Ernest Hemingway: The
Old Man and the Sea, 1952
Santiago, old and lonely fisherman, is living in his hut by the road. In every
morning he leaves to the sea wishing to get some
fish. Experience has made
Santiago a calm man; he spends his days fishing and reading baseball news from
newspaper. When he goes to bed, he dreams of lions. The
boy is a
good friend of
Santiago. He spends time with the old man and sees that he remembers to eat.
They used to go fishing together, but parents forbid the boy to go fishing with
the old man, because of man’s bad
luck. Santiago hasn’t got any fish for 84
days. Despite his long lasting bad luck, Santiago leaves harbour again this
morning, this time further to the sea. He takes with him the tuna that the boy
has brought him and a bottle of water. Full of belief and trust, Santiago finds
a good place to fish and starts to wait. When a
big fish catches old man’s
bait, fierce fight of wills starts. If he brought this big fish back to
harbour, there would be honour and glory to the old man. His luck has changed
and the boy could return to be his apprentice. Pursuing the
dream has its
price. Along with physical pain, Santiago has difficulty to keep his mind
sharp, because he is out there without water. ‘You are killing me, fish, the
old man thinks. But you have the right to do it. I have never seen anything
bigger or more beautiful or calmer or noble than you, my brother. Come and kill
me.’ Everything seems to turn out good. Fish is tamed and there is only a long
journey back home. Santiago has still a long way to return, because the boat
has drifted far. Fish is too big to be lifted to boat, so the old man has to
transport it beside the boat. Soon sharks come to eat from Santiago’s loot.
Nothing is left of fish, but the memory. Only the fishbone is there to remind
the old man about his broken dreams and wretchedness of the world. Villagers
will never understand and feel the price the old man has paid for his dream.
My own opinion:
Theme of this book is belief. Don’t ever loose your hope. Dream is something,
that should be pursued no matter how big the sacrifice it might need. I
recommend the book Old man and sea, because it can give different people
different things. Below simple narration, there lies rich symbolism.
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