"Then if you hook something truly big we can come to you aid (Hemingway 14)." This statement, made by Manolin before the old man left, is likely to be the most ironic phrase of the entire novel. Although the young boy admits at the end of the novel that a search team looked for Santiago by helicopter, they were never able to find him in his tiny skiff. Another ironic statement made by Manolin was his question for the old man before he went fishing. "But are you strong enough for a truly big fish (Hemingway 14)?" These quotes served not only as foreshadowing for the plot, but also as very ironic statements.
Manolin's parents forbid him from fishing with Santiago saying "that the old man was now definitely and finally salao, which is the worst form of unlucky (Hemingway 9)." However, the boy continued to help Santiago before he went out fishing. On the particular day that the old man caught the marlin, Manolin had bought him fresh sardines to fish with. It's ironic how the young boy provided some luck for the old man when it was because of his luck that he couldn't fish with him in the first place.
When he finally ends his eighty-four day streak by catching the great marlin, the old man has the struggle of his life to get home. Enduring muscle pains, fighting off predators, and becoming weak from lack of food and strength were all ironic signs of how the world was always against Santiago.
Finally, the old man returned to the Havana frail and starved. The other fisherman, who were once tormenters of Santiago, were around and had very little to say to the old man. They were in awe over the huge skeletal matter that the old man had carried home. None of them spoke to the old man because he was now seen as a hero amongst the fishers of the Cuban coast.
[Bibliography]
Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.
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