The two novels, “The Old Man and the Sea” and “Robinson Crusoe” compare and contrasts man-nature relationship. Nature plays a very important role in “The Old Man and the Sea” and “Robinson Crusoe”. There some similarities in both novels. The protagonists of these two novels are closely related with nature. In “The Old Man and the Sea” the protagonist Santiago fights with natural power (sea) for his livelihood. And in “Robinson Crusoe”, the protagonist Robinson Crusoe develops a strong relationship with nature for his survival. As a part of his survival in the island, Crusoe made friendly relationship with nature. He grows food crops, he make a sheep farm for his livelihood and also for companionship.
The relationship between humans and natural world in “The Old man and the Sea” and “Robinson Crusoe” is a mixed relationship, as is the case in real life. In “The Old man and the Sea”, Santiago loves the ocean, the colours, the patterns in the waves, where he gets his livelihood. At the same time he recognizes the power and potential for danger inherent in that body of water. Santiago feels kinship with the animals of the ocean. Where as in “Robinson Crusoe”, the protagonist Robinson Crusoe loves the island, its beauty and vastness, where he get his food and a shelter. At the same time he recognizes the danger inherent in that island. He feels a kind of relationship with the animals of the island. He grows sheeps for getting his livelihood. In “The Old Man and the Sea”, Santiago caught a big fish for his food. But he feels great respect to his great fish.
In “The Old Man and the Sea”, the old man recognizes his dependence upon the sea for his livelihood. He understands that he has to work hard for what he gets from the ocean. Where as in “Robinson Crusoe”, Crusoe was also recognizes his dependence upon the vast island for his food. He also understands that he made a good relationship with nature for his survival and his livelihood.
The old man is unique in his relationship with nature. He addresses the sea it were a women, the bids as friends, the sharks as personal enemies. He examines his relationship with fish and birds. Crusoe was also unique in his relationship. He addresses the island as the symbol of his destiny, the birds, the sheeps, the cat and the dog as his friends and the cannibals as his personal enemies. He also examines his relationship with the sheep, the cat and dog.
Nature plays a very significant role in both novels. In “The Old Man and the Sea”, the sea is an important character. The sea is the only source for the old man to get his livelihood. The sea is the symbol of his luck and unlucks. In “Robinson Crusoe”, the island plays a major role. The island is like a mother for Crusoe, where he gets his food. And the island is the symbol of his fate.
In “The Old Man and the Sea”, there is the sea with its creatures in it (the birds, the sun, the moon etc…). The relationship between animals and Santiago is more like a friendship. We can see that in the novel where a small bird comes around to Santiago’s skiff. The old man asks some questions to the bird like a friend. The old man feels pity for the little bird. This shows that the animals especially the fish are like fellow sufferers to Santiago. In “Robinson Crusoe”, there is the island which an embodiment of destiny. The relationship of Crusoe with animals is also like a friendship. We can see that in the novel, he grows sheeps, cat and dog. Crusoe believes that the animals are his friends; no one come to talk with him. We can see that in the novel, Crusoe releases a prisoner from the cannibals; he teaches him his language and gave a name. This shows that the prisoner is like a fellow sufferer to Crusoe.
In both novels, the protagonists Santiago and Crusoe realizes the utility and value of natural world. They gave more stress to the utility of nature. Santiago utilizes the fishes in the sea. He caught them for his food and also to prove he is not an unlucky fisherman. Santiago is simply exploiting the nature. Whereas Crusoe was kill rabbits, birds for his food, but he gave more importance to produce food crops in that island. As a part of it, he grows food crops such as Wheat, Barley and Corn and he made a sheep farm. In the novel, Crusoe himself believes himself to be at the head of that social order.
In “The Old Man and the Sea”, Santiago himself believes that he is a part of the sea, and must respect nature if he going to coexist with the sea. It leads him to a deeper understanding of faith and unlucky. In “Robinson Crusoe”, Crusoe adapts to the natural habitat of the island, and must respect nature if he is going to coexist with the island, which leads him to a deep understanding of fate, humanity and faith.
Nature plays an important part in both novels. In “The Old Man and the Sea”, nature as personified by the sea is not a character but instead it is a pure setting. As a setting, the sea is vast and contains different kinds of fishes and other animals. In this fashion, Santiago utilizes the richness of the sea. In “Robinson Crusoe”, the island is also a pure setting. As a setting, the land is fertile, populated by animals and contains different kinds of plants. In this fashion, Crusoe also simply utilizing the advantages of existing benefits.
