The Old Man and the Sea

(Book Review)

Ernest Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois and died on July
2,1961 because of suicide. Hemingway is a newspaper sports writer in high school. He
graduated from high school in April 1917 and went to work for the Kansas City Star to gain
experience that would later influence his distinctively stripped-down style. He is famously
manly author of “For The Whom the Bell Tolls” (1940). Hemingway is one of the 20 st century’s
most famous American writer. His famous works are “The Sun Also Rises” (1929), and A
Farewell To Arms (1929).

In 1918, he quitted the newspaper and decided to serve in World War I as an ambulance
driver in the Italian Army, but soon sustained injuries form bomb that landed him in a hospital
in Milan. He met the novelist named Sherwood Anderson and decided to became a writer. He
published his first novel entitled “The Torrents of Spring” in May 1926, and followed by “The
Sun Also Rises” which made him a famous writer, and “A Farewell to Arms” in 1926.

One of his famous works is the book entitled “The Old Man and the Sea” written in 1951
and was published in September 1952 in Cuba, confirmed Hemingway’s power a presence in
the literary world which was awarded with Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1953, and Nobel Prize in
Literature followed in 1954. His life could be a book itself consists with its travels, adventures,
and tragic ending. Hemingway suffered from depression and other illnesses and never released
any story again after the publication of his books. He committed suicide by shooting himself
early in the morning of July 2, 1961.

The novel is all about the fisherman named Santiago who haven’t caught any fish for 84
days. He has a friend named Manolin who is faithful and loyal with him. After 84 days of
catching nothing, Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman, sets out alone in his small skiff of a lifetime
and hooks a giant marlin. As he spends the next three days on the high seas being towed by
the colossal marlin, sleeping and waking, he ponders his strategy, struggles with the mighty fish,
and reflect on his life. A desperate struggle ensues in which Santiago manages to kill the fish
and tie it to his boat, only to find that on the way home he has to fight a more dangerous sharks
which eat up the marlin, leaving only a skeleton. As the old man went home, he dreamt of a
lion.

“The Old Man and the Sea” is a novel about the protagonist, Santiago, an old fisherman
who was unable to catch any fish for eighty-four days because of his so-called “bad luck”. The
actions take place in the Gulf Stream where Santiago battles in catching the marlin and so with
the sharks. The novel emphasizes struggle, faithfulness, and heroism of a man against the
nature. He uses different literary devices such as imagery, simile, symbol, and dialogue to
further understand the message of the noel.
In symbolisms, Santiago represents a person experiencing social isolation because of his
unluckiness in life that he was not able to perform his job well. Manolin represents hope for he
never lose his attention and care for Santiago despite of the unluckiness the old man is
experiencing. Marlin represents the ideal opponent. It is the symbol of pride, honor and
courage as it fights persistently despite of its wounds. The sharks represent the destructive
forces in life that serves as the hindrance for Santiago’s success. The lions represents youth and
happiness.

The novel tells deeper message and gives lessons in life. The author’s life was on the
book itself. The author wanted to tell us that we have to honor the struggle and efforts. Each
one of us has our own luck. Santiago was a salao or the worst form of unlucky. Santiago was a
patient person as well. His fight with marlin, and the shark was laborious but he did not let it
go. Santiago’s patience is suggestive of satisfaction and happiness after the patience. Santiago
has also his friend Manolin. It is very hard to trust and honor each other especially in modern
society. This novel is valuable, entertaining, meaningful and informative to read for it is not only
because this novel is famous or interesting but also there are morals lesson and messages
which we can use in our daily life.
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