Write a note on The Old Man.
Ans:
Santiago is an old man. He is a fisherman by profession. He fishes also in a skiff in the Gulf-stream near Havana, Cuba. The old man is thin and gaunt with deep wrinkles in the back of his neck. His face has brown blotches. His hands have the deep-creased scars for handling heavy fish on the cords. Everything about him is old except his eyes. They are of the same colour as the sea and are cheerful and undefeated. He is the central character of the novel. The story of the novel deals with his struggle against a big fish and some sharks. We can study his character under four aspects. 
The most important quality in the old man is his self- confidence. He is old and weak yet he has full confidence in his strength. He has the fighting power against bad circumstances. He struggles for 48 hours against the big fish. He fights very bravely against the sharks. He is tired and exhausted. He loses everything. But he is not ready to yield. He is destroyed but he is not ready to accept his defeat.
The old man has the Christian virtues of humility, natural piety and compassion. When the boy praises him, he is not flattered. He knows that others are belter fishermen than he. He is kind to his fellow beings. He believes in God and prays to Him in trouble. He is compassionate to all. He feels pity for the birds who fail to catch any fish. But he knows that he is a harsh fisherman and he cannot do otherwise without.
The old man is very humorous. He is never harsh or angry. He talks to the fish in a funny way. When he catches the fish, he apologises to them and then kills them. He praises himself for his courage and confidence. He’ thanks God because the fish are not as intelligent as human beings who kill them. He prays to God that he will make a pilgrimmage if he catches the fish.
The old man has a symbolic importance in the novel. He represents man in conflict with the forces of nature. He is only a simple fisherman. But through his great struggle, he rises to the level of a hero. His relation with Manolin is also symbolic, the boy is a symbol of his lost youth.
Post a Comment