Comparison Old Man And The Sea

4 Pages 923 Words

Santiago or the Fish?

The Old Man and The Sea, a novel written by Earnest Hemmingway, illustrates a great conflict between man and fish. Santiago is an old fisherman with great experience, but down on his luck. Santiago hopes to end an 84-day streak without a catch by landing a really big fish. Far off the coast, Santiago encounters such a great fish, and the struggle begins. Santiago and the fish are foes with different virtues. Both characters share a sense of class, which makes them great. The old man’s knowledge and experience, clashes against the strength and nobility of the fish. It is to be a monstrous battle with a monstrous fish.
The fish is the biggest catch the townspeople have ever seen, measuring at an astonishing18 feet in length. The weight of the fish is about 1,500 lbs. The great fish’s head is a dark purplish color. The sides of the fish are wide, with a light lavender color. The nose, or sword of the fish, is as long as a baseball bat, and tapers down like a rapier. The fish is too great of a catch for most, but is sought after by such a little old fisherman as Santiago. Santiago, with eyes like a hawk, was a man of strength before age had withered him. Age had increased the size of the fish, but had a reversed effect on the old man. The old man was very thin with a dark, even tan, and a body that showed the effects of many years under the hot sun. Santiago must prove that age hasn’t diminished all the strength that is needed to catch a big fish.

The fish, great in size, is greater in strength. The strength of the fish is in control when Santiago first encounters it, by pulling the boat out to sea. It has the ability to pull a skiff as large as Santiago’s for nearly two days straight. After all, the great fish is about two feet larger than Santiago’s skiff. Santiago has great strength for an old man, but none compared to a 1,500 lb. fish. The fisherman has no choice but to use s...