Eyes on the Prize

Everyone has goals in life. Each goal is an obstacle course, and you must complete it to succeed in that goal. But, to win in this course, you have to get on your belly and crawl through the mud. There is no way around it, and it is the last part. You can’t jump over it or run around it. It is bad while you are doing it, but you are doing it for a purpose, and once you are out of the mire, and you cross the finish line, and you feel a sense of pride, and suddenly the mud doesn’t seem so bad, because you have completed the course. Santiago, the main character from Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, must face many obstacles in his goal of catching the great marlin. He has to fight against his emotions, the creatures of the sea, and physical pain.

When Santiago heads out to sea again, he hasn’t caught a fish in 84 days, and Manolin hasn’t been able to help him because his parents believe that Santiago is bad luck. Alone on the open ocean, any other man would give up, but he remains optimistic and is patient enough to wait for a fish to bite. But, even when Santiago does hook the fish, loneliness begins to creep in. He says, “If the boy were here. If the boy were here” (83), because he is lonely and believes that catching the fish would be easier with the boy. Santiago probably felt kind of nostalgic too.Santiago’s emotions almost prevent him from being able to succeed, but he controls them because he knows that he can do it. This really shows you that Santiago is prideful of what he does and knows his abilities, though he isn't arrogant. If wasn’t confident in what he was capable of, and devoted to his work, he never would’ve known how to overcome such overwhelming emotions.

Out on the ocean, Santiago has to face the ominous predators of the sea. He has to fight the marlin to kill it, and ward the aggressive sharks away from it once it was dead. When he is catching the marlin, his hands are bleeding and he is in pain. Some men might say that the marlin had won the fight and release it, but not Santiago. And once he does catch it, the worst is yet to come. Sharks strike and start eating the marlin. “When [Santiago] saw him coming he knew that this was a shark that had no fear at all and would do exactly what he wished” (101). The old man understands how dangerous these things are, yet he still goes up against them, and risks his life for his job. Couldn’t he just have caught another marlin, or were there more important things at risk? Why did catching this marlin that day mean so much? To prove an old man could still catch fish? To gain back the trust of Manolin’s parents so he could have a helper? Or was there something different? His objective was unknown. The loss of most of his marlin seemed to upset Santiago, but he keeps positive spirits. “The old man paid no attention to [the sharks] and did not pay attention to anything except steering. He only noticed how lightly and how well the skiff sailed now there was no great weight beside her” (119). This tells us that Santiago is sanguine.

Another thing that Santiago has to endure is great physical pain. While catching the marlin and fighting the sharks, Santiago is apathetic and bleeding. Also, his hands are cramping. It says in the text that “[Santiago] felt faint and sick and he could not see well” (94). This lets you know that Santiago's pain is sincere. Pain can be overwhelming sometimes, to the point where it is unbearable. Some people (including me) stop functioning if they get a stubbed toe or a bee sting, but Santiago is able to deal with his throbbing pain and catch the fish, proving he is tougher than he seems.

Overall, I believe that knowing the how-to of something is not the only thing one needs to succeed. You need ambition, wits, strength, confidence, and a reason to complete your goal. You can do anything if you put your eyes on the prize and focus only on your goal!