The Old Man and the Sea: Aspect of Perseverance Free Essay Example

May 13, 2022 by Essay Writer

In this paper it is essential to differentiate the distinction between determination and large stubbornness of which the primary character of the story who is the old male Santiago a Cuban fisherman who had actually depicted a life that is tough and apparently unrewarded at the end conquers his dream. At the end of the story, it is the reader who needs to conclude whether he is rewarded or not. More notably, it is excellent to harp on the inner core of that old man in order to comprehend where a frail man despite of discouragement was able to live a life of incredible pusillanimity.

It is notable to define determination in the light of faith and what constitute this powerful virtue. Is it pride or fortitude? Is life often a passing luck to win or loose and does a regular forging of a man’s soul redirects him to his true end or death? The skeleton of the fish is the evidence of his conquest.

Get quality help now

KarrieWrites


Verified writer

Proficient in: Old Man





5 (339)

“ KarrieWrites did such a phenomenal job on this assignment! He completed it prior to its deadline and was thorough and informative. ”



+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

Is the lack of the meat suggested that Santiago was not effectively rewarded? Or is it something in the eye of the kid a scam. The story ended as the young boy will continue to live and capture fish with him. The story also portrays of a real charity that when all else fails it is only love that stand still.

Is Santiago a guy of virtue? Perseverance is a virtue; it is the ability to endure something good or a tight spot at a length of time.

Get to Know The Price Estimate For Your Paper

Topic

Deadline: 10 days left

Number of pages

Email

Invalid email

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy. We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

“You must agree to out terms of services and privacy policy”

Write my paper

You won’t be charged yet!

St. Thomas of Aquinas specifies perseverance as the capability of regularly persists to obtain an ideal excellent despite of extended troubles. As Saint Augustine described; faith is to believe without seeing and to have an act of faith (among the three principal virtues) one must withstand throughout his whole life. Perseverance or unchangeable persistence might belong in 2 methods. On the account of the desired end and to a practice that is unchangeable.

Or one way is to achieve a specific goal and on the other hand, to go on without ceasing no matter how impossible a dream may be. In the adventure of the fisherman at the sea, it is easy to understand and believe in the fortitude of Santiago. Despite of the seemingly wrecked boat he sailed far to the sea. With his bare hand and old tools he will catch the fish. Being impoverished is next to a lack of well being in which is a necessary element for a man to be a true man. However, his lack of material things is not his own making, the man toils for eighty four days and caught nothing.

Santiago may be poor but he is not poor of the spirit from which he derives his strength. The boy and he both hoped that one day they can catch a big fish and sell it for a large sum of money. These simple minded souls are not greedy for money. What they do need is just to have something they could live for which is a direct opposite of a man who has so much and still hungers for more. Sometimes we can say you are so proud we believe too much in ourselves it was because we believe we can endure. Firm endurance must be annexed to fortitude which is a habit made stronger by death.

Man must constantly be firm against difficulties arising from external hindrances to which it agrees with patience with the help of grace. That is grace as gratuitous help of God because he sustains in a man the perseverance to carry on the greatest trials until the end of his life (though the free will of man is changeable albeit by grace to remain unchangeable) St. Thomas Aquinas – Summa Theologiae. The old man persevered despite of his lack of willingness even to live, a lonely man who could not even stare at the picture of his deceased spouse, stoic but not afraid to live a life seemingly difficult to endure.

As in the case of suicidal attempts in the history of man for which the victims are acknowledge as to having the act of running away from a life that seems to be unbearable. Santiago is willing to give his own life for a noble cause. An intention of which the story itself has purified in the toil that was not rewarded due to thirstiness of the sharks with blood. They devoured Santiago’s price with their hunger. But despite of all the odds the old man was able to make it to the shore he indeed was alive. A boy who awaits his return embraces him with joy.

Perseverance is a gift to a deserving soul who was loved much and has more love to give. It is explicit that one cannot give what one does not have and to attain this gift it is only for the soul untainted with guilt. Ernest Hemingway’s works are evidences of his deep understanding of the human soul as described by Paul Kammer in the introduction of his book. His work on the story of the old man and the sea reminds us of his famous words that a man can be destroyed but never be defeated. In this aspect, it is necessary to consider the two fold of man. He is a person with body and soul.

In parallel of the two character which is the old man and the boy of which they are inseparable. It is not only the dream of catching a big fish and earning a living which made them stick together. Both realized that they support one another, they are like the master and disciple who venerates and care for each other. The crisp friendship of the two (Santiago and Manolin the boy) is like to an old and new which describes love itself and loyalty. It is also observed in the story that even if blood is thicker than water, loyalty is even made stronger than death.

The author also described that everything in the man is old (exterior self and interior psyche) except his eyes as described by the author, on which to my point of view is the reflection of the soul of the fisherman. It is imperative to say: faith teaches that souls of the human person are for eternity thus it can never grow old. From cover to end, the story was sustained by hope and love till end. Futile is our life and our works if it was not ordained to something good. To make good a work at hand it should not be a scene that is just passing away.

A proud man feels embarrassed of his own nothingness but a persevering man combats his own nothingness with his profound humility. The old fisherman may not be well rewarded materially in his conquest but the reward of his adventure was the making of his soul. Manolin (a boy in his mid teens) on the other side depicts hope and grace because Santiago needs him. He vowed to go on living to fish with the old Cuban fisherman in the ocean of the coast of Havana. The significance of Santiago’s adventure is not the big fish but the proof that he was able to conquer.

Man toils until he was squeezed like a lemon and afterwards realizes his toil and sufferings has gone with the winds. This is so when our intentions are unclear. Rectitude of intention diminishes in man his animal instinct and ordained his good acts to a higher end. We work till dawn but really for what? But for Santiago it was enough that Manolin believed in him. Genuine perseverance is not the kind of persistence that is blind. The sea, in which Santiago is so familiar, rowed his almost rugged boat to the waves. He’s knowledge of his world pointed him exactly where to find his price.

He is experienced and his knowledge with fortitude directed him to his goal. In a certain sense virtue is disposed to people who are prepared for it. The life of the story is very ironic to the real life of the author. One Sunday morning in 1952 at his Idaho residence, Ernest Hemmingway loaded a double barreled shotgun, places it against his forehead and ended his own life. He did not leave even just a single note but have left so many statements about life and among his work is this novella as depicted by its characters – The Old Man and the Sea. A theme that can be summarized as the saint and his realm.

SOURCE

Read more