Old Man and the Sea Essay Draft. Prompt 2

Many people used to use the saying “nice guys finish last.” After reading this book, those people would probably stop using that saying. The people who may be considered “nice guys” are devoted, determined, wise, and have very strong and optimistic personalities. With all of those put together, they are up for any hurdle and any challenge thrown in front of them. They always go all out and always manage to find any way to be successful and it’s always worth it. These people do everything they can and never give up.

Santiago is anxiously struggling and trying to pull the mast off the boat, but along the way he fell down. “He started to climb and at the top he fell and lay for some time with the mast across his shoulder. He tried to get up. But it was too difficult… finally he put the mast down and stood up” (121). he could have easily lay there and not have gotten up, but this shows he tried, failed, and then soon succeeded. With him trying again he managed to get up, but if he never even got up and tried again, then he would have failed, which he was not about to do.

As Santiago is trying to patiently pull the fish in, he realizes something is strange. “I do not know, the old man thought. He had been on the point of feeling himself go each time. I do not know. But I will try it once more” (93). This again shows that he isn’t going to give up because he will not settle without the fish. Although he didn’t know, he managed to try and then again soon succeed. He was also in great pain while trying to get this fish, but he pushed through his feelings and he jumped over and stabbed the beautiful fish with his harpoon. Not only that, but he felt very sick and weak, and like most “nice guys” he went on completed what he had started.

Santiago is a little abstract and talks to himself, but his two sides like to contradict each other. There is one side that had faith and was peaceful, and tells the other dark, dismal side off. “I have half of him, he thought. Maybe I’ll have the luck to bring the forward half in. I should have some luck. No, he said. You violated your luck when you went too far outside. ‘Don’t be silly,’ he said aloud. ‘…You may have much luck yet'” (116). His side that is confident he can catch the fish rules over his bad side and so that’s something a “nice guy” would do. He manages to be confident, even if it’s with hesitant, it always works out.

“Nice guys” like Santiago never give up and try their absolute hardest to overcome the obstacles that are presented before them, and they always succeed. At the end of the book, Santiago was very successful and happier since he finally caught the marlin. Although he was put through a lot of hard times, he got through it and it was all worth it. As these “nice guys” go on in their lives, they always have the strong, hard, and memorable struggles tucked away in the back of their heads that they can always think about when they want to see an inspiring story.