Reflection Of The Old Man And The Sea

Written in 1952, The Old Man and the Sea is known as one of Hemingway’s most enduring works. It is the heartbreaking story of an old man’s grueling battle with a giant fish and his determination despite all odds being against him. It is a short story and the language used is very simple but effective. Although the pace is quite slow, I felt drawn to the old man with his amazing resolve and courage and I could not help but silently encourage him and spur him on in his struggle.

The story begins by introducing the “old man” - a Cuban fisherman named Santiago. He has gone 84 days without catching a single fish. In fact, he has been so unlucky that his young apprentice, a boy named Manolin, has been ordered by his parents to no longer join Santiago …show more content…
The boy helps him to get ready and joins him early the next morning to see him off. All alone in his skiff (small boat) on the ocean, the old man sets to work, preparing and casting out his lines. By noon on the same day, he is indeed in luck as he feels a tug at one of the lines. A fish has taken the bait! When he finds that he cannot reel it in, he realizes that it is a very large fish, though how big he cannot yet see. In fact, the fish is so big that it pulls the old man’s skiff along with it. The old man guesses that it is a marlin. He hopes that the fish will soon grow tired enough to for him to kill, but after 2 days and 2 nights, the fish has not shown any signs of giving in. After hanging onto the line all this time and bearing the tension with his body, the old man is beginning to grow weak and tired, and is in pain. But he too is unwilling to admit defeat. As much as he has grown to admire the fish and even refers to him as brother, he is determined to kill it and bring it back home with …show more content…
The old man himself is nearing the end of his resolve and is almost delirious after all he has been through, talking to himself and wondering if he has been stupid. However, this turn of events gives him new strength and determination and he prepares to finish the job. After a last struggle, the old man finally has his victory as he successfully kills the marlin with his harpoon. As he ties the marlin to the side of his skiff, he can hardly believe his luck. He has never seen or heard of such an enormous fish as the one he has just battled and defeated. The old man begins his long journey back home, thinking about the high price he will be able to sell the fish for and wondering how many people it will