The Old Man and the Sea #2

In the book, The Old Man in the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway, there are many conflicts that have a cause, and have real gains and losses that impact the book dramatically. There was one main conflict in the book, and that was the main character, Santiago, could not seem to catch a marlin.

The old man used to be lucky in his previous years, as explained in the book.  But now it had been eighty four days and he hadn’t caught a fish, this was the first and the main problem throughout the book. (Hemingway 9.) He could not catch any fish because it was believed that he was “salao,” which is the worst type of unluckiness. (Hemingway 1). During the book though, after waiting for a couple more days he finally did catch the fish he wanted. Then unfortunately, sharks had come up and fought for the Marlin, and in the end the sharks had won.  In this novel, he didn’t gain back his strength, luck, or even food.  He gained a better look at life, and how it should be lived.  He now understood that he must not give up, and one day he will catch many marlins. This old man loves to fish and not be lonely along the way, as well.  He also gained knowledge on what he needs to bring the next time he wants to go fishing for a marlin again.  Yes, he has lost a lot, but what he has gained is even better than what he had before.  He had accepted that he failed, but he knew now that there was no turning back. This shows that he gained perseverance from his battle with the shark and even the marlin. He will use his perseverance most likely, and be successful the next fishing trip he goes on.  This book in a way shows you how you can better your understanding how to turn a conflict into a gain, in many ways.

  

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