Art of Living in Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea

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Offline Razon Mahmood

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Ernest Hemingway, the noted literary figure in the American Literature, is best known for his profound literary work The Old Man and the Sea. He has portrayed the old man Santiago’s relentless struggle to catch and save the marlin.


We come to know that the old man, Santiago, has a great skill in fishing. But, most of the people around him start to say that he has a bad back because he has passed last eight four days with having any fish. Mark Twain once said “All you need is ignorance and confidence and the success is sure”. Santiago probably believes in the sentence and works according to it.     

This novella is not merely the story about the old man’s fishing in the sea rather than Ernest Hemingway has portrayed our life through this metaphorical work. The ‘sea’ and the ‘marlin’ represents human’s ‘life’ and ‘aim’. The old man, Santiago, an individual human being, struggles in his life to achieve his goal. To fish the marlin, he has to endure severe pain. But his self-inspiration is truly admirable. When the blood blows from his hand to catch the fish he scolds his hands and inspires his hands after eating a small tuna. He finally kills the fish (after 3days battle) and heads towards his home. During fishing the marlin, he has been afflicted by the rain, the sea waves, the head of the sun etc. He has also to wrestles to save the fish from the sharks. But he can’t save the fish. He feels upsets for the fish. But he acknowledges- “A man can be destroyed but not defeated”. Although, the old man can’t save the fish but his stoic endurance and continuous struggle have brought him respect.
 
Ernest Hemingway shows to us that human life is a state for struggling. A man has to face many problems in the journey of the life. The meaning of life justifies through struggle. One must take the wounds as grace like Santiago.

There are two philosophies of leading life; one is to struggle and test the life (Stoicism), and another is to take the pleasure as the most important part of life (Hedonism). Ernest Hemingway actually shows that one must struggle to reach his destiny. I strongly believe that the meaning of life underlies through struggle.   
You'll never find a rainbow if you're looking down-Charles Chaplin

Offline cmkhasan

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Re: Art of Living in Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea
« Reply #1 on: September 05, 2010, 04:17:02 AM »
Dear Razon

Earlier I have said you that you have a good skill in writing. This piece is provided another evidence of my saying.

I like your writing. One thing I want to share with you, that is, beside 'struggle' Santiago has great 'determination'. I think a combination of these two qualities can bring the desire success in life.
Md. Kumrul Hasan
BA (Hon's), MA in English Literature
Contact No. 01717520131/01831938893

Offline Razon Mahmood

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Re: Art of Living in Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea
« Reply #2 on: September 05, 2010, 01:47:04 PM »
Respected kumrul Vhi,
Thank you for your appreciation.I am not a good writer but I am trying to be a good writer.

Ya, you are completely right that the old man, Santiago, has a great determination. I am truly inspired by the speeches of Santiago.
« Last Edit: September 05, 2010, 10:29:36 PM by Razon Mahmood »
You'll never find a rainbow if you're looking down-Charles Chaplin

Offline Shamim Ansary

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Re: Art of Living in Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea
« Reply #3 on: September 05, 2010, 03:45:29 PM »
Please see the attachment:
"Many thanks to Allah who gave us life after having given us death and (our) final return (on the Day of Qiyaamah (Judgement)) is to Him"

Offline bidita

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Re: Art of Living in Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea
« Reply #4 on: September 05, 2010, 08:43:02 PM »
Mr.Samim Ansary

Thank you for the story............
Bidita Rahman :)
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latifa@diu.edu.bd

Offline Razon Mahmood

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Re: Art of Living in Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea
« Reply #5 on: September 08, 2010, 10:06:35 PM »
Thank you Shamim vhi for the document. I read the paper before. But I would rather like to take this novella as a source of inspiration. I have some disagreements with the views of the critic.  Santiago says "`glad we do not have to try to kill the stars' we can take it positively. The duties which we have those are not as impossible as like to kill the stars. When we try to achieve something we should think like Satiago- “Now is the time to think of only one thing. That which I was born for”.
You'll never find a rainbow if you're looking down-Charles Chaplin

Offline Shamim Ansary

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Re: Art of Living in Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea
« Reply #6 on: September 15, 2010, 03:46:52 PM »
The Old Man and the Sea is one of the sources of my inspiration. I get myself recharged whenever I imagine myself as Santiago, the protagonist of this renowned novella.

