"The Old Man and the Sea," by Ernest Hemingway

  If you're looking for a classic adventure novel that is a quick read, yet is astonishingly vivid, then "The Old Man and the Sea" would probably be a wise choice for you.   A novel by Ernest Hemingway, it was published by Scribner in 1952.  It is a realistic-fiction story that consists of adventure, and common philosophies of life and camaraderie.  This book fits the genre of journey by telling the story of an old man going out far beyond the normal waters that all of the other men fish in.  He believes that true fishing can only be done far out from the shore, and far out from the rest of the world, which is where he decides to paddle his boat to, bringing him into a battle with a fish that is larger than any other he had ever seen or even heard of.

Ernest Hemingway

  One very meaningful passage from the book was, as the old man harpooned a shark in the brain, the text read, “He hit it without hope but with resolution and complete malignancy” (102).  I immediately recognized Santiago’s fighting spirit that was being resembled by this sentence, for his hope had been previously drained, yet his strong will to get home and defend his catch was so strong that his hopelessness seemed to almost be non-existent as a factor.  Another meaningful moment from the book was Santiago saying to himself “’You’re tired…You’re tired inside’” (112), on account of the fact that this was yet another part of the story where Santiago’s overall confidence broke down right before him, as if he had worked so hard for the past day or two to catch a 1500-pound fish for nothing.

  My favorite passage from the novel was when Santiago stated that “’There is very much slave work to be done now that the fight is over’” (96), for this quote from the old man is a great example of his work ethic and how aware of his situation of this dire moment he was.  Once the humungous fish was caught, he didn’t drift off into a long slumber.  He knew that he would have to keep himself laboring in order to end up bringing this immense catch home.

  My favorite character was the old man, for his strong will was certainly a personality trait to be admired.  I read in awe at how he was able to last several days in a boat while tending to a fishing line, nothing for him to feed on except for what he could scavenge from the sea.  The way he spent approximately 24 hours arm-wrestling non-stop against one of the toughest men he knew is no doubt an obvious clue to his seriously high level of mental fortitude and endurance during difficult tests of strength and determination.  I also truly felt terrible for him every time a shark came and squandered a portion of the caught marlin.  I can sort of see a connection between Santiago and I, for the way he battles through his suffering while out on his trek is relative to the way I play through pain, and sometimes minor injuries, during football games, wrestling matches, and several other sports.  Really, all the time, everyone has his or her will tested, for just getting out of bed in the morning or doing homework on time could be considered quite a challenge in some cases.  There’s a little bit of Santiago’s strong spirit in everyone.

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The HAMMER