Old Man And The Sea
The Journey from Illusion to Disillusion in Hemingway’s
In our world today we are constantly bombarded with messages of illusion and falsity, however the states in which people travel through their lives differ. Some people are suspended in a state of illusion for all their lives, only realizing their potential on their deathbed. Others have their illusions stolen from them as a child and are brought up in a world without magic and fanciful ideas. For most, we discover this passage from illusion to disillusion at a time in our lives when we need it most. Quite simply, one cannot lead a happy and productive adult life when one is oblivious to the truths of this world. This does ...
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and yet opens himself up to the larger possibilities of life at the same time. He goes through very obvious and specific stages in his struggle, in a world of illusion, through the sacrifice and pain of the journey and into disillusionment.
Santiago is a proud man, and the world of illusion which captivates him is the only thing that keeps him going, day after day. Sadly, Santiago does not truly have confidence in himself. He attributes much of his success and failure to luck: "‘Eighty-five is a lucky number,’ the old man said. ‘How would you like to see me bring one in that dressed out over a thousand pounds?’"(Hemingway, 13). Santiago is so preoccupied by the idea of luck, and it seems to him that all his experiences are based on powers greater than his own. This seems to parallel Hemingway’s, own illusions, as Young explains, "... both [Santiago and Hemingway] were given to remarking ‘I am a strange old man.’ And both men were ...
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of waiting for luck which brings Santiago to the fish, and his suffering. His life of illusion has finally led him to the passage, the journey into enlightenment.
The Journey is a necessary part of life, before one can reach full potential. It entails great suffering and pain, but will lead to true happiness. Santiago experiences symptoms of pain, suffering, confusion and deeper thought in his struggle with the fish, and with himself. Santiago first begins to experience delusions, talking not only to himself, but to birds, and the fish. He begins to think of things he may never have pondered before, feeling sorry for the fish that he has caught, realizing the greatness of such ...
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"Old Man And The Sea." Essayworld.com. September 4, 2007. Accessed November 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Old-Man-And-The-Sea/70674.
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