"Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated"(Hemingway 10). The Speaker is the narrator. The narrator tries to physically describe Santiago. He illustrates that Santiago is aged, but his eyes illustrates the determination of working at the sea. The quote provides a general physical feature of Santiago. Santiago is the key figure in the text. His eyes resembled the sea because that was his workplace. The environment illustrated in the narrative is the sea environment.
"Now is the time to think of only one thing. That which I was born for" (Hemingway 40). Santiago is the narrative of this quote. Santiago illustrates the key activity which he engages in continuously, and that activity is the fishing. Santiago has practiced fishing for almost all his life. One of the major themes in the narrative involves the big marlin and Santiago. The scene greatly shows the motivation of Santiago in relation to the fishing job.
"Fish, I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead before this day ends" (Hemingway 54). The communicator in the quote is Santiago. It explains the scene involving Santiago and the Big Marlin. He uses the love word, to explain that he strongly values his fish catch. He applies the term respect to illustrate the great efforts that he applied in catching the big marlin. Santiago explains his determination to go home with the big catch. This is the reason why he put all his efforts; including attacking the sharks, just to ensure he goes home with the fish.
"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" (Hemingway 92). The speaker is Santiago. The situation describes the battle between the old fisherman and the large marlin. The significance of the quote illustrates the challenges experienced by fishermen. “You are killing me, fish” is a metaphor that illustrates the efforts that Santiago used to catch the fish.
"There are many good fishermen and some great ones. But there is only one you" (Hemingway 23). The speaker is the narrator. The communication explains the uniqueness of each fisherman. Santiago is unique because of his expertise, age and also determination. He is a very experienced fisherman as illustrated through his many years in the fishing activity, and also the skillful nature of catching the big Marlin and protecting the catch from predators like sharks. Age is also a unique determining factor. Among the fisher folk, Santiago is among the eldest.
"I wish I had the boy"(Hemingway 45) illustrates the positive relationship between Santiago and Manolin. The communicator is Santiago, and it illustrates his desire to have Manolin during the most adventurous fishing expedition. The significant of the communication is that Santiago is a good mentor, who desires to impart fishing, knowledge and experience to the young apprentice. This was not possible, because the parents of the boy encouraged him to look for another mentor, after Santiago was unsuccessful for 84 days in his fishing expeditions.
“He cannot know that it is only one man against him, nor that it is an old man. But what a great fish he is and what will he bring in the market if the flesh is good" (Hemingway 48). The communication shows the situation when the old man pursued and captured the fish. The significance is that Santiago applies personification in the communication. He gives human character to the capture marlin by using the he term. It is also ironical that despite Santiago’s age, he is able to get the strength needed to fight the large marlin.
"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?" (Hemingway 105). The quote illustrates the thoughts of Santiago. The thoughts explain the pride of fishermen after getting a good catch. The significance of the thought is that the fisher folks are usually very determined in their work; for instance, Santiago. In addition to the commercial value of fish catches, the fishermen derive satisfaction.
“He hasn’t much faith” (Hemingway 10). The communicator is Manolin. The situation illustrates that Manolin was informing Santiago that his father restricted him from their joint fishing expeditions. Manolin’s father has little faith in the old fishermen, because he did not get any catch for 84 days. The significance of the communication is that Santiago had enough hopes that, together with Manolin, they will emerge successful in their fishing expeditions. Santiago considers that Manolin is already with him, despite the strong resistance from his father.
Work Cited
Ernest, Hemingway. The Old Man and The Sea. NY: Scribner. 1995. Print.
