Power to Strive Forward

In our world, there are many people facing powerful forces and obstacles. Some can be life changing, such as losing a close family member or friend, or not having enough money to get by. Others face small daily challenges, such as waking up late, losing a game, and being shunned from people. Although these obstacles are challenging, and sometimes unpredictable, we can get through them if we keep trying, as if you are trying to catch a fish that won't be captured. In the novella The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway, Santiago faces many obstacles while trying to catch the Marlin.

Santiago has a hard time dealing with being out on sea for so long, but he is patiently awaiting the perfect time to catch the fish. Santiago develops a compassionate relationship with the young boy and struggles being away from him. “If the boy were here, he would wet the coils of the line. Yes, if the boy were here” (83). There are a lot of people in the world who feel lonely at certain times. Some people chose to be lonely, simply because they don’t have the courage to keep trying to escape from the loneliness. Others don’t know what to do because they have never experienced being alone before, there were always people there to lead them in the right direction. Although people become lonely, they find a way to make it through the day.

Santiago faces another problem when his left hand begins to cramp at a critical moment while he is holding the line on his back. He always thought that his left hand was the one with the bad luck. “Why was I not born with two good hands” (85)? People often face injuries, big or small, that effect what they are trying to do, and in this case Santiago’s hand cramping affected him fishing. Although, Santiago’s hand cramping wasn’t an injury as drastic as someone breaking a bone, but this was a big deal for him, because he would have a much more difficult time catching fish. Often times, people become pessimistic by giving up on what they have set out to do because they feel they can't do anything with their injury. If people are determined enough to get what they’ve always wanted, they will fight through the pain, because in the end, it will be worth it.

After eighty four days of no fish, Santiago's first and perhaps greatest catch was stolen from him by an agressive series of shark attacks, “The old man could hear the noise of skin and flesh ripping on the big fish” (102). Many people, struggle with what could’ve been or what should’ve been. Santiago wished he never caught the marlin so it wouldn’t have had to struggle with being eaten. In our world, people wish they could do things differently, but what they don’t realize is at one time it made them happy. People should not have regrets, if at one time it is exactly what they wanted. They need to learn from their mistakes and move on, even if it isn’t easy.

Ernest Hemingway creates a character that wisely takes on determination and perserverence to achieve his goals. In this novella, Santiago shows great passion for what he likes to do, even if it isn’t easy. He struggles with being detached from someone he is close to, being old and away on sea for so long, and what he set out to do was harshly taken away from him. Everyday people struggle and have obstacles; they must face these because it will make them more ambitious people. Never giving up can go a long way in life, even if it is a small obstacle, it will teach you how to deal with even bigger problems down the road.