Nature in "The Old Man and the Sea"

“Nature” in the novel “The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway

·        Introduction:

Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) was an American author and journalist. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. He fought a lot health problems and physical as well as mental pain. He also fought with economical problems and ultimately he did suicide.  He killed himself by his favorite shotgun. He took part in World War I. He won Pulitzer Prize also.

“The Old Man and the Sea” is very famous and discussed novella of Hemingway. It tells the story of the old man named Santiago. He is a fisherman- an unlucky fisherman and yet a winner fisherman. The novella says about a lonely fisherman, who has strong willpower to struggle and to win in the fight. But surprisingly his fight is with nothing else but with NATURE. So, a question occurs that, “Does not the old man see himself as a part of the nature?” But it is also true that the old man does not see nature as his enemy, though he fights with it. So, whatever the thing is, but nature plays significant role in the novella “The Old Man and the Sea”.

·        Significance of Nature in the Novella:

        This novella has not many characters. We have only three notable and major characters: the old man- Santiago, a boy- Manolin and a big fish- Marlin. But I would say that the ‘sea’ itself here plays an important role as a character.

        Anke Wartenberg’s abstract is the base of my this assignment. Here all things of nature are orderly. We must see them in unity. The old man and the nature are in harmony with each other. We can see the area of the novella as battlefield, where both the enemies are equally important. Or we can see them as a combined part of universe, in which every atom is in design with each other. We can see such unity between the sea and Santiago:

“Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated.”

        It means both; Santiago and the sea; are equally strong. Both have some similarities and connections with each other. This interpretation goes further. As nature has constructive and destructive both powers, Santiago’s temperament also changes in that way. Yes, we are not given the example of Santiago’s constructive power but by his pity and care for other creatures, we can see him in that way. And his destructive power is also shown very well. So, we can say that his inner nature is very well matches with outer nature. The other aspect of nature here is according to Wartenberg, its changelessness. Means nature is static here.

        Sea and other things of nature are predictable here. Santiago can understand them, with their tricks. Even stars help the old man in finding the way and birds are also in his favor. It means nature is always in favor of the old man. See this example:

“…the water white and the bird now dropping and dipping into the bait fish that were forced to the surface in their panic.

            ‘The bird is a great help’, the old man said.”

        The old man utilizes all the aspects of nature for himself.

·        Symbolic appearance of nature:

        Here sea is the strong symbol. Wartenberg asks very interesting and initial question:

“You just have to see that the title of the book is “The Old Man and the Sea“ and not “The Old Man and the Fish“ or anything like that… Why did Hemingway choose that title for the novel? Since the story is all about a three-day long struggle with a Marlin…”

        This is interesting. ‘Sea’ is here quite mighty object. It is magnificently described. And the novella is not all about the old man’s struggle with Marlin, but it is all about his great sea-voyage. And the sea is the symbol of the old man’s mightiness. His inner strength is externalized by the sea.

        Then the boats on the sea are also the symbol of real life people. Some people used to actively live life while some are passive and inactive in life. Same way, some boats silently move in their comfort zone. Sea also represents the vast amount of pain and also misery in human life.

        The birds can be symbolized as the weak and less experienced people. And stars are the symbol of guidance. For the old man they are also the symbol of hope and light in darkness. And they stand for individuality as they have their own light and glory. Same way the old man fights with his own strength and courage, alone, without taking other’s help.

        And finally, the old man himself is a part of the nature. So, in a way this all is the fight of nature against nature. Every aspects of nature has their own, unique characteristics.

·      “Old Man and the Sea”- From the point of view of the Sea and Marlin:

        It is very well known thing that this novel is the struggle between an old man and the nature. But then this basic question rises that “is not man a part of nature ?”

“But man is not maid for defeat,” He said. “A man can be destroyed but not defeated.”

        These lines can be seen from the existentialist and anthropocentric perspective. This novel tells about the hardship of a courageous old man, his strength, his mental sanity, his victory, the greatness of his views etc. In short, the old man (and in that way all humans) is celebrated here. And as he fights with nature, obviously the nature is seen as destructive force. Though the old man is not seeing nature as his enemy, but then also it is ‘his’ virtue. So, it is necessary to see this novel from other stands also. We are told that story from the old man’s point of view, but we should consider the sea and Marlin’s point of views also.

Ø The Sea:

        As a mighty part of nature, what Sea thinks about the old man that we should imagine. But First I would like to put the old man’s some lines, and then Sea will answer:

“Why did they make birds so delicate and fine as those sea swallows, when the ocean can be so cruel ?”

·       Sea says:

        “You- the old man- the representative of all humankind, always see me as a destructive and cruel thing. But mind well, I include numerous lives in me. I am the reason of your life also. I am the base of your life and the shelter of creatures’ lives also. You all men, are crueler than me. You put boats and ships on me for your own purpose. You throw garbage in me to clean your places. And you all, most of the time, become the cause of destruction of my creatures. You all times pierce your oars in me. I do not say anything, and yet I am cruel ?

        You mankind pollute me time and again. And when I react, I am considered as cruel by the intellectuals like you !”

Ø The fish- Marlin:

        Marlin is also very much important part of the novella. It is the fish with whom the old man had the struggle, and he won. Now, if Marlin has language what would he say ? If the old man is hero, then Marlin played great role in making him hero. Before putting Marlin’s views I would like to put some lines of the novel about Marlin:

“Then he begun to pity the great fish that he had hooked…but what a great fish he is and what he will bring in the market if the flesh is good!”

·       Marline says:

        “Did you see old man? How you were thinking, about me? For you, I am not at all ‘a life’, rather I am an object with full of flesh, that you all men buy and sell. I am only a commodity for you. You saw me as a ‘wonderful’, ‘strong’ and ‘great’ fish, but these all are only superficial praises, I know. These all are the trap to make me feel that you all humans are good, even if you have no mercy for other creatures. It all is to make me feel that you men are enough frank to admire even you enemy, that we are.

        Yet, old man, you are celebrated but by whom? You are celebrated by only your race, not by us. Do you think you are more powerful than me ? Mind well, the difference between us is only that you have language to say that you are powerful. I do not have language and thinking process like you. I do not have facilities and tools like you, and yet if I am fighting with you with all my strength, it is ‘my’ victory. And mind well, you invited me to fight, not because your hunger of stomach, but because of your hunger of fame and victory. I fought only to save myself, not to harm anyone. And remember, you had all tools to defeat or destroy me. You had skiff, harpoons, gaffs, baits and I had only my body (which you considered as ‘flesh’). And yet in your victory my innocence played important role, than your tricks. I remember what you said:

“I may not be as strong as I think, but I know many tricks and I have resolution.”

        So, you won because you had tricks and I had only natural, physical force. You won because your counterpart was not similar with you in intelligence and facilities. I know about the cyclical chain of nature, even I also kill many creatures. But I do not kill them only to prove myself. I kill them for my livelihood only. And you, old man, keep your fake admiration away. I know what I am and I do not need your language to tell it. I reject your words like:

“Fish,” he said, “I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead before this day ends.”

        I do not need your love and respect because I am not a coward human like you, who cannot live without love, respect and fame.”

       

·      Conclusion:

        So, we can say that if the old man wins the struggle, it is not all alone ‘his’ victory. He won because sea supported him. He won because Marlin was defeated. But man has habit of taking credit all alone. Thus, in this way, nature occupies very large place in this novella.

Citations:

(Wartenberg, 2000)

(contributors, 2014)