SELF-PROVING OF SANTIAGO ( The Old Man and The sea )

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         The old man and the sea by one of the most famous writter Ernest Hemingway is one of the most wellknown story by society, other writter, and get so much appreciation. This writter who was born in Oak Park, Illinois, USA, 1899 has created many others story that are as good as this story such as A Farewell To Arms, The Sun Also Rises, For Whom The Bells Tools, Across The River And Into The Trees which has a big contribution to the developement of literature. There are also some of his works that he has taken from his own experiences like in the story A Farewell To Arms when he worked as a volunteer in Italy as Ambulance driver in world war 1. His stories have also inspired so many people for his amazing story. He is reputed as the best English novelist in his period for his novella The Old Man And The Sea which have brought him achieving Pulitzer nobel in 1953 and in the next year he achieved a nobel due to his contribution making and developing new style in modern literature. He passed away in 1961 in his house because of suicide.

       In my opinion, this story is such of so many moral values. The story that took place in Gulf of Mexico tell us about how a man prove himself and how he face even a big problem in his old days by trying to show to others fisherman if he still can catch a  big fish eventhough he failed in the end. By reading  some begining paragraphs, we can find some sentences that show to us about his characters and his physic such as ‘’Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same colour as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated’’. ‘’ The old man’s head was very old though and with his eyes closed there was no life in his face’’. We know that he was an old man and everything about him is old except his eyes. In the some next pharagraphs , we can read some sentences that tell us about his characters, ‘’ His hope and his confidence had never gone’’. ‘’ I think perhaps I can too. But I try not to borrow. First you borrow, then you beg’’.’’  No, I know others better’’.  Those sentences prove to us that eventhough he is old, he still has a hope and confidence. Eventhough he has nothing, he still tried not to borrow. It means that he ruled his life in principle. In the story the writter also show to us how an old man can be a good friend with a little boy, his attitude towards nature, and also the main thing is self-proving of santiago.

       At the first sentence the writter says that he was an old man who was alone in a skiff in the gulf stream and he had gone for eighty days without taking a fish. Santiago has actually failed to catch fish for a long time, but he never give up before he catch truly big fish. With his very simple skiff and another thing he has, he has never been so afraid to fish alone in the sea without anybody helping him. Santiago is actually a gentleman. It is proven when we read the sentence ‘’ They sat on the terrace and many of the fisherman made fun of the old man and he was not angry’’. When Santiago heard other fishermen made fun of him, he actually wanted to prove himself to other fishermen who made fun of him that he still can catch a fish. He was an old man, but it doesn’t stop him reaching his goal. From the sentence’’ I think so. And there are many tricks’’ we know that he will never think that age will influence him.

       After other fishermen made fun of him, he decided to catch a truly big fish alone in his skiff  to prove that they were wrong. He started to go fishing far away in the sea where he couldn’t see any island even his place, Havana. His principle is about, pay to much attention to what people say means lack of self-confidence. So, he just ignored everything bad that people said toward him and tried to do his best. He fought alone in his skiff in the gulf stream for three days against a big fish, Marlin. He was very stubborn and never let the fish to go away. He used every tricks he has to catch the fish. The sentence ‘’ Fish, he said aloud, I’ll stay with you until I’m dead’’ proves that he was a stubborn man with nothing will stop him catching the fish.

       In the middle of his fight he said to himself that perhaps he should has not been a fisherman, but that was the thing he was born for. He always strengtheened himself everytime he felt he wanted to give up. He actually could catch the fish and started to return to the harbour, but in his way home, some sharks smelled his fish and tried to bite the fish. Santiago tried to save his fish from the attack of the sharks with all his strengh and all he has in his skiff. But unfortunately, he couldn’t save his fish and the sharks has bitten his marlin until it dead. After he arrived to the harbour, he directly walked to his shack and took some sleep. When the boy Saw him, he ran to his skiff and saw the bone of his fish in the water and also other fishermen saw it too. They wondered about how big the fish Santiago has caught.

       This novella was written by Ernest Hemingway when people think he has stopped writing. But finally this novela became one the the best work he has ever done in his career. In my opinion, the conclusion is  when we try to make a big effort , when we try to prove ourselves , then we will make something better. Meanwhile we think that every effort makes a better difference, some people think that no matter how big the effort we make, how big the struggle we have, finally it comes to nothing.