Old Man And The Sea Argumentative Essay Example For Students

Old Man And The Sea Argumentative Essay TheOld Man and the Sea is a heroic tale of mans strength pitted againstforces he cannot control. It is a story about an old Cuban fisherman and histhree-day battle with a giant Marlin. Through the use of three prominent themes;friendship, bravery, and Christianity; the Old Man and the Seastrives to teach important life lessons to the reader while also epitomizingSantiago, the old fisherman, as a Hemingway code hero. The relationship betweenSantiago and the boy is introduced early in the story. They are unlikelycompanions; one is old and the other young, yet they share an insuperable amountof respect and loyalty for each other. Santiago does not treat Manolin as ayoung boy but rather as an equal. Age is not a factor in their relationship. We will write a custom essay on Old Man And The Sea Argumentative specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Manolin does not even act as a young boy; he is mature and sensitive toSantiagos feelings. He even offers to disobey his parents and accompanySantiago on his fishing trips. Santiago is viewed as an outcast in his villagebecause he has not caught any fish for more than eighty-four days and istherefore unlucky. Nonetheless Manolin is loyal to Santiago and evenwhen his parents forbid him he wants to help his friend. Their conversations arecomfortable, like that of two friends who have known each other for a long time. When they speak it is usually about baseball or fishing, the two things theyhave most in common. Their favorite team is the Yankees and Santiago never losesfaith in them even when the star player, Joe DiMaggio is injured with a heelspur. In this way Santiago not only teaches Manolin about fishing but also aboutimportant characteristics such as faith. In the story Santiagos bravery isunsurpassed but it is not until he hooks the great fish that wetruly see his valor and perseverance. Through Santiagos actions Hemingwayteaches the reader about bravery and tenacity in the face of adversity. Hedemonstrates that even when all is lost and seems hopeless a faith and willfulheart will overcome anything. Santiago had lost his luckiness andtherefore the respect of his village. Through the description of his cabin wealso suspect that Santiago is a widower. Although Santiago has had many troubleshe perseveres. He has faith in Manolin, in the Yankees, in Joe DiMaggio, andmost importantly in himsel f. This is perhaps his greatest attribute becausewithout it he would never have had the strength to persevere and defeat thegiant Marlin. Faith is not the only thing that drives his perseverance. Santiagoalso draws upon his past victories for strength. After he hooks the Marlin hefrequently recalls his battle with a native in what he calls the handgame. It is not just an arm wrestling victory for him it is a reminder ofhis youthful days. His recollections of this event usually proceed a favoritedream of his in which he sees many lions on a peaceful shore. These lionsrepresent him when he is young and strong and could overcome any challenge. Although he is an old man and his body is no longer like it used to be his heartis still great and he eventually defeats the Marlin. Santiagos perseverance andbravery are further illustrated when he tries to fight off the sharks. He was afisherman all his life and therefore he knows that the fate of his catch isinevitable yet he persists to fight the sharks. The battle between him and thesharks is about principles not a mere fish. Santiago is still a great warrior atheart and warriors fight until the end. One of the greatest and most obviouspieces of symbolism in the story is Christianity. From the beginning of thestory the reader is shown a unique relationship between Santiago and Manolin. .u291d4f6777c610442541548c0c36004c , .u291d4f6777c610442541548c0c36004c .postImageUrl , .u291d4f6777c610442541548c0c36004c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u291d4f6777c610442541548c0c36004c , .u291d4f6777c610442541548c0c36004c:hover , .u291d4f6777c610442541548c0c36004c:visited , .u291d4f6777c610442541548c0c36004c:active { border:0!important; } .u291d4f6777c610442541548c0c36004c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u291d4f6777c610442541548c0c36004c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u291d4f6777c610442541548c0c36004c:active , .u291d4f6777c610442541548c0c36004c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u291d4f6777c610442541548c0c36004c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u291d4f6777c610442541548c0c36004c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u291d4f6777c610442541548c0c36004c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u291d4f6777c610442541548c0c36004c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u291d4f6777c610442541548c0c36004c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u291d4f6777c610442541548c0c36004c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u291d4f6777c610442541548c0c36004c .u291d4f6777c610442541548c0c36004c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u291d4f6777c610442541548c0c36004c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Alexis de Tocqueville?s Influence EssayTheir relationship parallels that of Christ and his disciples. Manolin isSantiagos disciple and Santiago teaches Manolin about fishing and life. One ofthe greatest lessons that Santiago gives is that of a simple faith. Havefaith in the Yankees my son. This type of faith reflects the basicprinciples of Christianity. Hemingways description of Santiago furtherillustrates Christian symbolism. Hemingway gives a reference to the nail-piercedhands of Christ by stating that Santiagos hands had deep creasedscars. Hemingway also parallels Santiagos suffering to that of Christ bystating that he settled against the wood and took his suffering as itcame. Even more profound is the description of Santiagos response when hesaw the sharks, just a noise such a man might make, involuntarily feelingthe nail go through his hands and into the wood. (Page 107) Furthersymbolism is shown when Santiago arrives home and carries the mast across hisshoulders as Christ carried the cross to Calvary. Also, like Christ, Santiagocould not bare the weight and collapsed on the road. When he finally reached hiscabin he slept face down on the newspapers with his arms out straight andthe palms of his hands up. (Page 122) Hemingway puts these themes togetherin such a way that they do not conflict with each other. He does allowChristianity to be a more dominant theme than the other but instead makes itmore symbolic than intentional. He does not smother the relationship between theold man and the young boy but instead separates them for a large part of thestory. Finally, he does not make Santiagos bravery a central them byhighlighting his weaknesses. In the end the old mans perseverance and faith payoff. He finally gains the respect of the village and succeeds in teachingManolin the lessons of faith and bravery. In Ernest Hemingways The OldMan and the Sea, one will find many examples in which the main character,Santiago, surpasses many hardships while being courageous, brave, and being afriend. Each of these: courage, bravery, and friendship, are qualities in aHemingway code hero.