What matters isn’t the end; it’s what happens in the middle

Anyone can give up; it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength. After reading The Old Man and the Sea, many people probably will realize how hard a fishing trip could be. Even if they don’t fish themselves, it’s easy to get a feel of what the author was explaining in his abstract descriptions. The struggles and choices that Santiago had made to conclude in a successful trip ensured him he would accomplish his goal in catching this “mother of all marlins”. He was a determined man who knew what he wanted, and he wasn’t going to quit until he got it. This novella brings a wonderful story along with many difficult situations and problems that occur. It’s not only hard being a fisherman, but it is also hard to face fears while being alone. The things in life that matter the most are goals. Someone might be ambivalent about if they have a goal. They might not even realize it, however, everyone has to have a goal in life, whether it contains yourself approaching fears, or getting something you have wanted all your life.

Long hours of work don’t always pay off. The only pay off in the long run was the feeling of catching this fish. It isn’t just about the ending in the novella, the whole part of the book that matter is toward the middle. This is because when Santiago was not looking, a shark quickly jumped his way over to the marvelous marlin and snatched it closed: “The two sharks closed together and as he saw the one nearest him open his jaw and sink them into the silver side of the fish, he raised the club high and brought it down heavy and slamming it onto the top of the sharks broad head” (113). The shark is curious, it doesn’t care, nor does he know what the troubles of Santiago’s long journey were. All the shark cared about was getting some food to munch on. Santiago put all of his heart into this journey of catching this fish of his dreams, and he wasn’t going to put up a fight. A few times when the shark tried to get the side of the fish, Santiago also tried his best into saving it. However, in the end, he learned that a weary fisherman is much less stronger than a big shark looking for food.


Working on a small boat for hours and hours at a time could get pretty exhausting. It’s hard for Santiago to get a good nights rest and be confident without knowing when the marlin was going to pull down towards the bottom of the sea, if he even was. It’s obvious that Santiago’s hand is going to cramp up. With a patronizing, six hundred pound marlin on the other side of his pole, it’s a fight. “What kind of hand is that? He said. Cramp then if you want. Make yourself into a claw. It will do you no good” (58). He wasn’t going to give up; it was time to put up a fight with this irate marlin. Santiago didn’t feel like waiting any longer, but every patient fisherman deserves a little rest after a long days work. This was a true fisherman’s nightmare. Right when someone is about to pull up this massive marlin, they wouldn’t expect something as little, yet big, as having their hand cramp up in the middle of it. “Why was I not born with two good hands? He thought” (85). This is yet to happen throughout parts of Santiago’s complex journey, but it wasn’t expected to.


It’s not the easiest thing to be alone out at sea for a whole three, long days. In the beginning of this trip, Santiago had a sincere boy along side him, however, he didn’t say on the boat with him. It was at the first chapter of the book where the boy leaves, but it is also throughout the entire book where Santiago makes it clear he wants the boy with him again. “I wish the boy was here. He said aloud.” (50). The boy made it harder for Santiago to be alone, but in the end, he ended up with what he wanted, which was catching the fish. As a matter-of-fact, it may have even made Santiago more powerful in a way because he knew that he needed to do this alone and without any help.

Sometimes it is hard to figure out what is best to do next. Santiago’s struggles not only helped him, but let him learn of his mistakes. He may have only been by himself, but in the end is what matters. The Old Man and the Sea deals with things in life that may not happen in everyone’s world, but there are important parts in the book that a lot of people might consider doing. The most important thing that we have learned from reading this astounding journey of Santiago is that a compassionate fisherman never gives up until they succeed. He may not have been able to bring back the fish to land and show his pride, but he still had the feeling of catching the amazing fish in him. A shark may have stolen the shine upon his glory, but Santiago will always know about this wonderful story he created.