Analysis of Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea

Prompt: Analyze Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea

Sample essay analyzing Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea

Assignment

Alongside William Faulkner, Hemingway is regarded as a founding figure of modern American prose. His influence became increasingly evident as the century progressed. His name resonates globally. G.G. Marquez hailed him as a master, and many contemporary American authors revere him as the progenitor of the Minimalism movement. A literary movement that emerged in America in the 1920s with the fundamental principle of maximizing literary minimalism, conserving words and emotions to the utmost...Hemingway is renowned for his Iceberg Theory method, which demands conciseness in reflecting reality. Hence, the hallmark of his literary world is his ability to be succinct. Particularly noteworthy is Hemingway's restraint in using adjectives. Verbs are used to describe human communication behaviors, almost exclusively speaking (say) or the act of self-communication with the character themselves, which is almost exclusively thinking (think). Details, character imagery in his works often carry allegorical and symbolic meanings.

An excerpt from The Old Man and the Sea in the 12th-grade literature textbook, focusing on old Santiago's pursuit of the marlin. Below are the most distinctive features of the text.

1. The ultimate battle with the marlin

The old man hooked the marlin around noon on the first day. Right then, the giant fish took him out to sea for two days and nights. A solitary man, venturing out to sea with only a water bottle and a determination unwavering in his pursuit of catching a fish worthy of his skill, is now faced with a decisive challenge. Will the old man conquer the marlin?

Researchers summarize Hemingway's character traits with the term 'Code hero,' meaning the character code. This characterization has sparked considerable debate. Typically, every character creation by any writer adheres to a certain code. Failing to give a distinctive code to one's character means failure for the writer. Their character cannot linger in the reader's mind. Thus, the concept of the 'Code hero' could be applied to any character of a renowned writer, yet Hemingway's characters receive special recognition.

This has its reasons. It can be summarized as follows: among characteristic characters, Hemingway's characters are the most distinctive or unique to the point that they cannot be confused with characters from any other writer. Understanding it this way, considering Hemingway's characters as code heroes, researchers honor the writer's exceptional creativity as it represents a character type that had never appeared before and will not appear afterward.

Indeed, we can list some codes of Hemingway's characters as follows:

In English, to refer to a character, there are two words: character and hero. The word hero is used less frequently because it implies heroism. Therefore, when researchers call Hemingway's characters code heroes, they aim to denote the heroic qualities of these individuals implicitly.

Hemingway's code heroes are always placed in extreme environments, meaning their existence is harsh to the point where death constantly lurks, forcing them to struggle to overcome it.

Placing characters on the brink between life and death, Hemingway seeks to determine the foundation of human existence in this world and what makes humans nobler than all other creatures that have ever existed on Earth.

Hemingway's characters are compelled to find their own way out in their struggle to protect their lives. Their heroic nature emanates from their ability to fight and find their way out.

The approach for characters to face every challenge, in each different case, may vary, but they all share the same point: relying on skillfulness and willpower, determination.

Hemingway's characters are always aware of the void they must confront. They know very well that their goal of existence is to fight against that void. However, they do not fantasize that humans stand above fate, above nature. They know that once they overcome this void, they will face another void. But they never give up.

They resist the reality with a 'grace under pressure' (Phillip Young). It means that no matter how bleak the situation may be, as long as they are alive, they must strive to fight in order to truly exist as human beings.

Hemingway wrote during a time of significant global upheavals: wars, ideological trends, economic changes,... Human existence in that environment was seen as a tough struggle. From a certain perspective, existence equates to resisting the hostile forces around. Based on this view, Hemingway sees his characters as warriors on the battlefield of life. The portrayal of Santiago is depicted in that manner.

Firstly, the character emerges as a solitary figure. This is a common trait of heroes. In mythology or epic poetry, fairy tales, heroic figures always act alone. This is to assert their extraordinary stature, limitless strength that no force can hinder or match. In the textbook's text, there is only one old man facing the marlin. The battleground is the vast ocean, where no force can intervene. This environment is considered 'pure' to record the strength of the two opponents. The fish keeps pulling, the old man keeps holding on, both striving to exhaust each other. By the third day, the fish starts to weaken and swim in circles. This means the old man is no longer controlled by the fish but is preparing to control the fish. The change in position has affirmed the old man's strength. Is the old man really so physically strong?

