constantly hold the line once he catches the fish as well as do other fishing tasks, all under the hot sun.

To fuel his efforts, he has only what he caught at sea, such as the dolphin or flying fish. Although he is old and lost much of his hunger, he knows he must still eat and drink. He would have been very wise to bring along some extra food and water for his long voyage, but he chose not to. “I wish I had some salt. […] I had better eat it all although I am not hungry.”(59) Aside from energy, the old man also needs food to concentrate. He could have thrown some sea water on the ship and let it evaporate to get salt, but he forgot. Later on, he becomes very forgetful and finds it difficult to concentrate without nourishment.

In the end, the old man acknowledges his unfortunate choices at the beginning. He knows he was undersupplied. He should have prepared for the worst when he set off and been ready for anything. A few simple tools and supplies would have made his ordeal much easier. Granted he lives in a poor town and he himself has no money, but he surely could have rented or bought some or most of the supplies he would inevitably need, especially because he could pay for it afterwards with the money from the fish.

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By Brianna T.

Everyday people go through everyday struggles, from not being able to find an outfit, to fighting to survive the deadly, cancer disease. We learn to overcome and fight through these challenges, its part of our human nature. And even if it is difficult or tiring, or even puts our lives in jeopardy, we always seem to get through them.

In the novella The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway, Santiago has to overcome many struggles and challenges. He fights the elements of Mother Nature, hunger, exhaustion and fatigue, and let’s not forget, the ferocious sharks. He fights all of theses elements alone at sea, at the age of 85, just to catch a one stubborn marlin.

Santiago isn’t what you would call rich or wealthy, so he can’t just run down to the corner store when he’s hungry. He has to work for his food. For 84 days now, he has gone out to sea, and has come back empty handed each time.

“ ‘What do you have to eat?’ The boy asked.

‘A pot of yellow rice with fish. Do you want some?’

‘No. I will eat at home. Do you want me to make the fire?’

‘No. I will make it later on. Or I may eat the rice cold.’

‘May I take the cast net?’

‘Of course.’

There was no cast net and the boy remembered when they had sold it. But they went through this fiction every day. There was no pot of yellow rice and fish and the boy knew this too.” (16) This quote shows that the old man really doesn’t have food and he hasn’t eaten in so long. “There was no pot of yellow rice and fish and the boy knew this too.” This part in the quote tells you the boy knows the man has no food because he hasn’t caught a fish in days, and he is very poor, and has nothing. Plus, he lies to the boy because he doesn’t want the boy to worry about him not eating. He is old and needs nutrition, but he hasn’t had too much luck lately. But will his luck change on the 85^th, as it has in the past? He would soon find out.

His luck changes after hooking a marlin on the line. But the fish does something out of the ordinary. He swims straight. He doesn’t swerve or try to get lose, he just swims and drags the boat and Santiago farther out to sea. Santiago follows the marlin for 3 days. He has no food and is getting weak. But with his smart mind and fishing techniques he is able to catch some small fish for some well needed nutrition. With no way to cook it he eats them raw, yuck. That’s not what you would picture as and ideal meal.

While battling the violent elements of Mother Nature, the old man is also fighting to keep his eyes open. The old man has been following the marlin for three days at sea, and has barely gotten any sleep. And not to mention he sleeps on a pile of newspapers at home, and that can’t be too comfortable, and holding on to that big fish is tiring and sucking the energy right out of him. He is old and brittle and needs his rest. His hand is cramping from gripping the rough line for three days straight, He hasn’t had much rest of the boat, because he needs to keep an eye on the marlin. And when it was time to finally catch the marlin, he feels tired and finally admits it.

“I’m tireder than I have ever been, he thought, and now the trade wind is rising. But that will be good to take him in with [the marlin]. I need that badly.” (89)This quote shows how tired the old man is getting. He is malnourished and over tired, and he needs all the help he can get to catch fish.

After all that hard work and finally killing the beast of the sea, Santiago finds out that the marlin is bigger than his boat. There is no way he can put it on his small boat. So, he attaches it to the side, and he was off, on his voyage back home. But what Santiago didn’t know was that many, many, many fathoms down, and many, many miles away, hungry sharks were waiting.

Sharks can smell blood from 50 miles away! Their was blood leaking into the cool, ocean water from the gash on the side of the marlin, where Santiago’s spear took the its life. And even though the bleeding stopped after a while, the sharks had already sniffed out the trail and where near by. And let’s keep in mind that the 1500 pound marlin is out in the open, and all Santiago has for a weapon is one spear and a small knife.

