By Richy W.

In every story the main character endures a problem or usually many problems. These problems could be mental or physical problems they endure. In the Old Man and the Sea Santiago goes through a number of both mental and physical problems that he overcomes to catch the biggest fish he has ever caught before. Santiago endures amazing physical pain everywhere on his body which is a physical problem. Also a big struggle he had to overcome was the fish was so big it was more powerful than him and he was only an old man so he had to find a way to beat him. Mentally Santiago was beat he had been trying to catch the big fish for three days now and he...

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By Jacob R.

In the novella The Old Man and the Sea, written by Earnest Hemingway, the main character, Santiago, has to make one of his biggest decisions which is whether he should let the boy, Manolin go with him or not. In the book he doesn’t let him, and as a result he doesn’t have someone there to help him defeat the sharks, catch the marlin, and heal his wounds while fighting the fish behemoth.One of the reasons it would have gone better is because when he was fighting the sharks he had to use a lot of his equipment to kill them but if he had the boy with him he would have more gaffs or more harpoons to kill the sharks with. “the old man could hear the...

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By Nick W.

The Old Man and the Sea is a novella written by Ernest Hemingway. In this story there is an old man and his name Santiago . He is a fisherman who is very old and has a good friend Manolin who is younger and helps him fish. Santiago decides to go fishing alone this time, he has had very bad luck and hasn’t caught a fish for 84 days. He must fight through many struggles, both internal and external. These struggles affect the plot of the story. Internally Santiago is regretting his decision to not bring along the young boy. Also he is trying to overcome his horrible luck, and external he is struggling with his declining health and age, bad hand,...

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By Amanda T.

In Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea the main character Santiago is a determined fisherman who has a defined love for the sea, and respects it as much as he respects himself. Most of the story happens while Santiago is out at sea fishing for a great catch that would hopefully change his bad luck. The setting of the story affects the plot structure, the main characters identity, and had a big influence on the conflicts of the story. The setting of The Old Man and the Sea had a considerable impact on the plot because most of the story happens while the old man is out at sea fishing. Since he is in the sea, he deals with the animals of the sea and the rough waters. After he had killed the marlin, he has to somehow tie the large fish to his skiff with the rope he has left from the fishing...

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By John H.

The old man and the sea were written by Ernest Hemingway. Most people take for granted the food they eat. People like the old Man and the sea struggle with the ocean everyday. In the story there were many external conflicts. One of them was the external struggle between the old man and the marlin. Through the battle the old man has a constant conflict not only with his age, but his unprepared ness, and with no help.When the old man went out to the sea on that faithful day he was unprepared. He had very primitive methods of catching fish. When he had the line the fish tugged. He did not have a rod and the thin string cut his hand. He had that constant cutting for three long days. Not only the cutting but he had to deal with malnutrition. He had nothing to eat for those three days. He was all...

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By Abby S.

In The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, the main character Santiago deals with many different struggles over his four day adventure at sea. This novella portrays an old fisherman whose days are numbered and luck is running out. One day out at sea he finally catches the fish of all fish and Santiago suffers to what may be his death. Santiago is rapidly becoming old with age but continues to carry on with his passion of fishing amongst the younger men. “He always thought of the sea as la mar which is what people call her in Spanish when they love her.” Hemingway goes on to say that “Some of the younger fisherman, those who used buoys as floats for their line and had motorboats, bought when the shark livers had brought much money, spoke of her as el mar which is masculine.” Santiago...

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By Stacy C.

The novella The Old Man in the Sea by Ernest Hemingway features an old man named Santiago. He is faced with many obstacles at his four-day journey at sea, after a string of bad luck. At sea he is forced to battle sharks to protect his catch, and he has to deal with the physical fatigue from his struggles from catching the fish, and internal struggle from accepting his old age.One obstacle that Santiago has to face while catching the fish is physical fatigue.“ ‘How do you feel hand?’ he asked the cramped hand that was almost as stiff as rigor mortis" (58-59). While trying to catch the fish his left hand cramps up on him because he is overworking...

