Brief Summary
The Old Man and The Sea is one of the best novels written in English literature. The writer of the novel, Hemingway believes that success is not very important in life. According to the writer, the most important thing is the struggle, dignity, courage and determination with which a man strives to attain success. According to his philosophy, "to give up struggle would be unmanly." An important trait of Hemingway's philosophy is that his winner takes nothing with him. The present novel also reveals this belief of the writer. This is the story of an old, weathered fisherman who has just gone eighty-four days without catching any fish. However, on the 85th day he is determined to catch a big fish.
Santiago has been fishing with a young boy named Manolin for many years. The boy started fishing the old man when he was only five years old. Santiago is like Manolin's second father and has taught the young boy everything about fishing. He is extremely loyal to Santiago and makes sure that the old man is always safe, fed and healthy. However, Manolin's parents force him to leave Santiago and fish on a more lucrative fishing boat. He does not want to leave Santiago, but must honour his duty to his parents. On the new boat, Manolin catches several fish during the first few days. He always proves to be a great source of encouragement, strength and energy for the old man.
On the 85th day, the old man decides to head out on the Gulf Stream alone in the hope of catching a big fish. He sets up his fishing line with the utmost care, a skill that other fishermen lack. Suddenly he feels something heavy tugging at one of his lines. A huge Marlin has found Santiago's bait and this starts a very long struggle between the two. The Marlin is so huge that it drags Santiago beyond all other boats and people. He can no longer see the land from where the fish drags him. Santiago utilizes his remarkable skill to kill such a monstrous fish. He is wounded, exhausted and hungry, but he never loses heart and struggles constantly and undauntedly to overcome the great fish.
Santiago and the Marlin are attached to each-other physically and is Santiago's case, emotionally. He sees the fish as his brother. Despite this, he must kill it, because his life and honour depend on it. He feels guilty killing a brother, but after an intense struggle in which the fish drags the skiff around in circles, he succeeds to harpoon the fish. He lashes it on the side of the boat. He feels brave like his hero great DiMaggio who accomplished great tasks in despite obstacles, injuries and adversities. After that he gets ready to go back with a happy heart, but his happiness is transitory. After the old man has enjoyed a few moments of pride, a pack of sharks detects the blood in the water and follows the trail to Santiago's skiff. He utilizes all available sources to save his prized catch. Every shark takes a huge bit out of the Marlin's body. At the end, there is nothing left except the giant skeleton of the huge fish. Thus, his fishing voyage proves to be lucky as well as unlucky simultaneously.
Having been defeated by the sharks, the old man reaches the shore half dead by weariness and fatigue. he is barely able to walk and slowly staggers back to his hut where he falls into bed. In his dreams, he dreams of lions. This shows that he has not accepted defeat and still has hopes of better future. The next morning the boy cries when he looks at Santiago's bruised hands. He vows to fish with Santiago again and tells that the other fishermen are appreciating him. The old man who was considered unlucky regains his grandeur, as he strives courageously and undauntedly to the limits of his strength. Of course man is not made for defeat; he can be destroyed, but not defeated.
Q.01. Give the character sketch of Santiago.
Ans: The Old Man ant The Sea is a great novel having only one main character around whom the whole novel revolves. He is an old, but skilled fisherman who fishes alone in his skiff in the Gulf Stream. The most remarkable quality of this fisherman is that he never loses heart, even in adverse circumstances. He is always courageous, determined and hopeful of his success.
Santiago is the upholder of Hemingway's philosophy who believes in struggle, not in victory. In spite of being old and weak, he has great resisting power against odds and continues his fight till the limits of his strength. He loses his weapons one by one, but never loses heart. In spite of suffering from absolute physical exhaustion, he goes on struggling. Being an old man he considers skill to be more important than physical strength. Having passed 84 days without catching any fish, he is still hopeful to catch a big fish. His hope leads him to the vast sea to try his luck there. Fortunately, he hooks a gigantic marlin and succeeds to kill it. The blood of the fish invites to attack. As a result, when he reaches his native harbor, there is no marlin left, except a huge skeleton tied to the boat.
Santiago is the part of natural universe. He lives under the sun, the moon, and the stars and talks to the fish, the birds and the stars. He has a great power of endurance. From the very beginning of the novel, the writer feels him suffering. the other fishermen make fun of him, but he never loses heart. In spite of being lonely and helpless, he fights constantly and courageously. Having seen no one to help him, he starts thinking about his the days of his youth and the lions that he saw on the African shores, which give his energy and courage. He talks to the birds and the fish in a friendly manner in order to overcome his feelings of loneliness. The killing of the fish is a great success for him and a crowning point of his happiness.
