The Old Man and The Sea

Book Review # 109488

Literature > American

A review of the idea of grace under pressure with Ernest Hemingway's "The Old Man and The Sea".

1,675 words () | 0 sources | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the idea of grace under pressure, of which author Ernest Hemingway spent a career espousing through characters in his various novels and short stories. The paper reviews the story "The Old Man and The Sea" and studies the main character, Santiago, a fisherman down on his luck. It talks of how Santiago, despite his setbacks and physical limitations that age imposed on him, still approached each new day of fishing with cheer; a sign of grace under pressure.

From the Paper:

"Had the novel ended with the marlin's final submission, the extent of Santiago's true character may have never been revealed. It is not until he wages battle against the scavenger sharks that the reader is able to see the greatest example of grace under pressure. What makes the tale of Santiago's battle with the shark so significant an example of grace under pressure is not the fact that he show's great determination or pride. Certainly, both of these attributes were on display in earlier parts of the novel. It is the fact that his determination and pride remain in tact in the face of what he knows are insurmountable odds. His hope waned because he knew that he was too far from the shore and that he was ill-equipped to fight off the great number of sharks that would follow the blood trail being left by the great fish."