Q: “A man can be destroyed but not defeated.” Discuss.
Or
Is it a novel of triumph of man or his defeat?

Ernest Hemingway is one of the most popular and widely acclaimed American writers of the 20th century. His works and life epitomize the image of the hyper-masculine hero, facing the cruelties of life with 'grace under pressure'. His novel ‘Old man and the Sea’ presents a man whose mettle is tested at the face of misfortunes in his life.
Santiago is the protagonist of the novella ‘Old man and the Sea’. He is an old fisherman in Cuba who, when we meet him at the beginning of the book, has not caught anything for eighty-four days. The novella follows Santiago's quest for the great catch that will save his career. Santiago endures a great struggle with an uncommonly large and noble marlin only to lose the fish to rapacious sharks on his way back to land. Despite this loss, Santiago ends the novel with his spirit undefeated.
The novel is about the triumph of man as is shown from the Old man’s words:
“ A man can be destroyed but not defeated”.
Though the old man does not get anything materially as his big fish was snatched by sharks but even then he stands undefeated. He wins the battle morally and makes a resolution to go on another expedition.

Q: How was the old man able to hook marlin?
0r
‘Fish’, he said softly aloud, “I will stay with you until I am dead”. Discuss.

Hemingway’s novel “Old man and the Sea” is about a fisherman who is old but courageous enough to go far off in the sea all alone even in old age. In this novel Hemingway presents the experience of an old man who catches a big fish. After remaining unsuccessful for 84 days old man went to catch fish as he was an optimistic man. He said:
“My big fish must be somewhere”
The old man was able to judge from the sight of bird in the sky that there must be a big fish nearby. He caught the line between the thumb and the fore finger of his right hand. It was a big marlin. Marlin seemed to have swallowed the bait. As the weight of the fish increased, he gave more line. The fish move steadily.
Once the big fish made a sudden movement forward, which nearly brought the old man down. He received a cut below his eyes but he was not upset at it. He says to the fish:
“Fish, I will stay with you, until I am dead.”
The old man thought that he would kill the big fish if he jumped. He began to circle the boat. In ninth circle he brought out the harpoon and killed the big marlin with it.

Q: How does Santiago prove the truth of his remark ‘Man is not made for defeat”?

Ernest Hemingway is one of the most popular and widely acclaimed American writers of the 20th century. His works and life epitomize the image of the hyper-masculine hero, facing the cruelties of life with 'grace under pressure'. His novel ‘Old man and the Sea’ presents a man whose mettle is tested at the face of misfortunes in his life.
Santiago, the hero of the novel, has to face great trial all alone. He goes on expedition of catching fish. He succeeds in hooking a big Marlin which is larger than his skiff. This powerful fish tows the boat and drags the old man with it. The old man remains in the boat for three days and three nights without any rest or sleep. There is great strain on his mind and body. But he does not care for his life and decides to fight with him till his death. He addresses the fish and says, “Fish I will stay with you until I am dead”.
The old man keeps up his spirits when the hunted fish is attacked by the sharks. He fights with the sharks and kills them with his knife, harpoon and club. The sharks take the best part of the hunted fish but he is not disappointed. Instead he decides to go on another expedition. His decision to another expedition proves that “man is not made for defeat”.

Q: Write a note on the heroic spirit of the old man.

The Old Man and the Sea is an adventure tale, glorifying the heroic spirit in man. Hemingway wants to show how man can attain great glory and can rise to a high stature if he makes use of the valuable qualities and great capacities given to him by God.
Although he is old and weak and poor yet he is a man of invincible courage and unshakable determination. He refuses to be discouraged by his repeated failures to catch any fish for eighty four clays continuously. On the 85th day he takes his small boat and goes far into the open sea where no other fisherman has ever ventured. He is a brave man who is prepared to risk his life instead of accepting defeat to save himself. He firmly believes that man is not made for defeat. “A man may be destroyed but he cannot be defeated.”
He endures his suffering without complaint and says that “Pain does not matter to a man”. He is determined to show to the huge sea creature, “What a man can do and what a man endures.” He is conscious of the fact that the marlin is fatiguing him to death and in his attempt to kill the fish he may get killed himself. But he declares, “I do not bother who kills who”. At last the fish feels totally exhausted and gives up` resistancej The Old Man pulls her up gradually and kills her with a harpoon as soon as it gets within his easy reach. It is a marvelous victory of a valiant, determined and experienced man against the hostile nature.

