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Santiago and Manolin have an unmeasurable amount of respect and loyalty for each other. Though they are unlikely companions, one is old and the other young; their conversations are comfortable, like that of two friends who have known each other for their whole lives. Their conversations are usually about baseball or fishing, the two things they have most in common. And even though Santiago is viewed as an outcast, and has not caught a fish in over eighty-four days, Manolin still remains loyal to the old man. A good example of this is when Manolin says, “There are many good fishermen and some great ones. But there is only you” (Hemingway 23). In turn, Santiago treats Manolin as an equal, rather than a young boy. Manolin acknowledges this and in turn takes care of, and looks out for the old man. “Can I offer you a beer on the Terrace and then we’ll take the stuff home?” The boy asked. “Why not?” the old man said, “Between fisherman” (11). This shows that even though Manolin is young, Santiago still looks at him as another fisherman. Manolin does not even act as a young boy, because as he is mature and sensitive to Santiago’s feelings. Another good example of Santiago and Manolin’s friendship is when Santiago wants to fish far out, but Manolin is concerned. Manolin says he will get his boss to work far out too, just in case Santiago needs help. An example of Manolin’s concern for Santiago is the following conversation: “Where are you going?” The boy asked.“Far out to come in when the wind shifts. I want to be out before it’s light,” the old man said. “I’ll try to get him to work far out, the boy said, then if you have something truly big we can come to your aid” (14). Manolin is also concerned about whether or not Santiago has any food to eat. Santiago’s pride leads him to lie to Manolin about having food to eat. But out of respect for Santiago, the boy says nothing about it (16). Manolin knows that the old man is weak and poor, so he offers to get him food, but Santiago refuses (12). With this knowledge Manolin must result in stealing or begging to get food for him. After Santiago’s fishing expedition Manolin will not let Santiago go far off, by himself, again. “Now we fish together again, the boy said.” “No. I am not lucky. I am not lucky anymore.” “The hell with luck”, the boy said, “I’ll bring the luck with me”(125). Another trait of the novel is determination. Santiago’s determination keeps him with the fish, no matter how much pain he goes through. “I hate a cramp, he thought. It is a treachery of one’s own body…especially when one is alone” (61-62). This shows that the actual feeling of pain does not bother him as much as the knowledge that he is in pain. He can endure a lot of pain for an old man, but he cannot endure this pain forever. “He felt the line carefully with his right hand and noticed his hand was bleeding” (55-56). This shows how he does not even feel himself start bleeding, or feel what made him start to bleed. His determination is also showed when he tells the fish, “I’ll stay with you until I am dead” (52). Santiago knows that he is running low on food and water, but he refuses to give the fish up. Santiago’s determination is further illustrated when he tries to fight off the sharks. He was a fisherman all his life and therefore knew the fate of his catch was inevitable, yet he persists on fight the sharks. The battle between him and the sharks was about principles, not just a mere fish. And finally Hemingway’s description of Santiago further illustrates a Christian symbol. The relationship between Santiago and Manolin can be compared between the relationship of Christ and his disciples. Manolin is Santiago’s disciple and Santiago teaches Manolin about fishing and life. One the greatest lesson Santiago teaches him is that of simple faith. “Have faith in the Yankees my son.” This type of faith reflects the basic principles of Christianity. Hemingway also compares Christ and Santiago by making reference to the nail-pierced hands of Christ by stating that Santiago’s hands had deep creased scars. Hemingway also compares Santiago’s suffering to that of Christ by stating, “he settled… against the wood and took his suffering as it came.” Even more profound is the description of Santiago’s response when he saw the sharks, “just a noise such a man might make, in voluntarily feeling the nail go through his hands and into the wood.” Further symbolism is shown when Santiago arrives home and carries the mast across his shoulders as Christ carried the cross. Also, like Christ, Santiago could not bare the weight and collapsed on the road. When he finally reaches his cabin, “he slept face down on the newspapers with his arms out straight and the palms of his hands up.” Hemingway puts these themes together in such a way that they do not conflict with each other. He does allow Christianity to be a more dominant theme than the other but instead makes it more symbolic than intentional. He does not smother the relationship between the old man and the young boy but instead separates them for a large part of the story. Finally, he does not make Santiago’s bravery a central them by highlighting his weaknesses. In the end the old man’s perseverance and faith pay off. He finally gains the respect of the village and succeeds in teaching Manolin the lessons of faith and bravery. Bibliography: Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co. 1980. Napierkawski, Marie, and Deborah A. Stanley. Novels for Students. Vol. 6. Michigan: Gale Research, 1999. Unger, Leonard. American Writers. Vol. 2. Canada: Collier Macmillian Canada, Inc. 1974. “The Old Man and the Sea (Masterplots Classic).” Masterplots Complete 1999. Salem Press, Inc. 1999. “The Old Man and the Sea (Juvenile Literature).” Masterplots Complete 1999. Salem Press, Inc. 1999. “The Old Man and the Sea (Character Profiles).” Masterplots Complete 1999. Salem Press, Inc. 1999. Word Count: 1032
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