The Old Man and the Sea - Day 3

Day three is coming to an end when the line that the old man baited catches something. The old man quickly brings in his catch to find a dolphin. He brings it in with one hand and clubs it to death. He saves it for the next day. He begins talking to the marlin, saying that he feels good and is ready for the battle coming up the next day. Although this is what he says to the marlin, on the inside the old man is in a lot of pain, but he will not admit to the marlin that it has an advantage over him. Night falls and the stars come out along with the moon. The old man thinks of how lucky he is that in his life he does not have to battle with anything as great and magnificent as the stars and the moon. He considers them his friends as he does with the flying fish. He thinks again of the marlin and begins to feel bad for killing it, but also feels more determined now than ever to end the battle by killing it. He justifies it by telling himself that the meat of the marlin will feed many hungry people, although on the inside he feels that none of them are worthy enough to eat such a great creature. Santiago thinks about rigging the oars to slow the fish. This technique would help him because it would make the fish swim slower and also tire the fish out faster, but it is risky and not something that the old man wants to risk. He decides to rest, which means that he will use his back and body weight to hold the rope instead of his strength. He rests for two hours and then becomes upset that he did not sleep, worrying that his mind will not be as clear as it should be, risking the loss of the marlin. When the marlin calms, the old man decides to get some sleep.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner Paperback Fiction, 1995. Print.