Clash and Conflict between an individual and society.
The Old Man and the Sea, the novella, is having a mystic sense of life in it. The multiple layers of meaning are pervaded throughout the novella. It suggests not only life and death but the middle part of them, the life span what is more important than life and death. The Sea itself symbolizes the lifespan which is having lots of voyages (tasks, attempts in life etc.), the Old Man is the whole mankind, Marlin as desire of mankind, Sharks are the societies and circumstances of life and Manolin is the success and stamina of life. The old man wishes to show to the society that he is no more salao (unlucky) and he wants the stamina from that boy (Manolin) as he eight times says “I wish I had the boy”. The mankind craves for success is presented through this statement. Men try to satisfy their desires but the sharks (circumstances or society) pull their legs and make them disappointed, so, it also shows if circumstances get succeed and the men drop their wish to achieve something, then they would be successful if they face struggle. And this happens in the case of the Old man that he, though he is aged, decides to fight with vicissitudes of life and struggles for his desire (Marlin). That is all together a different thing that he does not get marlin but its carcass at the end of the novella, albeit, he proves himself enough capable for fishing among the people. So, what makes a man successful here is struggle. And it also reminds of a proverb “Try and try you will be succeed”.
Hi! Payal,
ReplyDeleteIt was nice attempt to organize all the symbolic interpretations that connotes human-life and its importance. The idea of human nature verses Nature is admirably well-put.
-Reema
That is the crux of the story what is in between life and death is more important. That reminds me of the product and process. Here the process plays its indispensible role in the life of the old man. To give suggestions, I would say that if you mention sharks as society then Marxist criticism should be there. Succinctly well-planned idea of The Old Man and The Sea in your collections is interesting that you symbolizes animal world as society. Relativity of ‘I wish I had the boy’ with success is somewhat perplexing. Was it really a struggle for the old man’s desire or struggle for coming out of circumstances (I am sorry I went too far out)?
ReplyDeleteWish you had use another proverb with the same meaning, as "try and try..." is cliché.
ReplyDeleteHello Payal! You have interpreted very well, words like "the Sea, the Old Man etc. in your topic. The Middle Part is the most significant one for our life because it decides how a person lives his time between Life and Death. Here I would like to quote Hemingway's words on LIFE and DEATH, "Everyman's life ends the same way. It is only the details how he lived and how he died that distinguishes one man to another.
ReplyDeleteKeep it up!
Best Wishes to you.
Hello Mahesh!
ReplyDeleteYes, it was the struggle for coming out of circumstances. As I have symbolized the Old man as the whole mankind, it suggests the wish of the whole mankind to come out from the vicissitudes of life. And the relativity of 'I wish I had the boy' with success is not at all complex. Because I have put the symbols in that particular context, but we have to take it in a general sense that Man's desire is related with success. Here, I have tried to give symbols to the characters through which we can understand the image of the world.