Santiago's fight with the sharks also proves him to be a great man. It is because of his remarkable skill, determination, courage and power of endurance that an old, weak and support-less man rises up to the level of a great hero. Though he loses the battle he has won, he remains victorious morally. Symbolically, Santiago stands for human beings combating the forces of nature. His philosophy that man is not made for defeat, he can be destroyed, but not defeated can make any feeble and ordinary person victorious if he upholds this philosophy.
Q.02. Give the character sketch of Manolin.
Ans: Manolin is the second important character of the novel. He had learnt to catch the fish from the old man. He remained with the old man during the first forty days of his bad luck. But after that his parents forced him to leave the old man. Manolin started to go with another fisherman who caught three big fish during the first week.
Manolin does not want to let Santiago go alone on his fishing excursion. Though he has left the old man, yet he always helps his to carry his gear. He brings for the poor old man beer, food , coffee and fish for baits. It is he who sympathizes with Santiago on his great loss. It is only Manolin who is remembered by the old man whenever he is caught in trouble.
Manolin is a symbol of a lost youth for the old man. Through him, Santiago is able to recapture his hey-days when he used to be very strong. During his distress in the sea, Santiago remembers the boy again and again. When the old man and the line are strained to the breaking point, the old man says: "If the boy was here, he would wet the coils of line." These words revive the energy of his body. When the sharks attack the marlin, he remembers Manolin, because he needs somebody to help him.
Manolin is too much attached with the old man. When Santiago remains out on his fishing excursion, Manolin visits his shack every morning to see whether he has returned. In his last appearance in the novel, he gets so overwhelmed by emotions that he starts crying. He goes away to bring some coffee and all the way he keeps crying. He gets some edibles and serves the old man. They talk about future fishing plans. He consoles the beaten old man and goes away saying that he would bring a clean shirt for him and some ointment for the wounded hands of the old man.
Apparently the boy does not play an important role in the novel and in the adventures of the old man, but it is not so. In fact, it is the old man who is keeping the old man alive. Without Manolin, perhaps there would have been no old man. The old man gets encouragement from the thoughts of Manolin. In fact, Manolin is a symbol of old man's inner youth, which is still present in him and which becomes a bond between the old man and the boy.
Q.03. Describe the theme of the novel "The Old Man and The Sea."
Ans: "The Old Man and the Sea" is an interesting novel. The story of the novel leaves a lasting impression on the reader and the way in which Santiago's gain is changed into loss is the main charm of the story. The story may be interpreted in different ways, but three themes seem to be prominent. The first is that success and failure are the most important aspects of human life. The second theme is related to man's dependence upon his fellow beings and the third is that ceaseless struggle is the essence of life.
First of all the story indicates that success and failure are two important aspects of human life. They always go side by side with each other. We may not always be successful, but we should always work for it. Santiago had been going for fishing for 84 days and was not successful. After forty days he was even deprived of his only companion Manolin, because his parents thought that the old man was unlucky. The old man, however did not lose heart and continued to work all alone. On the 85th day he went far out in the sea and was able to hook a huge marlin. The marlin continued pulling the boat for almost three days. At last he was able to kill the marlin, but his success was transformed into failure by the attack of the sharks and he had to return to the shore only with the skeleton of the marlin, but he did not become hopeless.
The second theme of the story is that human beings always depend upon others. A lonely man can hardly make any achievement in life. Man needs company and without the help of others, no success is possible. We find Santiago always missing the boy and feeling that his company would have made his work easy. His loneliness makes him pathetic and miserable. Had the boy been with Santiago, they might have saved the marlin for the sharks and might have returned to the shore victorious. The third theme is that constant struggle is the basis of human life. It is true that sometimes our honest efforts fail to bring fruit, but one should not be disappointed and be always on the road of struggle.
Santiago, the old fisherman having failed to catch any fish for 84 days still believed in struggle and his struggle was successful in the form the marlin. his brave fight with the marlin for three days was a wonderful example of human struggle against unfavorable circumstances and so was his fight against the sharks. He did his best to save the fish, but could not do so. His failure to save the marlin did not dishearten him. He was determined to continue his struggle till success. His remarks about the sharks: "I will fight them until I die," constitute the main theme of the novel.
Q.04. Describe the most interesting incident of the novel "The Old Man and The Sea."
Ans: The novel "The Old Man And The Sea" is full of thrill and excitement, but there can be no other opinion about the fact that the brave fight of the old man with the great fish marlin for three days and his subsequent struggle to kill the fish is the most interesting and exciting incident of the novel. It was very important for the old man to kill the fish and take it to the shore as a mark of the success of his mission.