A man can be destroyed but not defeated.
« Last Edit: September 15, 2010, 03:49:32 PM by Shamim Ansary »
"Many thanks to Allah who gave us life after having given us death and (our) final return (on the Day of Qiyaamah (Judgement)) is to Him"

Offline Shamim Ansary

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Quotes from THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA
« Reply #7 on: September 15, 2010, 03:53:23 PM »
Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated...

He no longer dreamed of storms, nor of women, nor of great occurrences, nor of great fish, nor fights, nor contests of strength, nor of his wife. He only dreamed of places now and of the lions on the beach. They played like young cats in the dusk and he loved them...

Anyone can be a fisherman in May...

Why did they make birds so delicate and fine as those sea swallows when the ocean can be so cruel? She is kind and very beautiful. But she can be so cruel and it comes so suddenly and such birds that fly, dipping and hunting, with their small sad voices are made too delicately for the sea...

Fish, I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead before this day ends...

The clouds were building up now for the trade wind and he looked ahead and saw a flight of wild ducks etching themselves against the sky over the water, then blurring, then etching again and he knew no man was ever alone on the sea...

...You did not kill the fish only to keep alive and to sell for food, he thought. You killed him for pride and because you are a fisherman. You loved him when he was alive and you loved him after. If you love him, it is not a sin to kill him. Or is it more?

It is good that we do not have to try to kill the sun or the moon or the stars. It is enough to live on the sea and kill our true brothers...
"Many thanks to Allah who gave us life after having given us death and (our) final return (on the Day of Qiyaamah (Judgement)) is to Him"

Offline Shamim Ansary

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ERNEST HEMINGWAY, Famous Qoutes
« Reply #8 on: September 15, 2010, 03:58:57 PM »
The world breaks everyone ... those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY, A Farewell to Arms

Today is only one day in all the days that will ever be. But what will happen in all the other days that ever come can depend on what you do today.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY, For Whom the Bell Tolls

All things truly wicked start from an innocence.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY, A Movable Feast

Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY, "On the Blue Water," Esquire, Apr. 1936

One cat just leads to another.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY, as quoted in Louis G. Morton's E-mail Humor

For a true writer each book should be a new beginning where he tries again for something that is beyond attainment. He should always try for something that has never been done or that others have tried and failed. Then sometimes, with great luck, he will succeed.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY, Nobel Prize acceptance speech, 1954

The first panacea for a mismanaged nation is inflation of the currency; the second is war. Both bring a temporary prosperity; both bring a permanent ruin. But both are the refuge of political and economic opportunists.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY, "Notes on the Next War," Esquire, Sep. 1935

You know what makes a good loser? Practice.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY, as quoted by his son in Papa, a Personal Memoir

To me heaven would be a big bull ring with me holding two barrera seats and a trout stream outside that no one else was allowed to fish in and two lovely houses in the town; one where I would have my wife and children and be monogamous and love them truly and well and the other where I would have my nine beautiful mistresses on nine different floors.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY, letter to F. Scott Fitzgerald, July 1, 1925

A man can be destroyed but not defeated.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY, The Old Man and The Sea

In Europe then we thought of wine as something as healthy and normal as food and also as a great giver of happiness and well-being and delight. Drinking wine was not a snobbism nor a sign of sophistication nor a cult; it was as natural as eating and to me as necessary.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY, A Movable Feast
"Many thanks to Allah who gave us life after having given us death and (our) final return (on the Day of Qiyaamah (Judgement)) is to Him"