The answer is not difficult. The old man is both old and weak in physical strength. Hemingway often emphasizes the 'old age' factor on the old man's body. So where does the old man get the strength to conquer the fish? The old man's strength is mobilized from multiple sources. Firstly, it comes from the glorious past of the old man (a wrestling champion, a man who stood tall on the ocean hunting turtles, fishing,...), then it is the strength from mastering skills (few people have such skilled craftsmanship like the old man in the fishing village, although almost fainting from exhaustion, just one throw, the old man killed the marlin), and finally, it is the strength of spirit. The old man has proven himself against the large creatures of the ocean; human physical strength is indeed pathetic when compared to them, but why humans become the 'lords of all creation' (in Shakespeare's words) is because they possess an unparalleled strength. That is the willpower, determination within the realm of the mind.

The pursuit journey over two days and nights by the old man before has yielded results. It affirms the old man's victory. But that's just the beginning; the battle at this point is entering the most suspenseful stage. The old man has no intention of giving up. The experience as well as the skill of the old man is depicted by the narrator through many specific, delicate details. Just by 'feeling the pressure of the tightening line,' Santiago knows the fish is about to circle.

The old man is not distracted during the fighting process. He is patient with his work. Nothing can deter the old man from the ultimate goal of catching the marlin. It can be said that Santiago is wholehearted and resolute towards the task that at first glance, few people believe he can accomplish. It is precisely diligence, concentration, and high determination that provide boundless strength to the old man.

Another admirable quality in Santiago is his proactive nature. It can be said that he is someone who never sits still waiting for luck to come to him. In that battle, partly because the fish kept pulling continuously, Santiago had to strain himself to resist, and partly because he is inherently an active person. Santiago does not give up in the face of adversity. Movement affirms the desire to demonstrate the value of human existence, even when physical strength has waned. Moreover, for Santiago, inaction means death. He does not want to die. Therefore, Santiago always exists in a state of motion with the actions of the body, mind, and speech.

He reels in the line, lets it out, then speaks, thinks (into words). These actions alternate in the text to create a multi-faceted Santiago, to make the story about one person, one fate, but resonating with many lives, many destinies.

At the beginning of the work, Hemingway places the character Santiago in an extreme stroke of bad luck with 84 days without catching a fish. But precisely because of his tireless action, he is now about to catch the big fish worthy of his skill as he has always desired. Thus, relentlessly pursuing the great ambition in life is a characteristic of Hemingway's code hero.

2. Sensation

Mastering the art of symbolism and ambiguity, Hemingway also successfully exploits the sensations of his characters. Through this, he makes the world of his characters both vividly concrete and yet mysterious and profound, especially with old man Santiago. When weakened, Santiago battles the marlin with experience and spiritual strength. Experience is primarily expressed through sensation. Strangely, Santiago can handle every move of the fish solely by sensation. This shows that Santiago's fishing skills have surpassed the extraordinary threshold. By exploiting these sensations, Hemingway gains favorable conditions to delve deep into the character's inner world. Thus, the character's internal monologue has become a perfect and skillful means of expressing character traits: 'At that moment he felt a sudden jerk and pull on the line held by both hands. It felt sharp and stiff and heavy.'

'The fish's sword thrust into the wire leader, he thought. That was it.' The action occurs underwater, yet the old man still perceives it.

Sensation plays a crucial role in Hemingway's narrative technique. Highlighted in the excerpt are two basic sensations of Santiago: regarding health and overcoming the fish. The text contains a series of sentences referring to these sensations. The narrator uses two linguistic methods to depict them. One is through their own language to describe ('But he felt dizzy again', 'But twice he felt dizzy and dizzy and it scared him',...). The other is using the character's language ('The next turn it circles out, I will rest', the old man said. 'I feel much better. Just two or three more laps and I'll have it').

With this narrative approach, Hemingway's story weaves multiple layers of 'atmosphere.' Typically, the tension of the story is placed directly in the character's direct actions, but with Hemingway, the focus of the story always lies outside the story, in the 'empty' part, the part left unsaid by the narrator.