“ The shark’s head was out of water and his back was coming out and the old man could hear the noise of skin and flesh ripping on the big fish when he rammed the harpoon down onto the shark’s head at a spot where the line between his eyes intersected with the line that ran straight back from his nose.” (102) I picked this quote because it shows how Santiago fought these sharks off. “he rammed the harpoon down onto the shark’s head” this is the part of the quote where Santiago actually kills the demon. The shark in the quote actually took a huge chunk from the marlins side. And that’s not all that he took. As the shark sunk down to the dark depths of the ocean the spear was still logged in his skull, taking away the old man’s biggest weapon. And since the shark took a bite out of the fish, of course, it started bleeding again. Knowing now that more sharks were bound to come, Santiago took the knife and put it in his oar to make a spear-like weapon. He killed off two more sharks before making all the way home.

In conclusion we find that throughout the voyage of catching the marlin, Santiago has to overcome some pretty rough challenges. He has to survive hunger, fatigue, and fierce man eating sharks. And the amazing thing is that he does all this alone, at the age of 85. I mean, that’s pretty unbelievable if you ask me. How many 85 year olds do you know, that could accomplish what Santiago had in the book The Old man and the Sea?

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By Nate J.

Santiago faced many consequences during his time out at sea. He spent around two to three nights in the water, which can be very dangerous to your health if it rains. In the novella, The old man and the sea, by Ernest Hemmingway, Santiago’s decision was to stay with the Marlin, and his consequences of this action is the old man’s mental health deteriorating, getting a disease or getting sick from the raw fish he is eating, and his physical health deteriorating from his old age. All of these problems are important to his health, and extremely dangerous if he does not sustain his health out as sea.

Santiago had his mental health deteriorating during his time out at sea. Since there was no one on his boat with him while he sailed out, he started to wish that the boy was out there with them. So then, to still have some one to talk to, he started talking to the big fish, or his “brother”. “’How do you feel fish?’ he asked aloud. ‘I feel good and my left hand is better and I have food for a night and day. Pull the boat, fish.’”(74). This is his only communication or sociality that he can have with this marlin. This communication would have been seen as “crazy” to some people, but is as normal as to talking to a dog. This relationship with the fish makes him have an active motive to catch the fish, and lets the old man talk to someone during his time out at sea.

Next to his mental health, it is bad for him to eat raw fish too. If the fish has a disease, or has some problem with it’s body, it is possible for the old man to get sick. “’and what a miserable fish raw. I will never go in a boat again without salt or limes.’”(80). With salt or limes, added to raw fish is called ceviché , and it is like a cooker with out heat. It burns the meat of the fish, and in turn, killing the bacteria on the fish. The fish was also bad tasting with out salt, such as a dolphin. Dolphin is an excellent fish cooked, but to sweet to eat raw.

With his mental health deteriorating, and eating fish raw, his physical health was also deteriorating. When he was holding the wire with the marlin on the other side, he held it all night and then, in the morning when he woke up, he was brought in the morning with a cramp on his left hand. ”’What kind of hand is that,’ he said. ‘Cramp if you want. Make yourself a claw.’”(68). this quote shows that he does now the effects of having a cramp. His cramp was a problem throughout the book, because now, he had to hold the wire with his right hand, risking another cramp on his right. Under all odds, he makes it through the trip without his right hand cramping, and his left hand’s cramp leaving his body.

Santiago faces many consequences to his choice of staying out at sea with the marlin. Santiago’s decision to stay with the marlin is that the old man’s physical health was deteriorating, the possibility of getting sick from the raw fish, and his physical health deteriorating from his age. Facing all of these consequences, Santiago somehow makes it back to his home, but the satisfaction that he had caught an 18 foot marlin. Even thought his marlin was eating all of the marlin, he at least brought some reminisce of the fish to prove to everyone.

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By Libby M.

Choices govern our every day life, even though we do not realize it. Will we wear the jeans or the mini skirt, the tank top or the t-shirt? Will I have cereal for breakfast or bacon and eggs? Will I walk or take the bus? Will I do my homework today or the class period before it is due? Should I answer the teacher or pretend I didn’t hear? Santiago had to make many different decisions so he would survive his fight with the marlin. He had to decide how to prepare for the trip, he had to choose to kill the fish, and his biggest choice was the decision to fight for the fish.

