The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest HemingwayAfter reading this novel, "The Old Man and the Sea", by Ernest Hemingway, I was confused about something about the old man kept on repeat. Throughout the book, old Santiago talks about going very far to catch fish. It sounds to me like he's making excuses for not being able to bring in the fish. On the other hand, maybe he realized that he shouldn't have gone that far because it wasn't worth it. puts a strain on himself and the fish. I re-read these parts and came to a conclusion about this issue. We know that Santiago leaves on the eighty-fifth day earlier than normal to get a head start on what he believes will be the day he catches something. He catches something and it happens to be the biggest fish he has ever seen in his life. He does everything he can to hook the fish and once hooked; the fish carries it towards the sea, moving further and further away from the land. The man knows he is not prepared for what is to come, but he is not discouraged and keeps trying. This tells me that Santiago is courageously dedicated to his life of fishing. After three days at sea, managing the marlin and, more importantly, hunger, he brings in the fish and attaches it to the side of his boat. When the first of the sharks arrives, he does everything he can to defend himself, but as unprepared as he is, his actions are almost useless. It is then that he first says to himself and the marlin next to him, "I shouldn't have gone so far, fish. Not for you or for me. I'm sorry fish" (110). The old man had considered the fish his friend and even a brother the entire time he was trying to kill it. For me, this ass... middle of paper... comes back. What the old man doesn't understand is that he gets something in return. He has an experience that not many other people have had or will ever have. He gained knowledge of how to be more prepared for an event like this. And he earned the respect of the citizens, who once thought he was sad and pitiful. Santiago is a brave and rebellious old man who is sad that he was unable to complete his journey with his trophy beside him. If you were to look deeper into the matter and try to come to a conclusion as to why the old man constantly repeats that he has gone too far, I think you would find that this is the old man's way of dealing with his loss. As much as he says it, though, I don't think if he had to do it all over again, he'd stop short of catching the fish. Santiago is a true fisherman and would do anything to prove it.