The Old man and the Sea- Ernest Hemingway
There
are books which entertain and fascinate us, and there are also books which make
us think on many fronts of human lives.
Ernest Hemingway’s “ The
old man and the sea” is one such book which will make us think about
life, goals and the human ability to never give up. Published in the year 1953, “The
old man and the sea” boasts a story about the never give up phenomenon.
It
tells us a story about an aged Cuban fisherman by the name of “Santiago”
who has been unable to get hold of any fish for some eighty four days. The
story tells you the event from the eight fifth day which includes the entire
events of Santiago catching a big fish and the entire struggle which he has to
go through to catch hold of that fish followed by his attempts to return to
base amid attacks from sea creatures like sharks etc. A simple premise, written
in the most effective forms of language bringing about the emotions of sadness
and pity to the extreme of levels, leaving the reader in extreme wanting to
know the end, but the end is as novel as the idea of the entire setting itself.
The
novella which is set in the simplest but yet challenging of the environments
brings to the reader the irony about life. The fact that it may not be
necessary, what we humans perceive as an end result is actually that, but
something which is never told and not understood. The end will leave a smile to the readers, as
it’s not actually an end; it’s just the continuity of life.
The
other important character of a boy named “Manolin” will make the reader smile
with his goodness towards “Santiago”.
There
are also some very interesting quotes which give us that literary euphoria of
reading a classic. There are many amongst the events. The setting too, a small village
near Havana and the Gulf of Mexico brings its own significance to the entire
geographical expanse of the narrative.
“The
Old man and the Sea” gives a great read about human struggles, and the
human happiness associated with it, even though, the struggle may not fetch any
good.
I have found it very interesting that scholars still argue the symbolism in this novella when this is what Hemingway had to say about it: “Then there is the other secret. There isn't any symbolysm [sic]. The sea is the sea. The old man is an old man. The boy is a boy and the fish is a fish. The shark are all sharks no better and no worse. All the symbolism that people say is shit. What goes beyond is what you see beyond when you know.” Ernest Hemingway in a letter to Bernard Berenson 1952
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