Washing Away Fishy Obstacles by Danielle L.

Santiago, in the book written by Ernest Hemingway, the Old Man and the Sea, has many obstacles to overcome on his journey. He is a very tough, old man who always tries to find the good in situations that are otherwise depressing and unbearable. Among the many obstacles he faces are the cramping of his hand, maintaining his sanity, and the lack of food and supplies. Some fisherman would give up under these conditions, but Santiago keeps on rowing.

First, an obstacle that gets in Santiago’s way is his cramped hand. It becomes cramped from being in the same position for a long period of time. It was not minor, but a major problem, resulting in him experiencing pain and a partial loss of strength. This challenged his efforts in catching the marlin. Clearly Santiago worries about his ability to control the fish when he says, ‘“God help me to have the cramp go because I do not know what the fish is going to do”’ (60). It prevents him from tightly holding onto the line. Santiago is worried that if he can not hold onto the line tight enough and the marlin does something drastic, he will lose the fish. Knowing that the left hand is weak, it does not come as a surprise that it cramped. He explains a time when he won an arm wrestling match with his right hand and lost a practice match with his left.

Second, Santiago has to maintain his sanity. The reader continues to question Santiago’s state of mind when he talks to his hand and says, ‘“Be patient, hand, I do this for you”’(59). This shows that the old man is lonely, as there are frequent comments made about wishing the boy, Manolin, were there. This makes sense because it is evident that Manolin is thought of as either a close relative or friend. Also, food and an adequate amount of fresh water are not available. So, he has to catch and eat raw fish and conserve the only water that is left. Loneliness, dehydration, and malnutrition all played a roll in the slipping away of reality.

Third, lack of food and supplies causes the chances of successfully bringing the marlin back to subside. Having no idea that the short trip would turn into a long voyage, he is not nearly prepared for what will be faced at sea. As a result, he has to catch his own food and fight off the savage sharks with what he has to make do with. Lacking food and supplies, the author expresses Santiago’s fear in this horrible situation when he says, ‘“Now it’s over [Santiago] thought. They will probably hit me again. But what can a man do against them in the dark without a weapon?”’ (117). All that was available, including a knife, a broken oar, harpoon, his fist, and a tiller, was lost. Losing his remaining supplies, Santiago is forced into letting the beasts (the sharks) steal his prized possession (the marlin). If he would have had the right equipment and supplies available, most likely there would be a greater chance of bringing back the full fish, but instead he only had the memories and stories to pass along.

Santiago overcomes a cramped hand, a lack of sanity, and a lack of supplies in his big challenge – the fight with the marlin. Because of his joyous attitude, determination, strength, and wisdom, accomplishments were made. This book really shows how dangerous and difficult a job at sea really is. Santiago is amazing because he was able to endure all of this and come out alive. This shows that he is truly a legendary figure.