The Struggles of life

Since the beginning of time, humans have struggled. We struggle day to day to make the right decisions or to face a relentless obstacle in the way. We struggle to persevere through bodily unwillingness or to physically defend ourselves against adversary forces. We are constantly in a battle with ourselves to strive for companionship so we are not lonely. These are some of the types of struggles Santiago is forced to combat with in the Old man in the Sea novella.

In this novella, Santiago endures the affects of fishing on his own body. Ernest Hemingway portrays Santiago as an old, beaten-down man. He is in a constant fight with his body to not give up. He knows that his body can only take so much and that’s why he has some techniques to help him. “Eat it now and it will strengthen the hand. It is not the hand’s fault and you have been many hours with the fish.” (58). Santiago soothes his cramped hand by eating the tuna. Santiago knows he can not move on and expect to catch a fish without taking care of his body first. His predicament makes him stronger. His encouraging thoughts keep him optimistic and help him endure the pain. Even though a cramped hand will create a problem for him, he still keeps a clear head and doesn’t let the pestering problem keep him down. His will keeps him going to catch the fish.

Santiago is unwillingly faced with strong adversaries that interrupt his fishing. Just when Santiago was about to catch the Marlin, he encountered a pod of sharks. The sharks started to attack the godly marlin that Santiago had spent days to catch. He is then left with the last resort which is to fight. “The shark came to a rush and the old man hit him as he shut his jaws. He hit him solidly and from as high up as he could raise the club. This time he felt the bone at the base of the brain and he hit him again in the same place while the shark tore the meat loose sluggishly and slid down from the fish.” (114). Santiago uses any type of weapon to fend off the sharks. His brave personality and strength allow Santiago to take the shark. Also Santiago’s common sense, to beat the shark in the brain and stop him in his tracks, proves how fishing oriented Santiago is. He knows how to handle himself in tough situations and knows how to face them with courage.

One heart-wrenching struggle that Santiago tries to overcome is a companion. He wants someone to be there with him to accompany him on his fishing trips. He wants someone there to help him catch fish as another set of hands to take some of the strain off from him. He wants someone to be there for him to mend his cramped hand. He wants someone there to just share his life with and to talk to. “Then he said aloud, ‘I wish I had the boy. To help me and to see this.’”(48). Santiago still yearns for a friend, like the boy. The compassion for the boy to be there for him never goes away and we only see this weakness in him every so often. The dismal mood that surrounds him never seems to fade. Santiago only wishes for the boy to fill the void in his heart to lighten up his life.

Since the time Ernest Hemingway wrote the novella, one can peek at Santiago’s life and get a glimpse of his struggles. However, his will to do better and courageous actions lead readers to believe that his optimistic attitude will never get him down. There is always another day to come. Santiago’s life exemplifies of just how humans might struggle through life and that leaves one to believe that struggles do not destroy humans, but make them stronger.