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1. 
   surajverma8 Student
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   From the very first paragraph, Santiago is characterized as someone struggling against defeat. He has gone eighty-four days without catching a fish—he will soon pass his own record of eighty-seven days. Almost as a reminder of Santiago’s struggle, the sail of his skiff resembles “the flag of permanent defeat.” But the old man refuses defeat at every turn: he resolves to sail out beyond the other fishermen to where the biggest fish promise to be. He lands the marlin, tying his record of eighty-seven days after a brutal three-day fight, and he continues to ward off sharks from stealing his prey, even though he knows the battle is useless.

   actually the whole novel is the tragic and enthusiasic story of struggling and battle against natural forces. Probably the novelist was accustomed of it and he portrayed his real in the same novel.

   suraj verma(research scholar, deptt. of English, University of Allahabad)

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   Posted by surajverma8 on Tuesday October 6, 2009 at 1:12 AM
   
   

2. 
   engtchr5 Teacher
   High School - 10th Grade

   eNotes Editor

   Like many other novels, The Old Man and the Sea features the theme of Man vs. Nature. Whether it's the concluding battle with the marlin, or Santiago's battle with the sea itself and its weather, there is a constant struggle between our protagonist and the forces of nature. We see it displayed in the epic struggle between Santiago and the fish, as well as through other scenes that contain much more potent language and imagery. This story is one of the most widely-read novels in high school literature classes, and one reason is its man vs. nature theme.

   Sources:

   http://www.enotes.com/old-man-and-the-sea/themes

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   Posted by engtchr5 on Tuesday October 6, 2009 at 8:56 AM