The Old Man and the Sea Perseverance Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Day.Paragraph). We artificially created chapters by defining "days," because there are no chapter breaks in The Old Man and the Sea. Here’s how we divided up the days:
  • Day 1 = the start of the book until the old man falls asleep for the night
  • Day 2 = begins when the old man wakes up and goes until sunrise of the next day
  • Day 3 = begins at sunrise and goes until the old man dreams about the lions
  • Day 4 = begins when the old man wakes and ends when the old man gets back to his shack for the night
  • Day 5 = begins with the boy seeing the old man in the morning and goes until the end of the book

Quote #19

Because the old man speaks alternatively to himself and to the fish, it is at times unclear to which he is speaking. This suggests there is not a lot of difference between the old man and the fish,

Even after the fish is dead, the old man’s is determined to finish the job without rest.

Quote #20

Despite overwhelming odds against him, the old man never gives up until the very end.

The old man recognizes that, although practically there is nothing he can do, he will still fight for the sake of enduring.

Quote #21

Although he "knows the fight is useless," the old man continues to battle the sharks anyway. This suggests he is fighting for some other motivation than "winning."

When Santiago’s strength fails him, he simply waits patiently for it to return.