Defeat In The Old Man And The Sea
Defeat is a decision. While people may not prosper in every battle they fight, their defeat is not necessarily inevitable. This is true for the protagonists in the parable The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway and the boxing drama Rocky directed by John Avildsen. Although Santiago from The Old Man and the Sea lives in a fishing village near Havana, Cuba in the 1940s, he faces a conflict remarkably similar to that of Rocky Balboa, despite the fact that his story takes place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from November 25, 1975 to January 1, 1976. Rocky and Santiago make specific choices that put them in situations where they lose, and must decide whether or not it will defeat them. The Old Man and the Sea and Rocky are thematically similar
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Rocky Balboa is a boxer and debt collector in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the beginning of the film, it is clear that he is struggling. To start, his boxing coach, Mickey Goldmill, kicks him out of his locker, which he had for six years. When Rocky questions him, Goldmill calls Rocky a “bum” and that he did not live up to his potential. Goldmill goes on to say that Rocky could have become a strong fighter, but instead strayed away. From this encounter, it is clear that Rocky does not have an overwhelming amount of support. This makes it shocking when heavyweight champion Apollo Creed chooses to fight Rocky, the underdog. Nevertheless, Rocky goes along with the fight anyway. Rocky does not expect to win; he just wants to go the distance. As Rocky says, “Nobody's ever gone the distance with Creed, and if I can go that distance, you see, and that bell rings and I'm still standin', I'm gonna know for the first time in my life, see, that I weren't just another bum from the neighborhood.” If Rocky can go the distance, he can prove that he is more than what he appears to be. Furthermore, Rocky ends up not only completing the three rounds, but also lasting fifteen rounds with Creed, officially going the distance. Despite Rocky’s valiant effort, Creed is announced the winner. It is because Rocky was able to go the distance that keeps his loss from being a defeat. The …show more content…
This theme is most memorably shown by the transition of what would traditionally be defined as losses into accomplishments, as well as managing to transform their reputations. For Santiago and Rocky, the decision to not accept defeat was easy to make, but arduous to complete. Even if it is not simple, there is always a chance for something more than losing or winning. When one is willing to work hard, nothing is
Rocky Balboa is a boxer and debt collector in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the beginning of the film, it is clear that he is struggling. To start, his boxing coach, Mickey Goldmill, kicks him out of his locker, which he had for six years. When Rocky questions him, Goldmill calls Rocky a “bum” and that he did not live up to his potential. Goldmill goes on to say that Rocky could have become a strong fighter, but instead strayed away. From this encounter, it is clear that Rocky does not have an overwhelming amount of support. This makes it shocking when heavyweight champion Apollo Creed chooses to fight Rocky, the underdog. Nevertheless, Rocky goes along with the fight anyway. Rocky does not expect to win; he just wants to go the distance. As Rocky says, “Nobody's ever gone the distance with Creed, and if I can go that distance, you see, and that bell rings and I'm still standin', I'm gonna know for the first time in my life, see, that I weren't just another bum from the neighborhood.” If Rocky can go the distance, he can prove that he is more than what he appears to be. Furthermore, Rocky ends up not only completing the three rounds, but also lasting fifteen rounds with Creed, officially going the distance. Despite Rocky’s valiant effort, Creed is announced the winner. It is because Rocky was able to go the distance that keeps his loss from being a defeat. The …show more content…
This theme is most memorably shown by the transition of what would traditionally be defined as losses into accomplishments, as well as managing to transform their reputations. For Santiago and Rocky, the decision to not accept defeat was easy to make, but arduous to complete. Even if it is not simple, there is always a chance for something more than losing or winning. When one is willing to work hard, nothing is