For 84 days, the old fisherman Santiago has caught nothing, returning empty-handed in his skiff to the small Cuban fishing village where he lives. After
40 days
without a catch, Manolin's father has insisted that Manolin, the young man Santiago taught to fish from the age of five, fish in another boat.
How long did Santiago go without a fish?
The central character is an old Cuban fisherman named Santiago, who has not caught a fish for
84 days
.
How long has the old man been fishing without catching a fish?
Santiago, an old fisherman, has gone
eighty-four days
without catching a fish. For the first forty days, a boy named Manolin had fished with him, but Manolin's parents, who call Santiago salao, or “the worst form of unlucky,” forced Manolin to leave him in order to work in a more prosperous boat.
How many days did the boy accompany Santiago going fishing?
Having made some money with the successful fishermen, the boy offers to return to Santiago's skiff, reminding him of their previous
eighty-seven-day
run of bad luck, which culminated in their catching big fish every day for three weeks.
How long did it take Santiago to catch the marlin?
Using only a small wooden boat, fresh bait, and a hand line, Santiago manages to hook an enormous marlin. After
three days
of struggle and superhuman endurance, the old man kills the marlin with his harpoon.
Why do boys stop fishing in Santiago?
Manolin is a boy Santiago has known for a long time. He used to go fishing with the old man and they've grown close because of it. … The boy is not fishing with the old man anymore
because his father believes the old man doesn't bring good luck since he hasn't caught a fish in eighty four days
.
How does Santiago lose the fish?
The old man thinks that the fish is killing him, and admires him for it, saying, “I do not care who kills who.” Eventually,
he pulls the fish onto its side by the boat and plunges his harpoon into it
. The fish lurches out of the water, brilliantly and beautifully alive as it dies.
Who is Santiago's hero?
Even though Santiago experiences pain and suffering, he reminds himself that
DiMaggio
, his hero, does as well but persists through his pain.
What does Manolin fetch Santiago after he sees Santiago's ravaged hands?
Early the next morning, Manolin comes to the old man's shack, and the sight of his friend's ravaged hands brings him to tears. He goes to fetch
coffee
. Fishermen have gathered around Santiago's boat and measured the carcass at eighteen feet.
Why Santiago took down photo of his wife from the wall?
Although he has taken down the photograph of his presumably deceased wife
because it makes him feel lonely
, he has kept her religious pictures. One is of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the other is of the Virgin of Cobre.
Why did Santiago finally lose hope?
In The Old Man and the Sea
How does Santiago justify killing the marlin?
Why or why not? Santiago justifies killing the marlin by saying that it is the natural order of things, “You were born to be a fisherman as the fish was born to be a fish.” (105) He continues to justify his actions by stating,
“You loved him when he was alive and you loved him after.
Why does Santiago apologize to the fish?
The fish has been stripped of all material value, and Santiago apologizes to the fish
for going so far out to sea and ruining them both
. Ever since the mako's first attack, Santiago has wondered whether killing the marlin was a great sin.
What second fish did the old man catch and what will he do with it?
What second fish did the old man catch, and what will he do with it?
He caught a dolphin and saved it to eat later
. Santiago tries to justify killing the big fish by thinking of how many people he will feed.
Why does Manolin cry at the end?
It is specifically when
Manolin sees the appearance of Santiago that he begins to cry
, so overwhelmed by emotion that he does not attempt to hide his tears when he sees other fishermen: The boy saw that the old man was breathing and then he saw the old man's hands and he started to cry.
What did Santiago want to prove?
Santiago wants to prove to
the marlin that he is worthy of catching and killing such a great fish
(just as he wants to prove it to himself and others.)