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By Lizzie C.

The Old Man and the Sea was an adventurous story about an old mannamed Santiago, who was passionate and dedicated to his job as a fisherman.Throughout the book Santiago spent the majority of his time on the sea.The sea was the major setting of the story which shapes the plot andSantiago. Without the sea, there wouldn’t have been a story.The setting basically creates the plot. Santiago was after an immensemarlin. It was larger than his boat and he was alone without help. Heloved and respected the sea and had a lot of faith in himself because he wasvastly fervent about his job, which he also considered his life. “Healways thought of the sea as la mar which is what people call her in Spanishwhen they love her” (29). Thinking of the sea as la mar also showed how theold man loved the sea. A lot...

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By Katie D.

In the novella, The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway, an old man named Santiago tries his luck out on the sea once again. Throughout the story, Santiago is faced with many psychological and physical challenges that shape the plot of the story and challenge Santiago’s character. He struggles with fatigue, lack of food, and coping with his thoughts of loneliness and aging. Throughout the novella, Santiago struggles with fatigue. His hand is cramping, he is weak, and he is tired. “I wish I could show him what sort of man I am. But then he would see the cramped hand” (64). This quote shows that Santiago’s weariness has a direct effect on his ability to fish. He is trying with all his might to reel in the marlin, but his hand and the rest of his body will not cooperate. He also...

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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...

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By Emily B.

Hemingway tells a story about a labor worn man named Santiago with a deep love of the sea. Santiago decides to venture back into the depths to discover his true purpose in life was to always be a fisherman. He endures many mental and physical struggles throughout his journey to achieve greatness. Not only does he face challenges most could never even imagine, but also handles them with extreme courage and strength. He never lets the conflict break him down. One of the many struggles Santiago is forced to battle with is his pride. He has every right to be held in highest regard, but he carries himself away with the metaphorical and literal conflicts his pride places him in. “…Christ, I did not know (the marlin) was so big. I’ll kill him though. In all his greatness and his glory”(66). Although...

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By Alaina H.

Throughout our lives, we make choices that at the time seem like a good idea and are for the better at the time, yet when the outcome comes, we regret them tremendously. Santiago, the main character of the novella, The Old Man and the Sea, seems to face that exact problem. The old man, also known as Santiago, made some difficult yet wrong decisions while venturing on one specific fishing trip, from that trip there resulted in multiple bad outcomes.Many times on what seemed to be Santiago’s perpetual journey, he came frighteningly close to death, itself. If Santiago had maybe brought Manolin along with him, like Manolin had requested, he may have...

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By Olivia L.

In the novella the Old Man and the Sea, the main character Santiago encounters many obstacles and power struggles. All of his problems are based around the one big challenge in the story, to catch the fish. Santiago’s obstacles and power struggles, such as weakness, sleep deprivation, and shark attacks. These made the story interesting and it wouldn’t have been the same without them.One of Santiago’s bigger problems of the story was being weak. Catching a huge fish is not and easy job. Even for a young man it has to be hard, so imagine the old man trying to catch it. The man’s old age definitely played a big part to the challenge of catching...

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By Mike C.

Often times, the main character of a story struggles with conflicts. These conflicts, either external or internal, have an extreme effect on that specific character, by affecting the way the act, or the things they do. In this novella, The Old Man and the Sea, the main character Santiago has to go through many external conflicts. He has to battle an injured hand; he has to survive out on the water without the proper tools and equipment for the several days he will be out there, and finally, he has to deal with numerous sharks attacking his prized marlin that he tried so hard to catch.While being out on the water for days, Santiago had been chasing...

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By Kristin P.

The Old Man and the Sea is a novella that expresses one man’s compassion for the sea and his eternal enthusiasm for fishing. Santiago is a fisherman who travels the oceans surrounding his village on his diminutive skiff. His latest adventure out on the open water confronted Santiago with numerous struggles. His endurance and physical strength were continuously tested. As a result, Santiago brings a notable conflict upon himself, which he must learn to accept.Santiago was faced with many challenges throughout the entire book, and his first predicaments occurred at the very beginning of the tale. After eighty-four days out at sea Santiago had captured...