Santiago was able to hook a marlin on the 85th day. But it proved to be unusually strong fish. After taking the bait, the marlin started pulling the boat and created unexpected difficulties for the old man. He had never come across such type of fish. The fish continued swimming in deep water to the north, pulling the skiff for three days. The old man had been holding the line all the time. His hands had been injured by the fast movement of the line. He mad the line pass across his back to support his hands. He had been in this miserable condition for three days and the fish still continued pulling the boat. It appeared as if the fish would never tire, but the old man was as determined as before despite the fact that he was completely exhausted.
However, on the third day the marlin eventually started circling. This indicated good luck for Santiago. He pulled the line hard in such a way that each time the circle was shortened. The marlin was gradually coming nearer and nearer. Suddenly it jumped and gave a jerk on the line. The old man feared that he would lose the fish if it started running or if it started jumping. Then the marlin started hitting the wire leader of the line and the old man was afraid that the line might be damaged. The old man continued handling the fish for a long time.
At last it came on the surface of the sea only thirty yards away from the skiff. Its huge body with purple strips was visible to the old man. The old man pulled the line, but the fish was still beyond his reach and he found it very difficult to bring it closer. He tried to bring it along side the skiff, so that he might kill it with the harpoon, but each time the fish escaped clearly. At last the fish came near the skiff. The old man took his harpoon, gathered his full strength and drove it in marlin's body. The fish was killed and the old man was very happy at his great achievement. No doubt, this is the most thrilling and exciting incident of the novel.
Q.01. Give the character sketch of Santiago.
Ans: The Old Man ant The Sea is a great novel having only one main character around whom the whole novel revolves. He is an old, but skilled fisherman who fishes alone in his skiff in the Gulf Stream. The most remarkable quality of this fisherman is that he never loses heart, even in adverse circumstances. He is always courageous, determined and hopeful of his success.
Santiago is the upholder of Hemingway's philosophy who believes in struggle, not in victory. In spite of being old and weak, he has great resisting power against odds and continues his fight till the limits of his strength. He loses his weapons one by one, but never loses heart. In spite of suffering from absolute physical exhaustion, he goes on struggling. Being an old man he considers skill to be more important than physical strength. Having passed 84 days without catching any fish, he is still hopeful to catch a big fish. His hope leads him to the vast sea to try his luck there. Fortunately, he hooks a gigantic marlin and succeeds to kill it. The blood of the fish invites to attack. As a result, when he reaches his native harbor, there is no marlin left, except a huge skeleton tied to the boat.
Santiago is the part of natural universe. He lives under the sun, the moon, and the stars and talks to the fish, the birds and the stars. He has a great power of endurance. From the very beginning of the novel, the writer feels him suffering. the other fishermen make fun of him, but he never loses heart. In spite of being lonely and helpless, he fights constantly and courageously. Having seen no one to help him, he starts thinking about his the days of his youth and the lions that he saw on the African shores, which give his energy and courage. He talks to the birds and the fish in a friendly manner in order to overcome his feelings of loneliness. The killing of the fish is a great success for him and a crowning point of his happiness.
Santiago's fight with the sharks also proves him to be a great man. It is because of his remarkable skill, determination, courage and power of endurance that an old, weak and support-less man rises up to the level of a great hero. Though he loses the battle he has won, he remains victorious morally. Symbolically, Santiago stands for human beings combating the forces of nature. His philosophy that man is not made for defeat, he can be destroyed, but not defeated can make any feeble and ordinary person victorious if he upholds this philosophy.
Q.02. Give the character sketch of Manolin.
Ans: Manolin is the second important character of the novel. He had learnt to catch the fish from the old man. He remained with the old man during the first forty days of his bad luck. But after that his parents forced him to leave the old man. Manolin started to go with another fisherman who caught three big fish during the first week.
Manolin does not want to let Santiago go alone on his fishing excursion. Though he has left the old man, yet he always helps his to carry his gear. He brings for the poor old man beer, food , coffee and fish for baits. It is he who sympathizes with Santiago on his great loss. It is only Manolin who is remembered by the old man whenever he is caught in trouble.
Manolin is a symbol of a lost youth for the old man. Through him, Santiago is able to recapture his hey-days when he used to be very strong. During his distress in the sea, Santiago remembers the boy again and again. When the old man and the line are strained to the breaking point, the old man says: "If the boy was here, he would wet the coils of line." These words revive the energy of his body. When the sharks attack the marlin, he remembers Manolin, because he needs somebody to help him.