Q: Narrate the hand game competition held between Santiago and Negro.

Santiago, the hero of this novel, is shown to be a man of exceptional courage, physical strength, determination and power of endurance. He is shown to be an old man, worn out by age and miseries of life, with a thin and lean body.
At the moments of failing faith, he tried to boost up his morale by recollecting his deeds of bravery in the past. The Old Man recalled to his mind the great trial of physical strength and power of endurance. It was the hand-game competition. His opponent was the famous Negro. Both of them sat round a table facing each other. Their elbows were resting on a line drawn across the centre of the table. They held their arms erect and gripped each other’s hand tightly.
Both the competitors tried to bring each other’s hand down to the surface of the table. The competition started early in the morning and continued throughout the day and night without a break. The referees were changed after every eight hours to provide them relief. Both of them strained themselves so severely that blood began to ooze from the tips of their fingers.
The Negro was a man of strong nerves. He once succeeded in bowing Santiago’s hand three inches below the balancing position, But Santiago soon retaliated and brought his arm back to the balancing point. This gave him a new confidence. He exerted himself with full might and determination and succeeded in defeating the Negro. In this way he was declared the Champion of the dock.

Q12: Trace some of the symbols employed by Hemingway in his novel.

Symbolism is the practice of representing things by symbols, or of investing things with a symbolic meaning or character. A symbol is an object, action, or idea that represents something other than itself, often of a more abstract nature.
In Ernest Hemingway's masterpiece, The Old Man and the Sea, he uses much symbolism to assist the readers understanding of the massage he is trying to portray. The Old Man and the Sea isn't just a book about an old man and the sea. There are many hidden meanings to it. Each element represents different things.
The Sea
The sea, in the novel, represents the Universe and Santiago's isolation in the Universe. It is at sea, with no help and no recognition, that Santiago faces his ultimate challenge.
The Marlin
The marlin represents the ultimate opponent, one that brings out the best in Santiago.
The Sharks
Santiago considers the sharks base predators, not worthy of glory. They represent destructive forces in life that serve no purpose.
The Lions
Santiago dreams of Lions on the beach in Africa three times. They represent virility and youth. The lion imagery at the end of the novel represents hope of eternal life.
Manolin
Santiago's young friend represents hope. He also represents old man's past.

Q13: Fight against the sharks is the real test of the old man’s mettle. Elaborate. OR
Q: Give a brief account of the old man’s encounter with the sharks?
OR
The old man is a great fighter. Comment.

The Old Man and the Sea is the story of an old and experienced fisherman who after a bad luck of three months succeeded in hooking a big marlin in the open sea. The fish was so enormous in size that it could not be accommodated in the small boat. He decided to tie the fish along side his boat. Then he hoisted the sail and started on homeward voyage happily.
The old man’s sense of elation could not last much longer. After an hour of rest and relaxation, he was required to face a new challenge. The smell of oozing blood from the body of the marlin attracted sharks who came to eat the flesh of the dead fish. The sharks fell upon the tail of the marlin and tore off a huge chunk of meat from the carcass. The old man took up his harpoon and thrust it into the brain of the shark. The shark was killed but it took away the harpoon. In the evening two more sharks attacked the dead marlin.
Late in the evening the fourth shark appeared. Santiago faced it with his knife tied to an oar. The knife also lost. Now the old man was left with nothing to defend his marlin except two oars, a gaff and short club. After mid-night the attacks of the sharks ceased as there was nothing left of the great marlin but its bare skeleton. In his efforts to fight with sharks all of his weapons were lost. Then he sailed on peacefully. His hands had been badly bruised and his whole body ached. This fight against the sharks is the real test of the old man’s mettle./ His encounter with sharks proves him to be a great fighter.

