Life; what is there to make of it? Everyday is different than the next and as unpredictable as the weather. One choice can influence the events that will occur the next day and ultimately the meaning of your life. Some choices may be simple, whereas others may be complex or even life-threatening. However, every choice is important. One choice can determine the rest of your life, such as deciding what you want to major in for a job. Whereas, other choices may be as simple as deciding what to wear for the day. In the book The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway, wrote about a protagonist who had to make an important decision that the book revolved around. Santiago, the protagonist, faced the seas by himself. He went 84 days without catching a single fish and he was getting anxious. When he sailed out to sea in his skiff, the old man, Santiago, decided to go further out in the ocean to try and catch a big fish. However, when he made this decision there were many consequences that result from his choice. By deciding to sail farther out to sea, the old man hooked a huge marlin, then decided to remain with the marlin until he could harpoon it, and unfortunately sharks attack the dead marlin.
In the beginning of the story, Santiago was determined to catch a fish. When he hooked one, he had no idea what he was getting himself into. By going far out into the ocean, the old man took a chance at catching anything and everything. He didn't know whether it was going to be a large fish or a small fish he would reel in, but the old man knew he needed a fish to prove himself and provide for himself. When the bait was taken, the old man had hope once again. The wise old man believed that being precise was more important than being lucky because if you are suddenly lucky, then you will be prepared for anything. After feeling the strength of the fish on the fishing line, the old man assumed it was a large fish, perhaps a marlin or a shark. The old man spoke aloud "[The fish's] choice had been to stay in the deep dark water far out beyond all snares and traps and treacheries. My choice was to go there to find him beyond all people. Beyond all people in the world. Now we are joined together and have been since noon."(50). This reflective moment showed the consequences of Santiago's choice both on the fish and himself. Santiago often talked to himself of to the fish he was catching because the boy no longer fishes with him so he is very lonely.
After Santiago realized that this fish was not going to be an easy catch, he made another decision to stay with the marlin until the marlin is weak enough for him to reel it in. However, the marlin is in no way ready to give up either. In fact, the fish seems very confident he is going to win this battle. Santiago battles with the fish for four days with little food and only one water bottle. This choice could have been life-threatening for Santiago. Since he had little food or water, he became dehydrated and fatigued, but not once detached or delirious from his surroundings. In fact, he had seen black spots before his eyes, along with "he had felt faint and dizzy and that had worried him."(87). Although Santiago was exhausted, he did not going to give up on his endeavor to catch the fish. He knew he must remain optimistic in order to catch this marlin. Santiago really wanted to catch it and he was going to do anything to accomplish it, even if it meant risking his own life. This just goes to show how dedicated and devoted Santiago was to fulfilling his quest.
Finally, after struggling for so long with the fascinating marlin, Santiago harpooned it and tied it to the side of the boat since it was two feet longer than his skiff. However, killing the fish this way attracted many sharks, which Santiago was aware of from his blood trail. Overall, the old man fought off about ten sharks, each escaping with some part of the marlin, but not their own life. Santiago fought until he could fight no more. He was willing to do anything to salvage the fish he had worked so hard to catch. However when the sharks attacked, there was nothing else for him to do but to sit there as "...sharks hit the carcass as someone might pick up crumbs form the table. The old man paid no attention to them and did not pay any attention to anything except steering."(119). This simile really helped me to picture the action of the sharks on the leftover marlin meat. After working so hard to catch the terrific marlin, Santiago lost almost all of its meat because of greedy, aggressive sharks. However, he did not let that get to him or his spirit. He was determined to make something of it and proud to have caught the tremendous fish.
The choice Santiago made was very important to the story. When he decided to go far out into the ocean, he caught a big fish that was two feet longer than his skiff, he decided to stay with the fish threatening his health and life, and when he reeled in the marlin, multiple sharks eat the majority of the marlin. However, I believe that Ernest Hemingway was trying to make a point throughout the whole story. I think his point was if you are really compassionate about something, stick with it until the end. There will be hardships along the way, but they will only make you stronger. The choices you make everyday shape the person you become. By facing and accomplishing the inner challenges, the realization of personal strength is soon to come.