Manolin is too much attached with the old man. When Santiago remains out on his fishing excursion, Manolin visits his shack every morning to see whether he has returned. In his last appearance in the novel, he gets so overwhelmed by emotions that he starts crying. He goes away to bring some coffee and all the way he keeps crying. He gets some edibles and serves the old man. They talk about future fishing plans. He consoles the beaten old man and goes away saying that he would bring a clean shirt for him and some ointment for the wounded hands of the old man.
Apparently the boy does not play an important role in the novel and in the adventures of the old man, but it is not so. In fact, it is the old man who is keeping the old man alive. Without Manolin, perhaps there would have been no old man. The old man gets encouragement from the thoughts of Manolin. In fact, Manolin is a symbol of old man's inner youth, which is still present in him and which becomes a bond between the old man and the boy.
Q.03. Describe the theme of the novel "The Old Man and The Sea."
Ans: "The Old Man and the Sea" is an interesting novel. The story of the novel leaves a lasting impression on the reader and the way in which Santiago's gain is changed into loss is the main charm of the story. The story may be interpreted in different ways, but three themes seem to be prominent. The first is that success and failure are the most important aspects of human life. The second theme is related to man's dependence upon his fellow beings and the third is that ceaseless struggle is the essence of life.
First of all the story indicates that success and failure are two important aspects of human life. They always go side by side with each other. We may not always be successful, but we should always work for it. Santiago had been going for fishing for 84 days and was not successful. After forty days he was even deprived of his only companion Manolin, because his parents thought that the old man was unlucky. The old man, however did not lose heart and continued to work all alone. On the 85th day he went far out in the sea and was able to hook a huge marlin. The marlin continued pulling the boat for almost three days. At last he was able to kill the marlin, but his success was transformed into failure by the attack of the sharks and he had to return to the shore only with the skeleton of the marlin, but he did not become hopeless.
The second theme of the story is that human beings always depend upon others. A lonely man can hardly make any achievement in life. Man needs company and without the help of others, no success is possible. We find Santiago always missing the boy and feeling that his company would have made his work easy. His loneliness makes him pathetic and miserable. Had the boy been with Santiago, they might have saved the marlin for the sharks and might have returned to the shore victorious. The third theme is that constant struggle is the basis of human life. It is true that sometimes our honest efforts fail to bring fruit, but one should not be disappointed and be always on the road of struggle.
Santiago, the old fisherman having failed to catch any fish for 84 days still believed in struggle and his struggle was successful in the form the marlin. his brave fight with the marlin for three days was a wonderful example of human struggle against unfavorable circumstances and so was his fight against the sharks. He did his best to save the fish, but could not do so. His failure to save the marlin did not dishearten him. He was determined to continue his struggle till success. His remarks about the sharks: "I will fight them until I die," constitute the main theme of the novel.
Q.04. Describe the most interesting incident of the novel "The Old Man and The Sea."
Ans: The novel "The Old Man And The Sea" is full of thrill and excitement, but there can be no other opinion about the fact that the brave fight of the old man with the great fish marlin for three days and his subsequent struggle to kill the fish is the most interesting and exciting incident of the novel. It was very important for the old man to kill the fish and take it to the shore as a mark of the success of his mission.
Santiago was able to hook a marlin on the 85th day. But it proved to be unusually strong fish. After taking the bait, the marlin started pulling the boat and created unexpected difficulties for the old man. He had never come across such type of fish. The fish continued swimming in deep water to the north, pulling the skiff for three days. The old man had been holding the line all the time. His hands had been injured by the fast movement of the line. He mad the line pass across his back to support his hands. He had been in this miserable condition for three days and the fish still continued pulling the boat. It appeared as if the fish would never tire, but the old man was as determined as before despite the fact that he was completely exhausted.
However, on the third day the marlin eventually started circling. This indicated good luck for Santiago. He pulled the line hard in such a way that each time the circle was shortened. The marlin was gradually coming nearer and nearer. Suddenly it jumped and gave a jerk on the line. The old man feared that he would lose the fish if it started running or if it started jumping. Then the marlin started hitting the wire leader of the line and the old man was afraid that the line might be damaged. The old man continued handling the fish for a long time.
At last it came on the surface of the sea only thirty yards away from the skiff. Its huge body with purple strips was visible to the old man. The old man pulled the line, but the fish was still beyond his reach and he found it very difficult to bring it closer. He tried to bring it along side the skiff, so that he might kill it with the harpoon, but each time the fish escaped clearly. At last the fish came near the skiff. The old man took his harpoon, gathered his full strength and drove it in marlin's body. The fish was killed and the old man was very happy at his great achievement. No doubt, this is the most thrilling and exciting incident of the novel.
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