Old Man And The Sea And Nihlism

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorHigh School, 10th grade August 2001

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The Old Man and the Sea and Nilhilism The "Old Man nad the Sea" is a book in which there is defenent progress from Naturalism to Nihilism. Nihilism is nothing more thaan very dedicated or very consistant Naturalism. In the "Old man and the Sea", the story begins with the old mans dedication. His dedication is a sure sign of Nihilism. Even though he is so dedicated it seems as though he is in a "closed system" where thee is no God and everything is set in order. Every circumstance is like dominos and triggers another. Nothing is sure. The old man isnt even sure if he will catch a fish! Life for him is fishing and when he fails to do that he lives out a pourposesless life. The only purpose he has is fulfilling a dream of catching a fish bigger thn any ever brought in before.

For months the old man pursouses this big fish. He pusouses his life pourpose without sucess for moths. Filally he hooks it! The only problem he had was it brought him pain (by the line cutting into his hand and causing blood to stream down) and he cant control it. In Naturalism, humans are machines. As this old man holds on to his line it is almost as if he cannot let go! Almost like a machine.... It controls him, his destiny, the thing he longed for, controls him. As the fish pulls him out to sea he goes through many hardships but finally kills the fish. He has achived his greatest desire. On the way home his dream is snached away as shcks appear and eat his prize. He cannot contol anything. His life seems futile.

Catching the big fish was his dream. The fulfillment of his life. As in classic Nihilism he could not control it. It controled him. Once he concoured it, it was snached from him by forces he could not control. Nothing is sure, the book proclaims, which provideds a deeps glance into the heart of Nihilism. Following that train of thought the book is very dispondant. The "Old Man and the Sea" is a book based on pure undefiled Nihilism.