The Old Man and the Sea: Universal Themes and Human Nature

One universal theme in The Old Man and the Sea is determination.  When a person wants something so bad, they will do just about whatever it takes to achieve that goal.  This was the case with Santiago.  He may have been an old man who considered himself down on his luck, but he told himself that on day eighty-five of trying to catch a fish, he will catch the biggest of them all.  He told the fish, ““Fish, you are going to have to die anyway. Do you have to kill me too?” (Hemmingway 34)  Santiago was willing to catch this fish or die trying.  Not only did he want to kill the fish for food but also for pride (Hemmingway 30).  This was the largest fish that the old man had ever caught and he estimated that it weighed at least fifteen-hundred pounds (Hemmingway 36).  After he had caught the fish, he used what was left of his energy to fight of multiple sharks until the only parts left of the fish were the head and some crumbs of meat (Hemmingway 45). 

            After having been at sea by himself for so long, Santiago began to lose his mind, which is another theme in this book.  Not only does he talk to himself in the boat, but he also talks to the fish and answers himself, even giving himself orders of what to do.  He compares his life to the life of the fish a few times and calls the fish his “brother” (Hemmingway 23).  He says, “You are killing me, fish, the old man thought. But you have a right to. Never have I seen a greater, or more beautiful, or a calmer or more noble thing than you, brother.  Come on and kill me. I do not care who kills who.” (Hemmingway 35)  For a fisherman to not care if the fish kills him, it sounds like the old man has gone insane.  He has, however, been out at sea for several days with no company and not much tasty to eat. 

            Santiago shows signs of not wanting to become old.  I suppose if people had a choice many would choose to be young again.  He tells the story of how he went an entire day arm-wrestling with the negro from Cienfuegos before he finally pulled out enough strength to win (Hemmingway 26).   He dreams every night of being on the beaches of Africa with the lions (Hemmingway 8).  This brought him back to a time when he was younger and could go on expeditions better. 

            By reading this book, one can tell that the author understands, as Santiago put it, “A man can be destroyed but not defeated.” (Hemmingway 38)  This means that a person can fail several times at something, like Santiago going eighty-four days without catching a fish, but his spirit and willpower can remain strong. 

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.