A NIHILISTIC AND EXISTENTIAL EXPLORATION OF SANTIAGO’S STRUGGLE IN THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA

Abstract

This paper explores Santiago’s inner thoughts, emotional development, and behavioral patterns in Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea (1952), interpreting them as manifestations of psychological resilience amid existential despair. The study also investigates how the narrative subtly mirrors Hemingway’s own life experiences, particularly his psychological and emotional turmoil during the later stages of his career. Santiago's solitude, guilt, and eventual emotional exhaustion parallel Hemingway's personal feelings of alienation, creative fatigue, and existential crisis. The old man’s physical struggle against nature, his introspective dialogue, and his ultimate resignation are interpreted through existential philosophy, particularly the absurdist ideas of Jean-Paul Sartre. The relationship between Santiago and Manolin is also analyzed as a symbol of Hemingway’s longing for human connection in the face of spiritual isolation. Ultimately, the novel is argued to be a symbolic reflection of Hemingway’s internal world and a profound meditation on the human condition.