Santiago the old man defies the odds in this area of the book, not only does the old man go out again on his own to catch a fish, but this time has a three day battle with one of them.
Ernest Hemingway develops the character Santiago very well during this section of the book. By giving the old man a journey by himself the reader is able to see how strong the old man really can be. Santiago at the beginning of the book was looked at as a sad old man that could no longer accomplish the job he wanted/needed to do, now in this section we see his character show what it is truly about.
Santiagos' battle with this huge Marlin shows that his character is resilient, and will not back down without a fight. Anyone in todays world i'm sure could not withstand a battle with a fish for three days, let alone want the fish that bad that they stay to do so. This says a lot about Santiago as he wants the fish that bad that he is willing to go as long as it takes to get it.
The heartless end to that story being that the other animals of the world decide that the Marlin is theirs and choose to eat it from the side of his skiff.
This is interesting to see the journey of the character and to see the growth. My book I am reading is a little different because Lolita will need to come to the realization what is happening to her is wrong.
ReplyDeleteCharacter growth is definitely important in every book, I think that without growth the reader can not see the true progression of the book.
DeleteDo you think Hemingway is trying to make a point about determination, seeing as, despite how determined Santiago is, his goal (is the fish really his goal?) isn't actually met?
ReplyDelete