The story of Hemmingway

The story of Hemmingway

The story of Hemmingway, the older man, and the sea, revolves around the fishing expedition of an old man, Santiago. Santiago is the old fisherman who has taken a young man, Manolin, as an apprentice. Primarily, Santiago teaches the man how to fish about the young man is forbidden by his parents, citing the various failures by the older man. However, towards the end, it becomes clear that the older man is not moved by what the rest think about him but has a different view of himself, and so does the young apprentice.

Primarily, from the beginning, the villagers think of the older man as a failure. The villag8ers and other fishers relate his failure with bad luck. They associate his inability to fish well even after these years with bad luck. Additionally, the parents of the apprentice, Manolin, ask their boy to stop going out to catch with the man. The parents write the man off saying to the boy that “he is a salao,” meaning he is a man cursed with bad luck. Despite Santiago’s endeavor to train the boy without a fee, the parents still see him as a man of little success.

Although most fishers are disrespectful and mock the older man Santiago, some respect him. They think of him as a very skilled man, and they pity him. They are worried that despite his skills, the man is still failing. However, their pity towards him shows that they see him as an equal or being better than them and hence undes8erving of such luck of success. On the other hand, they think that he is very hardworking because he is still determined to go out to fish. The fishermen are seen to believe, “why do old men wake so early?” this question points out despite the weakness and age, the old man is still up early to fish.

On the other hand, Manolin is perceived by his parents as a young boy without any ability to make decisions of his own. This perception is seen in his father’s lack of faith in his ability to be better than the older man. By asking him not to go with Santiago, the father indicates a lack of confidence not only in Santiago but also, Manolin. After the boy tells the old man about his father, the old man says, “he has no faith in us,” which means this lack of faith includes the young man.

However, the two think differently about themselves. For instance, at the end of the story, the older man is seen dreaming about a lion on an African beach. This dream is symbolic since the lion is the older man. The older man is resilient, which shows that he thinks of himself as being more able than others think of him. He sees himself as a lion on the beach.

Additionally, the older man thinks of himself as having a resolution and being strong. He says, “I may be weak as they think, but I know many tricks, and I have a resolution.” Further, this quote could show that the older man perceives himself as being knowledgeable and skilled.

Significantly, the boy has faith in himself. Despite the parent’s attempts to relate his ability to the older man’s failure, the boy is determined to continue fishing. Both characters here hold themselves in high regard by declaring faith in th9emselves. Mostly, the boy agrees that he believes in both their abilities when the old man asks, “But we have faith in ourselves, don’t we.” The boy thinks that he is more than just a boy and perceives himself as a man able to make decisions about his future.

In conclusion, the story brings about various views about life and people. The people view the older man as a failure, which is the opposite of what Santiago perceives himself as. The two characters have faith in themselves.