Q14: The old man is by all means an extraordinary fisherman. Elaborate.
The old man in “The Old Man and the Sea” is an experienced fisherman who after a bad luck of three months succeeded in hooking a big marlin in the open sea. Despite his expertise, he has been unable to catch a fish for eighty-four days. Our first impression of Santiago is that of a failure. But as we go through the novel we find a man who is resolute, courageous, strong and undefeated.
Santiago is humble, yet exhibits a justified pride in his abilities. His knowledge of the sea and its creatures, and of his craft, is unparalleled and helps him preserve a sense of hope regardless of circumstance. Throughout his life, Santiago has been presented with contests to test his strength and endurance. The marlin with which he struggles for three days represents his greatest challenge.
Novel shows Santiago a Christ like figure. He is ready to endure pain. He is optimistic by temperament. He has strong faith in success and confidence in future. Though he could not catch fish for a long time, he does not lose hope of success. He is the best fisherman of all. He is ready to fight beyond the limits of strength. He is a man of determination and resolution. He believes in love, loyality and respect. No doubt he is an extra ordinary fisherman.

Q1: The old man looks upon Manolin as not only his apprentice but also his friend and his equal. Elaborate.
In his novel “The Old man and the Sea” Hemingway creates a very powerful and poignant relationship between the old man, Santiago, and the young boy, Manolin.
Manolin is the pupil of Santiago and has been learning the tricks of fishing from him. When Santiago fails in catching any fish, he is driven away by his parents. So Manolin has to join other fishermen to catch a fish.
The boy symbolizes the oldman’s youthful strength. He is the constant reminder of youth age, courage and bravery for the old man. He becomes the source of inspiration for the old man. He admits “the boy keeps me alive”
Manolin is Santiago's last and deepest human relationship., his replacement in the generational cycle of human existence, the one to whom he wishes to entrust his skill as a fisherman, the transforming power of his vision, and his memory.
Santiago’s relationship with Manolin is not of teacher and pupil but they were friends also. He remembers him constantly during his fishing expedition and says. “I wish I had the boy”. Though the boy does not play an active part in the adventure of the old man, he fulfils a vital emotional need and sympathy. The old man misses him very much throughout the story. He considers the boy as a source of comfort and help.

Describe the relationship of Old man and Manolin?
Throughout the book, The Old Man and the Sea, Hemingway describes the relationship between Santiago and Manolin. He explains their past together and their current relationship. One quote describes their relationship is "The old man had taught the boy to fish and the boy loved him"
The relationship between Santiago and Manolin is one of caring and love; they are like family. Manolin sees Santiago as a "male figure," a grandfather, a mentor. Manolin wouldn't have left Santiago if his parents hadn't made him, but they made him go out on another ship because Santiago was seen as "unlucky." The relationship doesn't change between them, even after Manolin is forbidden to accompany him.
The boy symbolizes the old man’s youthful strength. He is the constant reminder of youth age, courage and bravery for the old man. He becomes the source of inspiration for the old man. He admits “the boy keeps me alive”
Santiago’s relationship with Manolin is not of teacher and pupil but they were friends also. On his fishing expedition th old man says: “Iwish I had the boy”.
The boy takes care for the old man.He looks after his shack. He talks to Santiago lovingly inspite of the age difference. He brings food and beer for him. He says, “you will not fish without eating while I am alive”. In short Manolin is Santiago's last and deepest human relationship
Q: Discuss the role of the sea in the novel?
In the novel, the sea is the natural element of the old man, since he has been a fisherman all his life. However, its role is antithetical since it is both a provider and a threat at the same time.
The rich waters of the Gulf Stream provide an insight into the character of Santiago. In fact, Santiago is so connected to these waters, that the sea acts almost like a lens through which the reader views his character.
His strength, resolve, and pride are measured in terms of how far out into the gulf he sails. The sea also provides glimpses of the depth of Santiago’s knowledge: in his comments about the wind, the current, and the friction of the water reside an entire lifetime of experience, skill, and dedication.
Hemingway presents the sea as a living character. The sea becomes a companion to Santiago, filling a deep, dark void in his soul from the passing of his wife. Now the sea is Santiago's wife, and he experiences a relationship with the sea which greatly resembles the relationship between a man and a woman in that one partner does "wild or wicked things" and the relationship has definite ups and down, but both partners remain bonded together, connected through mutual feelings of love
In short, the sea plays a very important role in the narrative, and Hemingway's exquisite introduction of the sea, recalling his descriptions of Santiago at the novella's opening , signals that importance.

