He Hooked a Fish. So what?

If someone were to ask me what happened in the second quarter of the Old Man and the Sea, I would tell them that the old man finally hooks a fish. Did anything else happen? Not on the surface, but this story runs deep. I am sure many would wonder how this story won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Someone once said to never judge a book by its cover, but it is also important to never judge a book by its summary either.

In these forty pages the old man, Santiago, battles against the biggest fish he has ever seen. Santiago describes how when the fish jumps out of the water that “He came out unendingly and water poured from his sides. He was bright in the sun and his head and back were dark purple and in the sun his stripes on his sides showed wide and a light lavender.” (Hemingway 62). I still have no idea who wins the battle between the man and the fish because the fight is still going on, and this blog post is only about the second quarter of the book. When I stopped reading, the fish and Santiago had been fighting for two whole days. I am sure most fishermen would give up from a battle with a fish much sooner than two days. How could a man do this? I wondered. Obviously, this is fiction and no man could actually fight a fish for this amount of time. This made me think of the limits of a person in a state of determination. During the struggle, Santiago says to the fish “I’ll stay with you until I am dead.” (Hemingway 52). Even though the old man could let go at any moment, he continues his struggle with the fish like it is life or death. While perseverance is a major theme in this section, this fight between the fish and the old man is not what interests me. His determination shows heroic qualities, but his deep understanding of nature and life is what makes this book so profound.

As the fish tows his skiff farther and farther out to sea, the old man feels the growing distance between he and the boy, constantly saying “I wish the boy were here” (Hemingway 56). Although he has a longing for the boy’s company, he knows that he is never alone at sea. While being towed by the fish, the man “looked ahead and saw a flight of wild ducks etching themselves against the sky over the water, then blurring, then etching again and he knew no man was ever alone at sea.” (Hemingway 60-61). Often the man talks to himself which would seem strange to many people, but what is stranger is when he speaks to the animals of the ocean. When a warbler lands on his boat to rest, the man asks it “How old are you?” (Hemingway 54). He then jokes around with the bird saying “It’s too steady. You should not be tired after a windless night. What are birds coming to?” (Hemingway 55). Santiago waits patiently for the bird to respond, but it obviously does not. This does not bother the man and he continues chatting with the bird, giving it advice and offering his own house for the bird to stay in. The old man enjoys talking to the bird, which makes the him unique. Although this is an odd thing to do, the man continues to follow his own path and enjoys the habitat around him. His unique behavior shows the thematic ideas concerning society and conformity. The man speaks to the bird, not because he is insane, but because he wants to.  Undoubtedly, you must be a little weird if you've been trying to catch a fish for two days.

We learn from the old man that the natural world is something to be appreciated, not simply a source to make money from. Never does the man speak about the money he could gain from selling the large fish, but speaks to the fish like a loved friend. His situation with the fish demonstrates an honorable battle between two noble adversaries. Santiago says the fish “is my brother.” (Hemingway 59). He also says to the fish “I love and respect you very much. But I will kill you before this day ends.” (Hemingway 54). The man has a spiritual connection with the fish similar to other animals of the sea, like his experience with the sea turtle in the last section, when he compared himself to the old creature. The man belongs in the sea, with the creatures that inhabit it. Santiago understands the natural concepts of life and death. He loves the animals around him but understands that they must die for him to live.

Often during this section of the book, I forgot the man was even trying to catch a fish. In the old man’s bored state, his mind goes adrift. Hemingway uses the old man’s thoughts to show insight to fascinating topics. On one occasion the man thinks of how the marlin fish always lets the female fish eat first. Santiago remembers that he and the boy baited a female marlin fish once, recalling how the fish “made a wild, panic-stricken despairing fight that soon exhausted her, and all the time the male had stayed with her, crossing the line and circling with her on the surface.” (Hemingway 49). After clubbing her, the male marlin fish jumped onto the boat and “spread his lavender wings, that were his pectoral fins, spread wide and all his wide lavender stripes showing. He was beautiful, the old man remembered, and he had stayed.” (Hemingway 50). The man’s memory is just a side thought, yet it is what makes the story interesting. The story of the two marlins demonstrates ideas of love. The old man knows that love is not something only felt by humans. The actions of the male fish symbolizes what the man believes love to be. He himself had a wife once, and I can infer from this section that he must have stayed with her till the very end like the marlin had done. The ocean teaches important concepts in mysterious ways.

It is very easy to comprehend that a major theme in this book is the amount of determination shown by the man. This is great and all, but I would personally just rather read about this man’s past and learn what made him so brilliant. I don't care if Santiago catches the fish, I just want the old man to keep giving insight on the way he views the world. I certainly understand why the boy is so fascinated by him. The story is told in third person omniscient, which gives readers the opportunity to understand outside elements, but more importantly allows readers to look into the man’s thoughts. Hemingway uses the wisdom of the old man, and his deep respect of the natural world, to reflect on different ideas about life.