In both novels, Santiago and Crusoe totally depends on the nature because it gives their livelihood. From this point of view nature can be called a living donor or nature provides food like a mother. There is of course not only this positive image of nature. It can be destructive and hostile as well. The nature that seems to be peaceful at first sight and it is also sometimes like an enemy. In “The Old Man and the Sea”, the sea brings misfortune to Santiago. About 84 days he did not get any one fish from the sea. In “Robinson Crusoe”, there is also the sea brings misfortune to Crusoe. The turbulent sea may cause for the wrecking of Crusoe’s ship. His companions are died in the sea. So we can say that the sea brings misfortune.
Both novels are telling that man is also a part of nature, is sometimes totally inferior to it. In “The Old Man and the Sea”, we can’t assume that Santiago is a bad fisherman, being unlucky, because he is an experienced fisherman. Santiago’s destiny is closely related to the tempers of his environment. The cruelty that goes along with nature from time to time is shown when the old man’s outer appearance is described. His whole body shows the signs of destructiveness of nature. But in “Robinson Crusoe”, we can see that he is an unlucky person, because he defied his parents and went out to sea. The destiny of Crusoe is closely connected with his adventurous voyages. His hairs and bears are growed and he become like an ancient man. His whole body shows the signs of the cruelty of nature.
Destruction and creation are closely connected to each other and both are a part of nature. In “The Old Man and the Sea”, the sun, the blotches, the deep creased scars somehow witness the long struggle Santiago had with nature. Of course there are also the sharks that take away the old man’s fish in the end. It looks like nature takes away what it gives. The sharks were represents the destructive force of nature. Where as in “Robinson Crusoe”, there is also the nature takes away what it gives. Here the sea represents the destructive force of nature. Crusoe’s ship was wrecked in the turbulent sea. All his companions were died in the sea. The sea takes away all his companions and leaving him alone in the remote island.
Another aspect of nature as it is described in both novels is its changelessness. . In “The Old Man and the Sea”, changelessness is also what describes Santiago’s life best way: fishing is probably the only thing he ever learned and the only thing he has done in his whole life. It can be assumed that the old man starts fishing again as soon as he recovers from the strains on the sea. In “Robinson Crusoe”, changelessness is described through the life of Crusoe. When Crusoe was thrown up on the lonely island, he realizes that farming is the only way for his survival. As a part of it he makes immediate plants for food and he learned how to farm, how to produce food crops. Through it, we can assume that Crusoe become an experienced farmer. This changelessness is presented in both novels.
The main impact of nature is solitude. In “Robinson Crusoe”, Crusoe was thrown up on a lonely island. While he spends most of his time working on survival, he does wish for a companion and barely mentions his animals, which obviously do not provide much companionship. He realizes that he has been immensely lucky; without the animals and plant life on the island; his survival would have been harder. In “The Old Man and the Sea”, Santiago goes to the Gulf Stream alone. While he spends much of his time on catching a big fish, he does wish for Manolin with him and barely mentions the Birds, the Dolphins, which obviously do not provide much companionship. He believes that he has been lucky; without the Birds, the Dolphins on the sea, his work on the sea would become harder.
So we can conclude that the protagonists of both novels make a good relationship with nature for their livelihood. For livelihood, Santiago makes a good and strong relationship with nature. He is an experienced fisherman but being unlucky. He can able to catch big fishes. As a part of it he makes a good relationship with the animals of the sea and he began to reappraise his duty to God. For survival, Crusoe also makes a good relationship with nature. As time passed, he learned how to farm, how to make a boat and to equip his hut with some comforts of life. An illness prompted some prophetic dreams, and Crusoe began to reappraise his duty to God. He explored the island and discovered another part which was more fertile and where he built himself a summer home.
There some dissimilarities also in these two novels. In “Robinson Crusoe”, the protagonist Crusoe was trying to protect natural beauty. He doesn’t want to make a single scar or pain in nature. He love nature sincerely and nature gave the result of his work. In “The Old Man and the Sea”, Santiago’s approach towards the nature was directly opposite to that of Robison Crusoe. He simply utilized the wealth of the sea. In “The Old Man and the Sea”, the reader find Santiago as the exploiter of ocean treasure.
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