Q: Sea is as good a character as any other in the novel. Elaborate.
OR
The sea is presented as a living character in the novel. Discuss.
In THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA, the sea is a central character in the novella. Most of the story takes place on the sea, and Santiago is constantly identified with it and its creatures; his sea-colored eyes reflect both the sea's tranquillity and power, and its inhabitants are his brothers. Santiago refers to the sea as a woman, and the sea seems to represent the feminine complement to Santiago's masculinity.
Santiago views the sea as a living, breathing woman who has varying moods and, like any living being, is capable of great delicacy as well as cruelty. "Why did they make birds so delicate and fine as those sea swallows when the ocean can be so cruel?" Santiago asks himself, "She is kind and very beautiful. But she can be so cruel and it comes so suddenly..."
His gentle worship and adoration of the sea transforms the novel into a surprisingly tender give-and-take love story between an old man and a body of water. Susan Beegel states that "If the novella is an 'American Romance,' it is not the love story of Santiago and Manolin but of the old man and the sea".
To conclude Hemingway has presented the sea as a living character. He pays as much attention to the characterization of the sea as to other characters like Santiago, Marlin and Manolin.

What does the old man dream about? What does the dream signify?

The Old Man and the Sea is the last major work of fiction to be produced by Hemingway and published in his lifetime. One of his most famous works, it centers upon Santiago, an aging fisherman who struggles with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream.
Dreams are very important In a man’s life. They reduce the bitterness of realities of life. The protagonist of The old man and the sea, Santiago also sees dreams. He dreams his pleasant dream of the lions at play on the beaches of Africa three times. The first time is the night before he departs on his three-day fishing expedition, the second occurs when he sleeps on the boat for a few hours in the middle of his struggle with the marlin, and the third takes place at the very end of the book.
In fact, the sober promise of the triumph and regeneration with which the novella closes is supported by the final image of the lions. Because Santiago associates the lions with his youth, the dream suggests the circular nature of life. The dreaming of the lions is indicative of the old man's nostalgia for his youth. Additionally, because Santiago imagines the lions, fierce predators, playing, his dream suggests a harmony between the opposing forces—life and death, love and hate, destruction and regeneration—of nature.

Discuss Dimagio as a great source of inspiration for the old man.
OR
What is Dimaggio’s importance in the novel?

Di Maggio was a baseball player. Though this character does not physically appear in the novel, he plays a very significant role nonetheless. He repeatedly serves as an inspiration to Santiago. Santiago worships him as a model of strength and commitment, and his thoughts turn toward DiMaggio whenever he needs to reassure himself of his own strength. During Santiago’s fishing expedition, DiMaggio becomes a sign of strength for the old man. After multiple days of pulling the fish, Santiago asks himself, "Do you believe the great DiMaggio would stay with a fish as long as I will stay with this one”
The old man loves baseball and the Yankees in particular. He can hardly wait to see the newspaper each day and see how the Yankees have fared. Santiago believes that the hero of the Yankee team is Joe DiMaggio, an inspiration to his teammates and to the old man. DiMaggio suffers from a painful bone spur in his foot, but he does not let it bother him or stand in the way of his being a marvelous baseball player. Throughout Santiago’s arduous journey, he thinks about Joe DiMaggio and feels that if his hero can play baseball with great pain, he can certainly endure the pain of his battle with the giant marlin. When Santiago finally masters and kills the fish, he feels certain that DiMaggio would be proud of him.

The old man is brave but not reckless. Comment.
OR
Discuss Old man’s attitude towards marlin.

Santiago bears a significant relationship with the other characters in the Hemingway canon. Santiago’s character in this novel is the note worthy character and holds great importance.
Santiago planned an expedition to go far out in the sea, in search of a fish. In the beginning of his expedition he hooked a great Marlin. Santiago’s relation with Marlin is remarkable throughout the novel.
“I love you and respect you very much fish but I will kill you dead before this day ends”, says the old man.
He did not like the prospect of killing his true brothers at the sea. Santiago thought that this fish is so much different in its manners that no one is worthy of eating its flesh as in novel.
“No one is worthy of eating it as from the manner of his behavior and great dignity”.

When the sharks first attacked the fish, Santiago thought he himself being hit, and when the bad smelling scavengers attacked and devoured a large piece of flesh. Old man murmur, “I am sorry fish” their relationship is very respected relation and both of them have common traits in them like nobility, determination and respect for each other.
When marlin is mutilated by sharks it symbolizes the old man, who is ridiculed by the younger fisher men and being considered very strange.

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