Significant Struggles

Chris Menard
B.G
English 9
3/26/09

Life has many obstacles and problems that people face. They need to find solutions or ways to get around them and accomplish whatever that needs to be done. Many people tend to quit their goals and try to reach something else, but for some people like Santiago he never gives up. He goes through many difficult times some life risking and some original not so affective problems. When the old man is on the sea his young friend abandons him and doesn’t have a friend to lean on and help him. His parents took him away from Santiago because he couldn’t catch a fish for 84 days if his life depended on it. So Manolin left and went to journey with a different boat.

In the beginning of the novel when Manolin left him and he first went out upon the sea, everyone on the other boats laughed at him and being very judgmental that he will never catch anything. They were catching multiple fish every day and Santiago wasn’t catching anything. He ignored them all and just moved on. The other fisherman used a different style of fishing and Santiago used a style that he liked which eventually worked for him in the long run. Santiago was a very strong passionate person. Ha had a dark tan, with some very harsh marks on his back from being out on the ocean so much.

“I’m being towed by a fish and I am the towing bit. I could make the line fast. But then he could break it. I must hold him all I can and give him line when he must need it. Thank god he’s traveling and not going down” (45). Santiago’s willingness to catch the 10 foot, two ton marlin never gave up as he had his mind set on capturing it to sell for him to live another day. He needs all the help and luck that he can get because he has to get some money for food. It took Santiago twenty four full hours on dealing with the toughness of this fish. He was existed the whole entire time when he was trying to reel the marlin in. It was a matter of life or death up to this point. Santiago stayed optimistic the whole time.

“With so much flying fish there should be dolphin” (71). Santiago was grazing the outskirts of the ocean and he realized what was going on and wondered. Where are all of the dolphins? He thought that dolphins were so lovely and gave a great soothing feeling. Nobody could answer that question but all around with the peaceful waves and the tense clash of when they collide. It was an indescribable feeling for him that he couldn’t share with anyone. With the hot sun beating on his bare back making him anxious to catch a fish. The birds were chirping. You could hear the hot sizzle as if hit was hitting solid concrete. Out of random a airplane flew by as he questioned who was in it and where they were going. That’s a whole an other mystery that needs to be figured another time.

A wise man, Santiago once said, “A man can be destroyed but not defeated” (103). Santiago first felt really depressed when the shark took the marlin and ate it right from his boat. But that didn’t bring Santiago down, the matter of fact that he actually caught that giant marlin, probably the biggest ever was a huge accomplishment. He felt proud and confident. Santiago really wanted to have it to bring the marlin back to the shops to sell, to get money but he didn’t just do it for that. He did it for the respect and that he hadn’t caught a single fish in 84 long dreadful days. All that Santiago brought back to the town was the bones of the marlin and him. Santiago is one of those people who never give up. They set a goal and don’t make another one until that one has been accomplished.

Life can be very challenging to most people but with Santiago, even knowing that he only has very little he can get by good. He is able to live and be healthy. He can adjust to whatever is thrown out at him. By struggling Santiago beat his objective of catching the giant marlin. It was difficult and very critical of getting it but as being a very strong, cautious, zealot he had done it. This book is exceptionally great and I was very anxious to read the next page.