Question

What prevents Santiago from tying the line to his boat?

• A. The boat is too small
• B. Fear of snapping the line
• C. Lack of rope
• D. Fear of sharks

Answer 1

Answer:

B. Fear of snapping the line

Understanding Santiago's Decision in The Old Man and the Sea

• Santiago's primary concern with tying the fishing line directly to his skiff was the overwhelming fear of the line snapping. The marlin he hooked was of immense size and power, far exceeding the typical catches, and the strain it exerted was tremendous.
• He understood that a sudden, unyielding pull from the boat would create an abrupt tension that the line, despite its strength, could not withstand against the marlin's powerful dives and surges.
• Instead of tying it, Santiago chose to endure the immense physical burden, holding the line with his hands, shoulders, and back. This allowed his body to act as a shock absorber, providing the necessary give and flexibility to prevent the line from breaking under the marlin's violent movements.
• This method demonstrated Santiago's profound experience and wisdom as a fisherman, accumulated over decades at sea. He understood the delicate balance between applying enough pressure to tire the fish and not so much as to break the line.
• The struggle highlights one of the novel's central themes: man versus nature, and Santiago's deep respect for the marlin. He views the marlin not just as prey, but as a noble adversary worthy of his greatest effort and ingenuity.
• The novella, The Old Man and the Sea, was written by Ernest Hemingway and first published in 1952.
• This work earned Hemingway the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1953 and was a significant factor in his receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954.
• Key themes in the novel often examined for competitive exams include:
  • Endurance and Resilience: Santiago's unwavering determination despite physical pain and mental exhaustion.
  • Man's Relationship with Nature: Depicting both the struggle against and profound respect for the natural world.
  • Defeat and Victory: Santiago's apparent defeat (losing the marlin to sharks) is framed as a spiritual victory.
  • The Code Hero: Santiago embodies Hemingway's concept of a protagonist who displays 'grace under pressure'.