Santiago had to decide how to prepare for his fishing trip. “He ate the white eggs to give himself strength. He ate them all through May to be strong in September and October for the truly big fish” (38). He had to figure out what food would give him the most nutrients and protein to build his muscles before he went fishing. If he had not stayed healthy through the off months, the trip could have ended badly for Santiago. “He also drank a cup of shark liver oil each day from the big drum in the shack… It was very good against all colds and gripes and it was good for the eyes” (38). Santiago also had to keep himself healthy even if what he had to do was unappetizing.

The marlin could have killed the old man. The fish was very large and quite strong while Santiago was not in the best shape that he could be. His body was starting to work against him, like when his hand would cramp. But “[his] choice was to go there to find [the fish] beyond all people. Beyond all people in the world.” (52). Santiago needed this fish and he knew it. He had gone eighty-four days without catching a single fish and he had made the choice to go back into his boat everyday and try again.

Santiago realized that he had to work hard. This wasn’t just going to be a smooth ride to the end. “I have killed this fish which is my brother and now I must do the slave work” (93).He decided he had to do everything in his power to get that great fish home. He didn’t have to, though. He could have given up when the sharks attacked and just left the marlin to float around in its watery grave. He could have listened to the pain that he felt and admitted to his defeat. But he didn’t and he got the fish home to where people could admire him for working so very hard and persevering through many encumbrances.

Our choices adjudicate how our lives play out. We choose to wake up, to go to work, to be safe, and to live our lives. Santiago had to choose to prepare, to try, and to fight and these choices changed how Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea turned out. Without making these choices, Santiago might not have caught the fish. He might not even have lived through the fishing trip. His choices decided how his life and the life how the fish would change those fateful days on the ocean.

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By John B.

In the story The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, the main character Santiago is faced with many obstacles. While trying to catch one of the biggest fish he has ever seen, Santiago struggles with a few physical and mental problems. Also there are some living obstacles in his way too. Santiago decided not to bring any food on his boat either, which took away time from trying to concentrate on catching the Marlin. As you can see there are many things in Santiago’s way.

As Santiago tries to hold on to the fishing line for several days he starts to feel some aches and pains in his hands. In his left hand he experienced some aches and pains from when he had arm wrestled a “Negro” for approximately one day. “For a long time after that everyone had called him “The Champion” and there had been a return match in the spring.”(70) Santiago had still one the match even though his left hand had always given him trouble. During the arm wrestling match everyone had supported the “Negro” by lighting his cigarettes and bring him drinks. This was a disadvantage because he also cut his right hand while holding the fishing line. So both of his hands are very weak.

Santiago is the only person out in the deep of the see all by himself. His loneliness has him always talking to himself. By talking to himself he can remember things from the past and one of his best friends Manolin. If Santiago had the company of his friend he might have had a better chance at catching the Marlin. Also if the boy was with him it would keep him company and he would be a lot less lonely. Aloud he said “I wish I had the boy.” (51) The boy would have given the Old Man a better chance at catching the Marlin. As you can see Santiago needed the boy for company and the help as well.

After a long and exciting voyage in the sea all ends well with Santiago and the Marlin. Santiago had realized that he had let the fish swim way to far out in the ocean. That was where the sharks had lived and swam. There were a few sharks and they decided to eat Santiago’s Marlin in which he had followed for many days. One by one the fish and Santiago tried to defeat the sharks. It wasn’t helping out the best. Santiago’s Marlin had been eaten by the sharks. All that was left to take home was its bones. “He saw the white naked line of his backbone and the dark mass of the head with the projecting bill and all the nakedness between.” (121) All Santiago had to bring back was the Marlins remains and the remembrance of the journey he went on.

The main character Santiago, in The Old Man and the Sea, faced so many problems in his voyage. In the end everything turned out to be what nobody would have ever imagined. From hand cramps, to being lonely, and sharks, Santiago handled things very well for an Old Man. I have been to many different places before and I still remember them from about seven years ago, and I will probably remember the trip for the rest of my life. Santiago overall learned a lesson, just because he didn’t succeed he still had one special experience that nobody but him would have ever had. Even though Santiago had lost his prize, he will never forget the experience

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By Derek H.

The choices Santiago made and didn't make had a huge affect on the outcome of the book The Old Man and The Sea, but if he made different choices the story would be a lot different than it was. Some of these choices were going after the marlin when he had problems with his hands, when he had no food, and when he had no time to sleep. If Santiago had made choices to solve these problems he would have never caught the marlin. This would greatly change the story and its ending.

