37 pages • 1 hour read
The Young Man and the Sea
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Themes
The Centrality of Family
In The Young Man and the Sea, family is so important that it transcends life and death. Although Skiff’s mother Mary Rose is deceased at the beginning of the novel, she remains an important influence in his life, shaping his personality and decisions. He frequently recalls and tries to live by her three rules—to think smart, speak the truth, and never give up (21). Moreover, he “speaks” to her by imagining her responses. Skiff grieves his mother, but her death does not mean she ceases to be family. Mary Rose acts as a guiding force for him, as both memory and family boat (which is named after her). This guidance, fueled by love, allows Skiff to safely catch a giant bluefin tuna and make money for the family.
Skiff’s father Skiff Sr. exhibits depression after Mary Rose’s death: He stops working, drinks beer in excess, and spends most of his time sitting in front of a TV. Although Skiff is disappointed by this behavior, he doesn’t renounce his father: As he puts it, “Even with the beer and all, it’s sort of cool, the two of us watching the same show and probably thinking the same things about it” (40). Skiff Sr. provides the impetus for Skiff’s mission of catching a bluefin tuna. He wants to catch a large, high-quality fish to make money, fix the Mary Rose, and motivate Skiff Sr. to work again. His use of Mr. Woodwell’s harpoon, made by Skiff Sr., shows his desire to follow in his father’s footsteps. Skiff uses a boat, also made by Skiff Sr., to fulfill his mission. He is “saved” by both parents’ advice, with his father—framed as an angelic figure—literally saving him when his motor fails. This angelic imagery also calls to mind his deceased mother.
Chosen family, in the form of friendship and community, also play a role in Skiff’s journey. To fix the Mary Rose, he relies on advice from Mr. Woodwell, a neighbor and longtime friend of Skiff Sr., as well as community members Captain Keelson and Devlin. To rescue Skiff, Skiff Sr. relies on former employer and friend Jack. Despite their falling out, Jack doesn’t hesitate to help Skiff Sr., and afterward, they rekindle their friendship.
The Necessity of Resilience
Skiff faces a variety of challenges, but overcomes them with resilience. Likewise, Skiff Sr. struggles with resilience after his wife Mary Rose’s death. When the Mary Rose sinks, Skiff reflects on it and other necessary repairs: “They say a thing that’s broke can always be fixed, if you work at it. And that’s what I intend to do, no matter what” (28). The same logic applies to people: No matter how “broken” Skiff and his father are by Mary Rose’s death, they have the potential to recover and emerge stronger—which they ultimately do. Although Skiff faces a broken boat and family, bullying, financial strain, and fog among other challenges, none of them causes him to give up. As expected of his “swamper” lineage, he makes use of available resources and prioritizes survival.
Skiff knows that in order to catch a giant bluefin tuna, he requires knowledge of fishing behavior, specific tools, and resilience. One of Mary Rose’s three rules was to “never give up” (121), and Skiff has internalized this, allowing him to remain focused on his mission. At times, he panics, but he always manages to calm down and rethink his actions. His resilience is what allows him to attempt tuna fishing in the first place, as the journey to tuna territory is exhausting—as is wrangling the large fish. In this regard, Skiff is similar to the sun: “The sun comes up, eventual. It always does, don’t it?” (133). He rises to challenges without fail, this trait being as key to his identity as sunlight is to all forms of life.
At the beginning of the novel, Skiff Sr. struggles with resilience due to his depression. However, inspired by Skiff, he finds the strength to move on from Mary Rose’s death and make changes in his life (i.e., rekindling his friendship with Jack and seeking treatment for his alcohol addiction). This shows resilience can be “contagious,” in that it spreads positive influence from one person to another. Overall, Skiff’s mission to catch a giant bluefin tuna is symbolic of his larger mission to help his family heal. Even when he’s too exhausted and dehydrated to keep rowing, love for his father pushes him.
The Importance of Thinking Smart
One of Mary Rose’s three rules for Skiff was to “think smart” (121). At times, thinking smart seems incompatible with the other two rules—speaking truth and never giving up. At first, Skiff considers never giving up the most important rule, so he prioritizes it, making “foolish” choices for the sake of his mission. For example, in rushing out to sea, he doesn’t bring enough bait, nor a watch or fog horn; he also neglects to tell his father where he’s going. Nevertheless, once Skiff is fishing, he remembers the importance of thinking smart to ensure his survival. For example, after falling into the water once, he puts his life jacket on. He also uses trial and error to determine the best way to harpoon a bluefin tuna.
For Skiff, critical thinking involves creativity—finding unlikely solutions. For example, Mr. Woodwell helps the small boy lift the Mary Rose using kegs and the tide; with the Mary Rose broken, Skiff resolves to use his small boat as a fishing boat. Thinking smart involves making use of available resources, even if they aren’t as expensive as the Crofts’ boats. Rather than let his limited resources discourage him, Skiff thinks outside the box. In terms of priorities, he initially leaves for tuna fishing wanting to buy a new engine for the Mary Rose and lift his father’s spirits. However, once he’s out at sea, he realizes his priority should be keeping himself alive and safe, because death is very much a possibility. Once Skiff realizes this, it becomes clear that thinking smart and never giving up are not opposing ideas: To catch a fish or do anything else, he needs to manage his physical and mental health. The same logic applies to Skiff Sr., whose mental health is inhibited by grief. Like his son, he is able to move forward by seeking a healthy solution (i.e., sobriety meetings).
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