Character contrast between the old man and the boy!

Considering the old man and the boy are basically the only pertinent characters in the story, I felt like I should give them their own blog.  So here goes!  These two have a peculiar (ew, I hate that word) relationship.  It almost appears as if the boy holds the reigns in this relationship, but really deep down at the core, it's ultimately the old man whose say is final.  It seems like the boy has to help the old man with just about everything, get him food, force the food down his throat, tell him of the going-ons in the town and such.  In some ways the old man seems pretty helpless and dependent.  That is, until he sets sail all by himself, like he usually does but it's the first time we see him do it, and wrestles a shark-like marlin and then some actual sharks all by himself.  Then we see he is actually a pretty miraculous human-being, physically and metally.  Throughout the old mans little adventure, he recounts a few stories about the boy he remembers and we begin to see how much the old man has actually taught him.  So, it may appear the old man is needy and, frankly, old he really is not at all.  The boy may appear to have to do a lot for the old man by providing food company and such.  Really, though, that's about all he does; provide food and company.  Don't get me wrong, that is a necessity for proper human function, but the old man provides much more by simply sharing about his life and what he has learned with the boy.  Another peculiar thing I notice about their relationship is how easily the boy began to care unconditionally about the old man.  He was simply the old mans apprentice, yet he became so much more so easily.  The old man had to force him follow his parents orders and not to fish any more with the old man.  It wasn't only the boy who became loyal though, the old man also became quite attached to the boy.  We see this during his battle with the marlin.  No matter how hard he tries he cannot stop thinking about how much he wishes the boy was with him to help and keep him company. Considering this was by far the most prominent and really the only important relationship in the story, I think it is interesting how unique of a relationship it is. 

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.