The Old Man and the Sea Quotes

There were many parts of The Old Man and the Sea that I really liked for different reasons. These are some of them.

“You did not kill the fish only to keep alive and to sell for food, he thought. You killed him for pride and because you are a fisherman. You loved him when he was alive and you loved him after. If you love him, it is not a sin to kill him. Or is it more?”

This is the first quote that I felt like I really had a reaction to out of The Old Man and the Sea. I like it because it’s very psychological. I never thought about fishermen in this way, and it really made me think. This quote is very true. It is necessary to kill the fish in order to survive, even if you love it. The last two sentences really made me think about it though. I think it gives the readers something to think about.

"Why did they make birds so delicate and fine as those sea swallows when the ocean can be so cruel? She is kind and very beautiful. But she can be so cruel and it comes so suddenly and such birds that fly, dipping and hunting, with their small sad voices are made too delicately for the sea."

Honestly, I like this quote because it has to do with the ocean and birds. I love birds and how delicate they are, and I love the ocean and how it contains hundreds of thousands of creatures. Hemingway’s statement about the ocean being cruel is very true, though. The ocean is wild and in some cases can cause devastating natural disasters.

“There are many good fishermen and some great ones. But there is only one you.”

This is a quote from Manolin. He said this to Santiago when he insisted on going out to sea alone. I like this quote because I like how Manolin cares for Santiago, and this quote just proves that.