Though Herman Melville is best known for his novel Moby Dick, his short story “The Old Man and the Sea” is often considered to be his finest work. The story follows an ageing fisherman, Santiago, as he struggles to catch a giant marlin. Though he is ultimately unsuccessful in landing the fish, Santiago’s tenacity and courage in the face of adversity earn him the respect of those around him.
The title of the story is significant in that it speaks to Santiago’s determination in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. He may be an old man, but he refuses to give up. Even when he is battered and bruised from fighting the marlin, he still does not give in. This is what ultimately earns him respect from those who witness his battle.
Though he may not have caught the fish, Santiago can still be considered a success. He has proven that age does not have to mean weakness or defeat. Rather, it is possible to remain strong and determined even in the face of great challenges. This is a message that continues to resonate with readers even today.
“Success is that old abc ability, break, and bravery,” Charless Lukman said. Man may be destroyed but not defeated; these words were strongly influenced by two significant works: The old man and the sea by Ernest Hemingway in 1952, and Moby dick by Herman Melville in 1851. These two books focused on a similar theme; they had motifs in common as well as a lesson to teach about life.
The old man and the sea is a story about an ageing fisherman, Santiago, who battles with a giant marlin fish in the Gulf Stream. The novel begins with Santiago having gone 84 days without catching a fish. He is feeling dejected and his apprentice, Manolin, has been forced to leave him by his parents. However, on the 85th day, Santiago’s luck changes when he catches a huge marlin. The fish tows his boat for two days and nights before Santiago finally kills it. However, sharks smell the blood of the fish and attack it, devouring most of the meat. All Santiago is left with is the skeleton of the fish which he drags home on his shoulders.
When he arrives back at the village, the other fishermen flock around him, curious to see what he has caught. They are in awe of his achievement and Santiago is hailed as a hero. However, he does not feel like a hero; all he feels is exhaustion and pain from the battle with the marlin.
The old man and the sea is a story about aging, loneliness, courage, and determination. It is also a story about the human spirit’s ability to triumph over adversity. The novel teaches us that even though life may be hard, we must never give up hope. We must always keep fighting because, in the end, it is our own strength and determination that will see us through.
Similarly, Herman Melville’s Moby dick is also a story about a man’s battle with a giant creature. In this case, the creature is a whale, and the man is Captain Ahab. Ahab is obsessed with revenge after the whale took his leg. He spends years tracking down the whale, finally finding it on an island in the Pacific Ocean.
Ahab and the crew of his ship, the Pequod, attack the whale but are unsuccessful. The whale then turns on the ship, destroying it and killing everyone on board except for Ishmael, the narrator. Ishmael is the only one who survives because he was not involved in the fight with the whale; he was merely a passenger on the ship.
Like The old man and the sea, Moby dick is also a story about aging, courage, and determination. It too teaches us that we must never give up, no matter how hard life may seem. We must always keep fighting because it is our own strength and determination that will see us through in the end.
The novella, The old man and the sea, depicts a man who is spiritually hopeful never being defeated if he has faith in God. If a person puts his faith in God and recognizes his worth, he can endure anything. Hameningu words describing the protagonist of his novel “he was ancient except for his eyes, which were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and unconquered.” It appeared that Melville’s classic “Moby Dick” expressed similar sentiments of bravery, spiritual optimism, valor and faith in victory.
The old man in the story was a fisherman who had not caught a fish for eighty-four days. He was determined to catch a fish on the eighty-fifth day, and he did. The fish he caught was a large marlin, which he fought for two days before finally slaying it. Although the old man was successful in catching the fish, the ordeal took a toll on his body, and he died soon after returning to shore.
Even though the old man ultimately died, Melville argues that he was not defeated. The old man may have been physically destroyed by the fight with the fish, but his spirit remained undefeated. This is seen in the way that he refused to give up even when all seemed lost, and in the fact that he was able to catch the fish despite all odds.
The old man’s story is an inspiration to us all, as it shows that a person can be destroyed physically, but as long as they keep their spirit undefeated, they can never be truly defeated.
At the moment, Ahmad Yasin, the former leader of “Hamas,” has shown that he is a brave man. He had been sentenced to serve time in Israel. Israeli forces gave him insomnia and agitation, but he did not back down on his principles.
Yasin was born in al-Shati Refugee Camp in Gaza City. He lost his legs in an accident when he was young. In 1971, he co-founded the Islamic organ “al-Mujamma’ al-Islami” with Abdel Aziz Rantisi and Salah Shehadeh. The group became “Hamas” six years later.
Yasin’s life changed when Israel occupied Gaza in 1967. He devoted himself to resistance against Israeli policies and the fight for Palestinian independence. He was repeatedly arrested and imprisoned by Israeli forces, but he never stopped fighting for what he believed in.
In 2004, Yasin was killed by an Israeli missile strike as he left a mosque in Gaza City. His death was a blow to the Palestinian resistance movement, but his legacy continues to inspire those who fight for freedom and justice.
Herman Melville’s novel “The Old Man and the Sea” is an allegory for Yasin’s life. The old man in the novel, Santiago, is a symbol for Yasin. Both men are aged and have lost much in their lives. But they continue to fight on, even when all seems lost.
“The Old Man and the Sea” is a story about courage in the face of adversity. It is a reminder that even when we are beaten down, we can still find the strength to keep going. We may be destroyed, but we will never be defeated.
