Important Friendships In Life

Friends are always there for you through thick and thin. They endure and sometimes experience what you feel, they help you overcome obstacles and get through hard times. In the novella, The Old man in the sea, Santiago’s and Manolin’s friendship manifests and becomes essential to the understanding of the book. The book is based around friendship and problems / obstacles to overcome and how their friendship can make it through those obstacles.

Santiago is a poor fisherman who strives to make a living for himself just to survive. He fishes for marlin, tuna, and sharks. Santiago spends a long amount of time on the sea and a lot of the time spent is with Manolin. Manolin cares for Santiago and is always worried if he will be able to eat and enjoys going fishing with him. “Do you want coffee?” the boy asked. “We’ll put the gear in the boat and then get some” (26). Santiago’s and Manolin’s friendship is important to the story because they both rely on each other for different reasons. Santiago relies on Manolin to keep him company and Manolin tries to rely on Santiago as a figure to look up to. “There are many good fishermen and some great ones. But there is only you” (23). This quote really shows how Manolin admired Santiago.

Manolin and Santiago both are helpful to each other. When Santiago was sleeping one night in his shack, it was really cold out because it was in September so, Manolin came in and covered him up with a blanket. “The boy took the old army blanket off the bed and spread it over the back of the chair and over the old man’s shoulders” (18). This shows how Manolin cared for Santiago because he didn’t have to cover him up, but out of the goodness of his heart he did it anyways. This was important to the book because Manolin deeply treasures his friendship with Santiago.

Manolin and Santiago’s bond is really strong. They both have a respect for the sea and the life in it. “He always thought of the sea as la mar which is what people call her in Spanish when they love her” (29). Santiago and Manolin understand that you have to treat and respect things that you enjoy nicely. Things can be taken away in a matter of minutes and it is important to understand the value of something. This quote demonstrates how they were alike in liking the sea. Manolin and Santiago were different though in age, but they never let that stop them from being friends and doing things they enjoy, which was fishing. Even though Santiago might have not been the luckiest man in fishing, he still persevered and mandolin looked up to him for that. Mandolin never let those so called “flaws” in Santiago stop him from forming a bond.

Santiago and Manolin’s friendship is important to the book because they both rely on each other, and worry about each other, they are both helpful and they have a strong bond. Their friendship is so strong and reliant that it is key in understanding the book and what it is about. If the book wasn’t based around friendship and obstacles then the story wouldn’t have a deep meaning like this one. This story has taught me the value of friendship and how strong ones friendship can be. This book also taught me that you have to persevere in order to get what you want. In Santiago’s case catching the Marlin made him persevere and keep trying.