The first decision Santiago made that had an impact on the outcome of the book, was his choice to keep trying to catch the marlin when he was clearly struggling with hand cramps and cuts. He could barely hold on to his own fishing pole, but he never gave up and kept after the great fish. This quote best shows the problem Santiago had with hand cramps: "What kind of hand is that, cramp then if you want. Make yourself into a claw. It will do you no good." Santiago says himself that it will do no good. To help himself, the choice Santiago should have made at that point in the story was to turn around and start heading home. With the problems he had, he was very lucky to be able to catch the marlin and fight off sharks.

Another huge decision Santiago made, was the choice to go after the marlin when he had no food. Without any food to eat, Santiago will have no energy to try and catch the great fish. He will begin to lose his strength and die of starvation. To make up for this lack of food, he tries to catch smaller fish to eat. His extreme hunger is shown best when he says to the great fish: "You're feeling it now fish, and so, God knows, am I." This quote shows that his choice could have killed him, and it nearly did.

The last decision that Santiago made that impacted the ending was his choice to keep going even without sleep. This could have one of the worst decisions that he could have made. Going without sleep for as long as Santiago did, will cause his brain to begin shutting down. He won't be able to think straight and that could cause him to lose his life. His need for sleep is best described by this quote: "Now let me get through the eating of this dolphin and get some rest and a little sleep." This shows that he wants a rest to eat and sleep before he tries to catch the fish again. It also shows how desperate he is for food and sleep because he is talking to the marlin when he says this.

These were the major decisions that had the biggest impact on the book. Santiago could have made smarter choices, but the book would be a lot different than it was. These choices that the old man made, whether they were good or bad, made the story what it was. There wouldn’t be a story to tell if the old man didn’t make the decisions that he did.

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By Connor F.

Throughout ones life, we face many obstacles and challenges, which not only change us, but shape the rest of our lives forever. In Old Man and the Sea, a novel written by Ernest Hemingway, the main character Santiago , a simple minded hard-working fisherman, is forced to deal with obstacles that change his life and him as a person. These nagging troublesome obstacles and challenges consist of fatigue, hunger, and sharks. These obstacles not only greatly infected the plot, but changed Santiago as man for the rest of his life.

Capturing a 12-foot marlin alone at sea is not an easy thing to do. Imagine being Santiago , an 80 year old man, in a petite skiff capturing something three times his size. It is amazing that a man that old struggles with only fatigue as one of his problems, and not facing his death. Santiago struggles with tiredness in the story when he says: “You are killing me, fish, the old man thought. But you have a right to. Never have I seen a greater, or more beautiful or a calmer or more noble thing than you, brother. Come on and kill me. I do not care who kills you.” (92). This quote shows his fatigue, because you can tell he is not only physically tired, but so mentally exhausted that he is pushed to such an extreme brink of destruction that he does not even care what happens with the marlin.

The second obstacle or challenge that Santiago faces on the open sea, is overcoming hunger. This could be looked at as his fault, for going out to sea ill prepared, but no one expects to be on a four day fishing trip chasing one marlin. Throughout the story Santiago neglects the pestering hunger, but at this point in the story he is finally forced to recognize it, : “And I do not know whether the sun will rot or dry what is left, so I had better eat it although I am not hungry. The fish is calm and steady. I will eat it then I will be ready.” (59). This directly shows how he is starving, because it shows that Santiago is finally making time to eat. It also shows that he must have been putting it off for a long time, and when the fish is calm he is making time to satisfy his own hunger.

The third and final obstacle and challenge that Santiago faces, is the ever relentless sharks. On his trip home, after finally catching the marlin, numerous sharks attack, and tear the marlin to pieces. He fends off many sharks and it shows it when he says,: “But I killed the shark that hit my fish, he thought. And he was the biggest dentuso that I have ever seen. And god knows I have seen big ones.” (103). Losing the marlin was a crushing blow to Santiago , he fought hard on the sea for four days, and to return home with nothing is heartbreaking. The quote directly shows how the sharks were a huge problem because he discusses how they are ever relentless and huge.

In conclusion, seeing how Santiago overcame many challenged throughout the novel, you can see how he is truly an amazing person. Santiago was an 80 year old man stuck alone at see on a tiny skiff, fighting something three times his size. But not only that, he had to also struggle with fatigue, hunger, and sharks that tried to kill him. This shows that Santiago is not only an extraordinary man, but also a pretty tough s.o.b. So next time you consider someone to be tough, picture an 80 year old frail man, capturing a giant, with nothing but a fishing pole and the determination given from god

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