The Old Man's Pride

          In Ernest Hemingway’s tale, The Old Man and the Sea, an underlying theme of pride leading to greatness is revealed through Santiago’s actions, for throughout his fishing experiences, he discovers the greatness of his life’s mission, the acknowledgement of his weaknesses, and the power of his enduring action as a result of his personal struggles with pride. Written after the world had struggled through years of conflict and turmoil caused by the Great Depression, the Spanish Civil War, and World Wars I and II, Hemingway conveyed a strong sense of Realism of the times in his novels, thus resulting in the harsh reality of the protagonist’s life and character in particular. Perhaps the notion of pride is so important to the story because the old man has precious little else due to these challenges. Nevertheless, his powerful sense of pride is converted to spiritual strength, ability, and even humility throughout the old man’s journey in Hemingway’s narrative.

          Santiago focused on fishing as his career and life mission, and, in order to complete it, he felt he must continue on and become a master in the work regardless of others’ opinions, thus displaying both his pride and perseverance. The old man is a well drawn, and was previously in his life known both by himself and throughout his town for being a fisherman of great skill. He was often humble about his dynamic abilities, however, for when he was told, “The best fisherman is you,” he simply replied, “No. I know others better.” This blunt humility seems to be at an imbalance with his pride, yet he differentiates between pride before others and pride for oneself. He values the latter over the former, which explains his contrasting actions throughout the story. Although this particular statement from the old man hints towards weak pride in himself, he refrains from exercising pride in the face of others in order to preserve his reputation. He continued to fish and train his apprentice. Santiago felt no need to prove himself to his fellows when he suffered through a period of bad luck because he already possessed pride and confidence in his own fishing accomplishments.

          In the old man’s 84-day long quest to catch a single fish, he abandoned the set boundaries of his past experience for a ferocious sense of pride, which allowed him to fight his redeeming battle to catch the marlin; however, he later realized the impure drive behind his actions and became aware of this fatal flaw after the marlin’s death. During this unlucky scheme of events, all of the old man’s previous fishing skills were put to the test, as well as his notable reputation.  His very career and lifelong dream are put at risk because of these continual losses. Nevertheless, his drive and motivation to personally persevere cause him to fish without complaint. When the old man finally captures the great marlin after an extreme struggle, he is too far out into sea and has no control over what is happening to his prized catch. His efforts to fend off the sharks are strong and supported with pride, yet they are in vain because of his ignorant mistake. Santiago is too prideful to admit, even to himself, to this faulty decision to sail against the rules of his previous experience in fishing in his attempt to save the marlin from the sharks. “And what beat you, he thought. ‘Nothing,’ he said aloud. ‘I went out too far.’” Perhaps it was his own ego that beat him in this case. After the quest and battle to catch the marlin, the old man was able to gain a newer perspective of his flaws and improve his character from that point on.

          The connection between the symbolic marlin and the old man demonstrated his fierce determination and resolution, which provided him with the strength he needed to avoid total defeat, in his attempt to protect the marlin from the sharks. This great fish was the catch of his life because of this empathetic experience. The marlin was Santiago’s brother in suffering, strength, and resolve. Three days of struggling to overcome this problem went by before the old man could kill his “prey;” however, during this dramatic change of events, he recognized his own trials and characteristics in the creature, seeing him as an equal opponent. When the sharks attacked after the fish had died, the old man’s pride in his catch swelled into his actions to defend the marlin to the best of his abilities. Even after the old man had lost the great fish to the sharks, he remained quite proud and even arrogant, perhaps in a way to protect himself mentally from his defeat. “He spat into the ocean and said, ‘Eat that, galanos. And make a dream you’ve killed a man.’” He refused to let this defeat affect him spiritually, either. The marlin, the old man’s “equal,” inspired him to improve his own virtues when he saw his own struggles in the empathy with this great fish; this experience is what gave him the ferocity and pride in defending his catch.
          It can be concluded that Santiago not only had a journey through a time of bad luck, through the sea, or to catch a marlin, but a personal adventure and discovery of his personal pride and its effect on his actions. The amelioration this story leaves is a legacy and demonstration of strength and greatness in spirit. Behind his endeavors to complete his fishing career, he learns of his life mission. When he suffers through 84 days of terrible luck, which may have devastated his life, the old man was able to discover his flaws. In a creature he was about to make his prey, he realized the value of virtues and moral courage and became inspired to use his pride for good. Ernest Hemingway’s captivating classic work, The Old Man and the Sea, provides a realistic and powerful example of the consequences of pride leading to great things through his main character, the old man Santiago.