The rough ocean

The ocean can be a rough place for a lone, old fisherman. It can test your physical health as well as your mental health. In the story the old man and the sea the main character Santiago is tested both mentally and physically. Santiago is also faced with some tough decisions over the course of the story. A decision that Santiago made in the story was to chase the marlin out into the middle of the ocean with out Manolin with very few supplies.
When Santiago saw the marlin I knew that he would not ever give up until he caught his prize fish. So when Santiago chased the noble fish half way across the Gulf of Mexico I was not surprised. Some consequences for this decision were he going so far out and for so long he lost many of the supplies he was already very low on. This really affected his physical and mental health. “What kind of hand is that,” He said. “Cramp then if you want. Make yourself into a claw. It will do you no good.” Pg. Santiago started to become physically and mentally ill. His physical problems started with the hand cramp and continued to starvation. His mental issues were less severe but he did a lot of talking to himself and talking to things that could not understand him just like his hand.

Another part of Santiago’s decision to go so far out into the ocean had major consequences. When he left without Manolin it was very easy to see that he would regret this decision. There were many times when Santiago had wished the boy came with him on this journey. “I wish the boy was here,” he said aloud. But you haven’t got the boy, he thought. You have only yourself and you had better work back to the last line now, in the dark or not in the dark, and cut it away and hook up the two reserve coils.” Santiago needs Manolin to help with some of the physical aspects of the catch. Santiago realizes he needs the boy when he is getting a hand cramp because that is when his fatigue starts to kick in. The boy also could have rubbed his cramp to help him loosen it. Also Santiago needs the boy to keep him mentally stable throughout the journey. If Santiago had brought the boy with him on his journey he would have been able to converse with someone who could understand what he was talking about and distress himself.

Santiago also paid consequences for not packing sufficient supplies for the journey he went on. He did not bring the correct amount of food that would satisfy his hunger through out the journey. So instead of just popping a snack out his basket or making a sandwich Santiago had to make an extra physical effort to catch the albacore he eats. He also did not bring the proper dressings for the food he did catch. AS Santiago east a raw tuna he caught with his gaff; “Chew it well, he thought, and get all the juices. It would not be bad to eat with a little lime or lemon with salt.” If Santiago had packed the dressing for the food before he left then the raw tuna may not have upset his stomach and he could have ate enough to soothe his cramp.

In the rough environment our lone fisherman Santiago made the decision to leave home without Manolin or packing properly first to chase the glorious marlin out into the Gulf of Mexico. For these decisions he paid the consequences. He took physical and mental tolls from each of these decisions. They all had a snowball effect on each other. He got the cramp from going far out, he could not relieve because he did not have the proper nourishment to do so or the boy to rub it so it would loosen.