What message do you get from the novel The Old Man and the Sea?
Ans:
The message of this novel “The Old Man and The Sea" is undoubtedly optimistic. Optimism means looking at the brighter side of the situation while pessimism means the seeing of the darker -side of the phenomenon. Santiago, the old man, had been called “Salao" (the Spanish word for the most unfortunate) by his helping boy's (Manolin's) parents at his continuous failure in catching any fish for 40 days whereafter Manolin's parents ordered their son to leave Santiago and serve some other fisherman. Even Santiago's friends made him a target of their scornful jokes.
Some other fisherman in his place could have lost his courage. What did Santiago do? He manifested his optimism. He did not resent the insulting remarks of his helper's parents or the humiliating jokes of his friends. He did not fall into the abyss (depth) of pessimism. He went too far out into the Gulf stream of the Cuban Sea to hook such a huge fish; Marlin, which was never caught by any other fisherman before.
The tremendous Marlin became his victim. It tried to pull his boat again and again below the surface of the water for three day9. He showed his optimism by hoping to kill the Marlin and drag it safely to his harbour of Havana, Cuba. He could kill and tie the marlin to his boat with a rope but there started another battle between hirr\ and the sharks. He had to lose his harpoon, knife and gaff. He could not defeat the sharks but the sharks could not defeat his optimism by dint of which he could reach Havana with the skeleton of the Marlin.
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