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By Julee B.

In life we all have struggles and obstacles that make us who we are. In the novella The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago, the old man, struggles with catching a giant, 18-foot, marlin. Throughout this story Santiago struggles with a cramped hand, being alone and having sharks attack his boat. All of these struggles affect Santiago internally and externally, and shape the plot of this story.When catching the fish the Old Man hurt his hand severely. “He could feel the steady hard pull of the line and his left hand was cramped” (Pg 58). The old man unfortunately, didn’t have a fishing pole or rod, so he had to hold the line with his hand. While catching...

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By Lyndsey P.

In the novella The Old Man and the Sea, the author Earnest Hemingway creates a character names Santiago or old man, who goes on a long dangerous journey to try and catch an eighteen foot marlin. Throughout the book, he struggles internally and externally trying to capture the giant fish. He is forced to deal with having a bad hand, not being prepared for the several days out as sea, and having several sharks attack his prized catch. In the book, one thing that Santiago struggles with is having a bad hand. Over time his hands had built up scars from handling heavy fish on cords but when catching the marlin Santiago's hands had been cramping up...

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By Kyle G.

In the novella, The Old Man and the Sea, an old fisherman name Santiago faces many struggles in a fight to catch a fish, which at the end of the day, turns out to be more to be more than just another nights dinner. Santiago faces many physiological conflicts putting his mind to a state of give up and die, or fight and live. He also faces many physical conflicts against his old age and weakness, his constant fatigue, as well as him having very little to no supplies to keep him alert in this constant battle with the elements, his mind, the fish, and the drive to get back home. Does Santiago have what it takes, or will his mind and body give up,...

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By Joe K.

In the novella the Old Man and the Sea Earnest Hemingway establishes an image of an old weathered man who’s passion for fishing baits him back to the sea even after months of failure. He comes to realization of his aged, haggard state and is forced to endure several struggles. His age, condition, limited strength and denial of his weaknesses all burden him along his voyage to catch this giant marlin.The old man, Santiago, is described as “the old man who fishes alone in his skiff” (10). It is apparent in the description of this mans lifestyle that he is aging and worn down. Most of all Santiago is struggling with his elderly state as a physical...

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By Jack M.

The Old Man and the Sea, written by Ernest Hemingway, follows the adventures of a deep sea fisherman named Santiago. After traveling the sea with a marlin leading him for numerous days, the old man encounters numerous difficulties to overcome, and gradually throughout the tale, becomes worn down in a torment of his own determination. With the rising and the setting of four suns, Santiago is both physically and mentally destroyed by the elements of his journey.As the old man begins his journey, in less than a day, he succeeds in hooking a marlin. Shortly thereafter, the strength of the fish challenges Santiago’s age as the old man encounters the...

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By Dan S.

The Old Man and the Sea is a novella written by Ernest Hemingway. This is about an old man Santiago fighting for his life to catch an 18 foot marlin. Along his journey he faces many physical and mental challenges. He realizes that without the help of his good friend that he can’t be a successful fisherman. He also is starting to doubt himself, and he knows he is not as good of a fisherman as he used to be. He also has to fight through many injuries during his time on the ocean.During his long time out on the ocean alone he realizes that he can’t be successful without the help of his friend Manolin. The boy not only helps him with the physical...

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By Clare N.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway is a novella involving the main character, Santiago, going through many struggles. The elderly fisherman goes on a four day long fishing adventure chasing after an eighteen foot long marlin. Manolin, the boy who was now forbidden to go fishing with the old man by his parents, was good to have around but with his absence, he is suffering from lack of help and support.Santiago is represented as an unlucky fisherman in a small fishing village. He has a meager amount of money and an inadequate skiff but he tries to make do with what he has. He was expecting to go out at sea for just the day and come back...

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