"The Old Man and the Sea" Question 6

"The Old Man and the Sea" is a peculiar piece of work.  I'm quite positive I would not have ever read this book had it not been required for this class.  Having read it, though, I can say it can offer a lot if you are in the proper mind set while reading it.  If you simply take it as an old man who has has caught a very large fish and is sailing it home then that is what you will get, a plain boring tale about a fisherman.  If you are open minded and willing to interpret the simple things to see what you can find then you will learn a lot from this book.  I think that is why it is still read today.  People like a challenge and this book can offer one, if you are willing to find it.  The two characters in this novel are both extremely likable in my opinion.  The old man, though he faces great adversity, is constantly persevering something but has a good attitude about it shows.  People like it when others can offer a smile even when they know they're going through a rough time.  I believe that is timeless about human nature.  Then you have the boy, who has an undying loyalty to the old man despite the fact all he has to offer is his knowledge of the sea and life, which those two things in the old mans eyes are basically interchangeable.  Even though it's against his parents wishes, the boy continues to take care of the man and offer him assistance in his old age, even if the man could make it on his own.  This is a type of relationship that will never cease to exist.  Young people will always be fascinated by the older population and all the wisdom they have to offer and the older generation will never grow weary of watching the youngins eyes twinkle with youth and hunger for knowledge.  The biggest message I saw in "The Old Man and the Sea" was of course perseverance.  This book teaches that life throws some very unfair and confusing situations at us and a lot of the time all we can do it keep our head up and keep on keepin on.  It shows us that the old man could have listened to what the townspeople had to say about him and believe he was a loser and that he had lost his touch as a fisherman, but he didn't.  He was optimistic and persevered and was rewarded.     






Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.