"The Old Man and the Sea" is a novel by American novelist Ernest Hemingway. It was published in 1952 and won him the 1954 Nobel Prize for literature.
The novel is a touching short story of a man and his will power against the forces of his environment. It is the story of Santiago, an old fisherman who goes without being able to catch fish for many days at a stretch, to the point that his peers start calling him unlucky. In his fishing venture is a young boy, Manolin, who accompanies him, the lad wanting to learn the trade, who believes in him. Now, it happens that even the boy's parents have asked him to leave Santiago's company.
But all this does not leave the old man deterred. As usual, Santiago packs his gear, leaves early in the morning thinking this day will be different from the other fruitless days, and that luck would turn in his favor. Alone, he ventures deep into the sea.
The master author, Ernest Hemingway, describes every bit of emotion that Santiago undergoes. Santiago's love for the sea and being at one with nature is so heartwarming. His luck changes when he finds the catch of his lifetime, a giant marlin. But the fish is not like the ones he had netted before. The conflict is whether to kill him or not. A tug of war starts with both the mind and body. Santiago misses Manolin who could have been a great help. Marlin, the fish, is as determined as Santiago, the man. Marlin pulls him further away from the shore for two successive days until finally Santiago, himself exhausted from each other's struggle, finally kills it and tows it back ashore to be swarmed and feasted by eager sharks that scrape every pound of meat away from the marlin. Only the skeleton of the big fish is a testament of the event.
Santiago is extremely tired he falls down many times on the way to his hut. Once in, he dozes off, woken the following day by the worried Manolin. The local fisherman and other people admired the huge skeleton of the fish. The boy promises to stay with the old man regardless what his parents say.
The "Old Man and the Sea" is evocative. It is a story of feelings, memories, emotions, reflections, even of survival. The summary doesn't really display the drama that happens within the old man. The more becomes poignant as the remains play in our sentiments, in our human hearts, along with dignity. For it is as much a story of a human being and the respect that he commands through the respect that he gives to those who deserve it.
It touches the heart at its core. One cannot help but sympathize with Santiago. He has the enormous physical strength and endurance; he exhibits a strong character and dignity with his sense of principles; his inner beauty is reflected in the twinkle in his eye and the childlike innocence in his weathered face.
It's such a beautiful story, a masterpiece. Hemingway describes every bit of emotion that Santiago undergoes. He truly deserves a 1954 Nobel Prize, for his mastery of narrative as an art he expertly demonstrates in this novel.