The Old Man and The Sea: A Universal Testament to Perseverance and Hope

In a shocking turn of events, an Ernest Hemingway novel has become one of my new favorite books. Not that I ever doubted Hemingway's abilities as a writer, but I had heard mixed reviews about his style, and wasn't sure if I would like it. Nonetheless I tried to read The Old Man and the Sea with an open mind, and am grateful that I did. 

The story follows an old fisherman living in Cuba, who is down on his luck after not having caught anything for 84 days. One fateful morning he leaves to do his routine fishing, and soon enough finds himself in a days long struggle against a giant marlin. 

While this plot may sound very reminiscent of Melville's Moby-Dick, the overall tone and fundamental themes expressed in the novel are quite different. The Old Man and the Sea is a relatively simple tale, (which was truthfully a breath of fresh air after months of mental gymnastics with the Dune series) with very direct language and detailed, yet straightforward descriptions. The entire novel was only 127 pages and I managed to read it easily in less than a day. The story is modest yet compelling, and while the old man remains nameless throughout, one comes to empathize with him in very profound ways.

Despite it's simplicity, The Old Man and the Sea appears full of symbolism and hidden meaning, even if Hemingway denounced this, stating that "There isn't any symbolism, the sea is the sea, the old man is the old man...All the symbolism that people say is shit." This could have been tongue-in-cheek humor, or Hemingway's true intention behind writing the book. Nonetheless readers still perceive these symbols and the greater themes they demonstrate.

Ultimately there is a a oneness between not only the old man and the sea, but also the very fish he is striving to catch. Their struggle is a display of determination, strength, unbreakable hope, and the resilience of mankind and nature, despite the odds of existence being stacked against them. The battle is epic, and in the fallout the old man unexpectedly comes to empathize with the great fish. Even readers with no fishing experience can resonate with their encounter, and on a deeper level the innate desire to persevere and display bravery in the face of life's many obstacles. Like the text, it is a simple yet profound message.

Even though the book is set in 1950s Cuba, it still feels timeless and universal, which is a credit to Hemingway and his talents as a writer. Good writing is accessible while also prompting readers to look critically at the parts of themselves represented in the text. The Old Man and the Sea does all this and more, making it not only a literary classic, but also earning it a place on the beloved top shelf of my bookcase. I could truly return to this story again and again, and likely will do so in the future. 

Until my next review, I leave you with this quote from the book:

"Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is."