3. Plot Progression

Santiago's battle with the marlin is intensely gripping. To secure victory, Santiago undertakes the following steps:
- Reeling in the line to make the fish circle.
- Pleading with the fish not to jump for fear of losing it: 'Don't jump, fish,' the old man said. 'Don't jump.'
- Pleading for divine assistance by promising to recite prayers: 'God help me endure. I will recite one hundred Our Fathers and one hundred Hail Marys.'
- Analyzing the situation: 'I must keep it from hurting too much,' the old man thought. 'My pain is not an issue. I can endure. But the fish's pain might drive it mad.'
- Moving the fish: 'I have him coming.'
- Encouraging himself: 'Pull, hands, the old man silently urged. Stand firm, other foot. Stay alert for me, head.'
- Concentrating his strength: 'I put all the pain and what's left of my strength and pride long gone into dealing with the fish's last desperate rush.'
- Spear thrust to kill the fish.

Running parallel to the above developments is the process of Santiago's physical exhaustion:
- As the fish begins to circle, the old man still has enough strength to reel: 'He just felt the pressure of the line slackening and, using his right hand, he started to gently pull it in. The line slackened, as usual, but just as the old man was pulling to the point of breaking, the line began to reel in. The old man stepped aside and began to pull gently, continuously.'
- But then, having to exert himself to keep the fish circling, the old man's strength quickly wanes: 'Two hours later, sweat soaked the old man and he was bone tired,' 'the old man felt dizzy and faint for a whole hour, sweat stinging his eyes and rubbing salt on his cuts above his eyes and forehead,'...
- The peak of exhaustion is mental confusion. The old man enters a state of oscillation between life and death when 'the old man spoke in a voice he could hardly hear himself.'
- At that moment, the old man knew how to encourage himself in time: 'Keep your mind clear and endure it like a human being,' the old man thought. Then he called out: 'Head, be awake.' In doing so, every minute, the old man becomes stronger than the fish.

Following the narrative thread above, we see the battle's progression is highly suspenseful, tracked by each circle of the fish and the dwindling reserves of the old man's strength: 'This momentum isn't good anymore,' the old man thought. 'The old man's mouth was so dry he couldn't speak, but now he couldn't even grab the bottle. This time I have to reel it in close, the old man thought. Just a few more rounds and I'll be out of breath.'

At times, readers might think the old man lost the fish or succumbed to it. However, every time, the old man knew how to uplift his spirits in time: 'This time I have to reel it in close,' the old man thought. 'Just a few more rounds and I'll be out of breath. No, you're strong,' he reassured himself. 'You're always strong.' Eventually, the old man emerged victorious. A magnificent triumph of unshakable determination. In the excerpt, the battle focuses on two adversaries who have become physically worn out. Both have engaged in a relentless struggle with each other for two days and nights. Now, whoever cannot stand firm, does not exist. Hence, we see the intensity of the narrative escalating as the adversaries exhaust their strength. As the fish gradually relents (a sign of surrender), the old man nearly faints several times. Yet, he still rises. In the end, the fish is the vanquished.

4. Individualistic Actions

Another outstanding characteristic of Hemingway's characters is their propensity to establish their own mode of action. Through this way of life, we observe in them the embodiment of a distinct persona.

Santiago is nearly disregarded by the community (only the young boy Manolin cares) and forsaken by nature (unable to catch a fish for 84 days), yet he believes in himself. All that matters is for him to catch the fish, and then everything will come to an end. Here exists an underlying conflict between a Santiago ostracized from the community and a Santiago with his own mode of existence alongside that community.

The old man's actions were resolute: he persisted without losing heart, venturing out to sea with the hope of catching a fish worthy of his skill. His initial goal wasn't driven by the community's standards but by his own sense of living honorably in his own way. He caught a fish that even in his dreams he had never encountered before. This fish was larger than any fish ever brought into the port of La Havana.

4. Individualistic Actions

Santiago, like the characters of the 'lost generation,' believes in authentic values and in his own capabilities. When Santiago prays for God's help, it's not to aid him in catching the fish, but rather to endure, signifying an awareness that the fruits of labor must be earned by human hands, not by any divine intervention. They don't believe in abstract, idealistic concepts as taught by the Bible. Thus, Santiago's promise to recite prayers for God's help is merely a momentary 'cultural reflex' (as Westerners have lived by Christian moral standards for centuries). Afterward, Santiago doesn't actually recite them; he silently tells himself: consider it done. This lack of faith is further extended to a point of disrespect. Particularly notable is the detail where, after killing the fish, the old man sees 'its eyes looking as calm as lenses in a telescope or like a saint in a procession.'

