Ernest Hemingway wrote The Old Man and the Sea to show how one can get through the most difficult times without being defeated. The story shows how an old fisherman overcame a bad time with the support of a young boy who loved and helped Santiago, named Manolin. Santiago fought against the discrimination of the other old fisherman and refused to give up. Despite Santiago's difficulties in trying to catch the large marlin, he continued to pursue his goal. Despite the sweat and tears, Santiago never gives up until he achieves his goal. He endured the pain of slicing his hands on the fishing line multiple times to retrieve the biggest fish he had ever landed. In the end, Santiago had the obstacle of fending off several sharks as they sank their teeth into Santiago's goal. This shows that Hemingway uses symbolism to convey the idea that one must overcome obstacles before achieving one's goals. During Old Man and the Sea, Santiago not only has to fight against the marlin but also against the sharks. Shortly after Santiago brings in the marlin, the sharks begin to trace the blood trail he had left behind. As the sharks approach his boat, Santiago grabs his harpoon. He tries to push him away but can't. “The shark's head was out of the water and its back sticking out and the old man could hear the sound of skin and flesh tearing the big fish as he thrust the harpoon into the shark's head” (Hemingway 102) . He easily killed the first shark and watched it sink underwater. Santiago noticed that the shark had taken forty kilos of flesh from the marlin and torn off most of its side. Santiago was disappointed and didn't want to look at the fish anymore; "when the fish had been touched with...... middle of paper...... Hemingway 103). In the story, he becomes the lowest man on the totem pole because he became an unsuccessful fisherman and that he was under the totem of other successful fishermen. Santiago endured discrimination and insults from other fishermen. The older fishermen looked down on him and even felt sorry for him. did not make him angry, but made him work harder no longer fail because of his determination to give his life for the marlin. Even if he only has the skeleton of the marlin left, all the fishermen are still. impressed. The fishermen measure the carcass and measure eighteen feet long. Santiago arrived on land on his boat, happy and accomplished Even if our battles are not against marlins or sharks, we all have obstacles that. prevent us from achieving our goals at some point in our lives..