Hello there,
May you help me check my paper for grammar errors? This is for a high school literary analysis essay.
An attainment of wealth and honor are the materialistic adaptation of success and are all too often, assumed to symbolize a man's values. The success of a man; however, cannot be defined on such things, and may have nothing to do with his journey to success, or if he was able to keep his honor along the way. Ernest Hemingway portrays the struggles and hardships of, the protagonist, Santiago as he overcomes a long life battle of mishap and unlucky surroundings, to transform himself, as well as to teach, his young apprentice, Manolin, through the use of vivid imagery, theme and biblical references in his story "The Old Man and the Sea."
Santiago, the protagonist, of the story is portrayed by Hemingway as an old fisherman with inner-strength, wisdom and perseverance that wants to catch one last marlin before retiring. Hemingway's use of imagery describes Santiago as "thin and gaunt with deep wrinkles in the back of his neck;" ,"brown blotches of benevolent skin cancer;" ,"his hands had the deep-creased scars from handling heavy fish;" "everything about him was old except for his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated."Santiago has "hope," "faith," "confidence," "humility", and "true pride" (Hemingway 9-14) and as the narrator says Santiago is deemed salao, or unlucky, by his community. The narrator describes Santiago's boat as dainty; the sail was patched with flour sacks and, furled, it looked like the flag of permanent defeat. He is an old fisherman who has "gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish."(Hemingway 9) He has been deemed "unlucky" by others in the community. Santiago is an outsider due to his old age and his streak of bad luck. Some pity Santiago because of this, others mimic his repetitive failure to catch fish each day.
A young boy named Manolin, accompanies Santiago most of the story and looks up to him as a hero. Manolin was taught how to fish by Santiago, and had been working alongside him until Santiago had gone forty days without catching a fish. His parents told him that he is to work with a luckier boat; however, the young apprentice follows his mentor because he sees he is a man of honor, courage, and experience. Santiago's life is in his fishing; it entails his heart. Manolin considers Santiago to be the best fisherman, "Que Va," the boy said. "There are many good fishermen and some great ones. But there is only you."(Hemingway 23) Manolin and Santiago deeply care for each other in what goes beyond a mentor-apprentice relationship. Manolin admires Santiago, and Santiago looks to Manolin as a friend more than apprentice. "It made the boy sad to see the old man come in each day with his skiff empty...the boy loved him."(9-10) Manolin still took care of Santiago even after he no longer went fishing with him.
After a recurring dream that woke him up, Santiago felt confident about his fishing journey, and set out for the Gulf. This was the moment that began his transformation. His experience and fisherman's skill, allowed him to notice the plankton around him, using this experience and skill to recognize that fish were near. He described the sea as "she", and states that "she is kind and very beautiful. But she can be so cruel...He always thought of her as la mar referring to a feminine sea, and as something that gave or withheld great favors, and if she did wild or wicked things it was because she could not help them."(Hemingway 29-30) The old man comes across a large fish he thinks will lead him to a greater fish, and soon after hooks something he believes is a giant marlin. (Hemingway 45) As Santiago grapples with the marlin, he chants: "I wish I had the boy."(Hemingway 45) He knows the fish might kill him, and repeats he wishes the boy was with him, but due to his pride, continues with the fight. Rather than regret or fear his opponent, Santiago had an admiration for his enemy, he quotes, "the marlin is "wonderful," "strange," "strong," "wise," and "that his fight has no panic in it."(Hemingway 48-49) Through this admiration, Santiago and the marlin create a bond 'I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead before this day ends.'(Hemingway 54), "I am with a friend," states Santiago. (Hemingway 55) Hemingway not only illustrates the bond between man and his enemy, but also man and nature. no man was ever alone on the sea."(Hemingway61) "But it is good that we do not have to try to kill the sun or the moon or the stars. It is enough to live on the sea and kill our true brothers."(75) Hemingway reflects the meaning of that sentence through the brotherhood formed by him and his natural surroundings.
Sean M. Donnell quotes from Arvin Wells in his essay, "The Old Man and the Sea: Hemingway's Dialectic of Imagery" that Santiago's battle with the fish produces myriad biblical images.(Donnell 1) Donnell refers to the old fisherman repeatedly addressing the fish as a "brother"... Yet, at the same time, he is relentlessly determined to capture and kill the marlin, as Cain killed his brother" (59). Arvin Wells provides another analogy by paralleling the fish as Christ and Santiago as the crucifier. During the battle, Santiago exclaims, "Christ . . . I did not know he was so big . . . I'll kill him though . . . in all his greatness and his glory" (Hemingway 66). He states, "significantly this is the only place in the story where the expletive, Christ, is used, and the echo in the last sentence is unmistakable--'for thine is the power and the glory forever'"(Wells 59).
After a rough battle, Santiago finally killed his worthy opponent, his eye was cut and hands were bruised, and he finally decided to return to land. (89) Because of the blood secreted by the fish, sharks picked up the scent and followed the trail. The old man's fight drew in another engagement, this time with the sharks. They began to ravage his catch, and "when the fish had been hit it was as though he himself were hit."(Hemingway 103) Santiago was pained when his opponent got mutilated by the sharks, because of his pride. "I did it to keep me alive and to feed many people."(Hemingway 105) His pride caused him to sail out too far putting him and the marlin in danger (Hemingway 110). After getting back to shore, Santiago hung the fish carcass on his skiff, and returned to his shack. Manolin found Santiago face down on his bed, exhausted. The local fisherman went out and saw the marlin's skeleton on the old fisherman's skiff. The same people who mocked Santiago were now astonished and looked to him as a hero.
At the end, Manolin saw that Santiago refused to let what others said influence him. The old fisherman taught his apprentice values such as, perseverance, patience, and willpower. It was through maturity, the old fisherman gained wisdom through his actions. Santiago's pride pushed him to remain dedicated to his profession; ultimately, leading to his success.