Relying not on God, but on themselves, Hemingway's characters place tremendous humanistic value. Santiago sets his own purpose and way of life. Now, he's nearing his goal; the fish is about to be conquered by him. There's no external force stopping him except himself. Here, we encounter a unique idea of the writer: humans in the process of exploration, conquering themselves. The old man's conquest is conducted simultaneously between two objects: the external object (the fish) and the internal object (his physical abilities).

Through this perspective, readers can see Santiago frequently expressing himself through dialogues. In his battle with the marlin, the old man engages in continuous self-dialogue to keep his mind sharp, his hands from cramping, and his body from collapsing due to the unequal struggle. His battle cry is a rallying call to all parts of his body: 'Pull, arm, he silently urges. Stand firm, legs. Stay alert, mind. Stay alert for me. You've never lost. This time, I'll overturn it.' As a result, through sheer willpower and skillful craftsmanship, the old man has slain the marlin. Yet, his mood isn't entirely jubilant over that achievement.

5. 'You're killing me, fish,'

In the selected text, readers only encounter two characters, the old man and the marlin. The marlin is the object the old man needs to conquer to sustain his physical life (the old man once estimated the amount of meat in the marlin could feed a person throughout the winter), and also to assert spiritual value, for to the old man and to the fishing village, once a fisherman fails to catch fish, he's considered dead. Death in a spiritual sense.

In the conquest of the marlin, the old man senses its majestic, noble, and dignified demeanor, so he admires it, regards it as a companion, and calls it 'brother': 'You're killing me, fish, the old man thinks. But you have the right to do so. I've never seen anyone more brave, graceful, calm, noble than you, brother. Come and kill me. I don't care who kills whom.' The distance between the conqueror and the conquered has been reduced to nothing. The relationship between the old man and the marlin at this point is no longer a simple one-way elimination relationship but a complex, multi-dimensional relationship.

Praising the marlin's honesty and fair play in its confrontation with him, Santiago suggests to readers the implicit message that on land, he no longer finds anyone who shares his soul's bond, human life has been horrifically disrupted by the abandonment of core values. Santiago cannot and does not belong to that world anymore. His straightforwardness, nobility can only find soulmates in the open sea. The marlin is his companion, just as the vast ocean truly becomes the familiar home of the lonely Santiago. Like all his other protagonists, Hemingway constructs an environment close to nature for the character. Only by returning to nature can Hemingway's characters find solace for their souls, empathy. This relationship between the old man and the marlin vividly illustrates this.

However, not always is the relationship between humans and nature as smooth as the title suggests (The Old Man and the Sea) but often complex. The old man's goal is to kill the marlin to find sustenance, but immediately he realizes that the marlin embodies beauty. Killing it means killing beauty. Yet, he cannot refrain from killing it. This is the eternal tragedy of humanity.

6. The Old Man Tries Again

To overcome the marlin and the complexities in his soul, the old man only has one option left: to 'try again.' 'Trying' is the foundation of the old man's success. The text frequently reiterates this proposition in the language of the narrator and Santiago himself:

- I'll give it another try.
- The old man tries again.
- I'll try again.
- The old man tries again, and everything remains the same.
- I'll give it another shot...

With each attempt, the old man edges closer to victory. After each try, the marlin finds itself in a more disadvantaged position against him. Is the success of the old man, and perhaps of humanity in general, due to relentless efforts throughout life?

In the old man's triumph, it's not just the effort to overcome physical and mental pain, but also the past and all the good and bad within the old man himself: 'Summoning all the pain and what remained of his strength and pride, long since gone, he confronted the marlin's final surge, and as the fish swam close to the boat, nearly touching the planks and about to pass, long, deep, wide, silver, and barred with purple and interminable in the water'. Pain, exhaustion, and pride from the past are juxtaposed. Santiago's strength is not the strength of the robust but the strength of the entirety of what has decayed. Yet, the old man still defeats the marlin. That's the inherent value that only humans can achieve on the journey to affirm life.

7. 'The marlin is my fortune'

The Old Man and the Sea is one of Hemingway's masterpieces that helped him win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. Explore further into the concept of the 'iceberg theory' surrounding the story of the old man and the giant fish. You can delve into: Analysis of confronting the school of sharks in the excerpt from The Old Man and the Sea, Reflections on Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea, The Old Man and the Sea is an epic ode to the defiant and heroic stance of humanity, Summary of The Old Man and the Sea.