The Old Man and the Sea

Protagonist: The protagonist in this book is Santiago, the old man. Santiago is a very determined, hardworking, man who spent his entire life being a fisherman. He was described as unlucky by other fisherman because he had not caught a fish in eighty-four days, so Santiago decided he was going to catch a really big fish to make up for the eighty-four days of not catching any fish.

Quotes:      “He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish (1).””Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated(2).”

This is a picture of the Protagonist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Antagonist: The fish in the Old Man and the Sea is the Antagonist in the book.He was a giant marlin fish that lived far out in the Gulf Stream. It’s a determined fish that was unwilling to die and was willing to fight to the death for his life and freedom.
Quotes:”You are killing me, fish, the old man thought. But you have a right to. Never have I seen a greater, or more beautiful, or a calmer or more noble thing than you, brother. Come on and kill me. I do not care who kills who(92).” “He is wonderful and strange and who knows how old he is, he thought. Never have I had such a strong fish nor one who acted so strangely… He cannot know that it is only one man against him, nor that it is an old man(48).”

This is a picture of the Antagonist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conflict: The conflict the protagonist faces is that he is a fisherman and had not caught a fish in eighty four days. And the other fisherman thought he was unlucky, but Santiago did not think so, so he decided that he would go farther out in the ocean to hook the biggest fish ever so that he could prove to himself and to the rest of the fisherman that he could still fish as good as the rest of them. He knew that he could catch his fish as long as he kept his hope and will that he could do it.

Quotes: “Fish, I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead before this day ends(54).” “The fish is my friend too,” he said aloud. “I have never seen or heard of such a fish. But I must kill him. I’m glad we do not have to kill the stars(75).”

This is a picture of the conflict.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Theme: The theme of this book is that you should not give up when it seems hopeless and pointless to continue trying to reach your goal. Santiago was told by several other fisherman that he was unlucky and that he wouldnt be able to catch anymore fish. He had not caught a fish in eighty-four days. He went out and caught a giant marlin, but then sharks came and ate his fish, but he didn’t care because he had already experienced his triumph when he won his battle with the fish.

Quotes: “But a man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated(103).””They beat me, Manolin,” he said. “They truly beat me.””He didn’t beat you. Not the fish.””No. Truly. It was afterwards(124).”

This is a picture of the Theme.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plot: The old Man and the Sea Plot and Diagram Click on that link to access the plot and diagram.

Quotes: Beginning Problem: “He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish(1).”

Rising Actions: “He’s taken it,” he said. “Now I’ll let him eat it well(44).”

“The fish moved steadily and they travelled slowly on the calm water. The other baits were still in the water but there was nothing to be done(45).”

“It was noon when I hooked him,” he said. “And I have never seen him(46).”

“I can do nothing with him and he can do nothing with me, he thought. Not as long as he keeps this up(47).”

Climax/Turning Point: “The old man dropped the line and put his foot on it and lifted the harpoon as high as he could and drove it down with all his strength, and more strength he had just summoned, into the fish’s side just behind the great chest fin that rose high in the air to the altitude of the man’s chest(93,94).”

Falling Actions: “The shark was not an accident. He had come up from deep down in the water as the dark cloud of blood had settled and dispersed in the mile deep sea(100).”

“The shark closed fast astern and when he hit the fish the old man saw his mouth open and his strange eyes and the clicking top of the teeth as he drove forward in the meat just above the tail(101).”

Resolution: “But he liked to think about all things that he was involved in and since there was nothing to read and he did not have a radio, he thought much and he kept on thinking about sin. 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(105)?

Bibliography: Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner Paperback Fiction, 1952. Print.

Google. Web. 14 Aug. 2011. http://www.google.com/.

(Google was used for pictures for the project and pictures only.)