Hemingways the Oldman and the Sea: A quest for Identity

Abstract

Ernest Hemingway's Santiago in The Old Man and the Sea is an extraverted individual who is rarely ever home; he is usually out there in the sea. On the other hand, he lives a lonely life and is secluded from the people around him. He thinks of himself as a champion angler who, despite his old age, can catch big fish. He dreams of his past glory and hopes that once again he will be what he was in his youth. His desire to be the champion angler once again blinds him to his old age. Lonely and alone, Manolin, Santiago's apprentice-boy believes in him and in his dream. He is the only companion that he has both in the sea and on the land. Santiago thinks the world of himself in being the 'champion angler' which he was in his youth. The long dry spell of not being able to catch fish has made him sceptical and has earned him the title, 'salao,' from his peers. In addition to repeating his past feats, he wants to prove to his people that he is more than what they think of him. While his strict adherence to the old and traditional ways to catch fish shows his love and attachment with the sea and fishing, it also shows how he has failed to stay in touch with time. Thus his personality is lopsided, which prevents him from partaking in the mainstream life; hence being marginalized and ostracized. He will continue to face such problems until he compromises a sense of himself between what he thinks he is and what the world around him thinks of him: he has to re-connect with his unconscious as Jung would say.