The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway Book Review
Literary genius Hemingway tells our tale for April with The Old Man and the Sea. A story equipped to enlighten us on an honorable struggle. That destruction of man is life's reality but never is man defeated. So, sit back, relax, and read on!
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A Book Review
82 Pages | Literary Fiction | Ernest Hemingway
Published with Scribner in July 2020 the hardcover edition.
SUMMARY
Santiago is a fisherman but has gone without a single catch in eighty-four days. Feeling slightly lucky after many days of being unlucky, he wakes another day and is out to sea. Venturing beyond the regular fishing routes because that morning he felt confident. There was a catch waiting deep into the ocean for him. And he finds a mighty marlin, but along the journey, he is up against the fish’s honorable fight. And soon come the sharks. It’s a wonderful tale with themes revolving around the beauty of life and death.
Hemingway wrote, “A man can be destroyed but not defeated.”
STRUCTURE & THEME
Santiago is a man who struggles against life from the beginning. He is a particularly unlucky man. Although he is rich in relationships because he is always taken care of by someone throughout the novel. The theme I am focusing on is the nobility of destruction and death. What I found most compelling was the sentiment Santiago has for the creatures of the sea. His respect for marine life was human. One story that stuck with me was this,
“He remembered the time he had hooked one of a pair of marlin. The male fish always let the female fish feed first and the hooked fish, the female, made a wild, panic-stricken, despairing fight that soon exhausted her, and all the time the male had stayed with her, crossing the line and circling with her on the surface.”
After this story is told, Santiago “begged her pardon” and then killed her. This story destroys me because of the devotion and love the male marlin clings to in her last breaths. It’s tragically beautiful. I imagined what Santiago must have felt gutting her with him as a witness - yet honoring her life as well as a fisherman can.
Back out at sea, the old man is out for a mighty catch. He finds about a 1,500-pound marlin. The honor he serves the fish makes The Old Man and the Sea tender. He references multiple times that the fish he is out to catch is his brother, and when the fish is finally dead, he apologizes for having killed him.
Hemingway wrote, “There are three things that are brothers: the fish and my two hands.”
The marlin and the old man are one-in-the-same; Two honorary creatures fighting against life. They may be destroyed, but they are never defeated in spirit because of their valor.
Then the old man is pitted against his own confrontation with death when he faces one of the deadliest creatures in the sea. Sharks. Santiago is forced upon destruction through a chain of events that lead beyond the mighty catch, but he is never defeated.
Hemingway tells this tale beautifully. The imagery always had me right out to sea with Santiago, and there is nothing better in a story. There were a few fishing references I had to search during the reading. And a few vocabulary words, but I feel more educated on the craft of fishing after reading this. I have a deeper understanding of honoring the creatures we ingest.
AFTERTHOUGHTS
This was a quick read for me, but I found myself referring back to the novel. Each time I read, I need the story to resonate within my soul.
I was heartbroken for Santigo along the entire journey, and I was at the edge of my bed while reading this story. Hemingway does a fascinating job of portraying the beauty and nobility in living a life of struggle and capturing mortality. I absolutely loved it and feel this is a story to pick up often.
It's time to go fishing!
What are your thoughts? Leave then in the comments below.
How do you feel about Santiago’s battle against the marlin?
Tell me your reaction to the shark encounters.
What themes did you take away and would like to express?
Does “A man can be destroyed but not defeated,” resonate with you? What are your thoughts?
