The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway Plot Summary

An Introduction to The Old Man and the Sea

One of Hemingway's best works, The Old Man and the Sea was a huge commercial success. The Nobel Prize in Literature went to Ernest Hemingway in 1954.

This piece summarizes the Old Man and the Sea narrative and provides explanation. In the first few chapters, with the author's trademark economy of language, the daily routines of a Cuban fishing town are very skillfully depicted.

An extremely basic design is used to represent the life of an elderly fisherman named Santiago. The shrug off the imposing shoulders of the elderly guy is visible. Santiago obviously understands that he must row out "beyond all people," far from land, since both time and circumstance are now working against him.

Ernest Hemingway (July 1899-July 1961)

An American known as Ernest Hemingway is the author of this novel. In addition to writing fiction and nonfiction, he was a journalist and athlete. He promoted the "iceberg theory," which had an influence on the literature of the 20th century, via writing with economy and simplicity.

Born in 1899, he was the second of six kids. His life was vibrant and full of activity. He worked as a journalist in World War II after serving as an ambulance driver in World War I. Four children were born to him via his four marriages. By shooting himself, he committed suicide in 1961.

Summary

The Old Man and the Sea's narrative revolves around Havana, Cuba. It tells the tale of an epic battle between a seasoned, elderly fisherman named Santiago and the largest fish he has ever caught.

Santiago is an elderly fisherman from Cuba. He has been going to sea for eighty-four days but has always come back empty-handed. He is therefore seen negatively by his fishing community. Manolin, his young, dedicated apprentice and companion, was also compelled to leave the old man by his parents in order to fish in a more wealthy boat.

But the youngster still takes care of the elderly guy every night when he comes back. He always assists the elderly guy with his needs for food, clothing, and other necessities. He often speaks with him about the most recent baseball news, particularly the struggles of the older man's idol, Joe DiMaggio. Santiago remains optimistic that all of these dry spells will shortly come to an end. And that he will be able to decide to sail farther the next day than normal.

On the 85th day, Santiago follows through on his pledge and sails his boat far from the island's rocky coastline. The Gulf Stream is where he enters. He drops his fishing lines after getting them ready. At midday, a large fish?a marlin?takes the bait he dropped in the ocean at a depth of 100 fathoms. The fish is then beautifully hooked, but he is unable to reel it in. In contrast, the fish starts to move the boat with an older man.

Due to his concern that the fish might snag a taut line, the old man was unable to connect the line securely to the boat.

As a result, the elderly guy uses his hands, back, and shoulders to support the weight of the line while still being ready to release it should the marlin decide to run. Fish drags the boat all day long, into the night, through another day, and even into another night.

Santiago had to put up with the persistent agony from the fishing line during the entire ordeal. The cable severely slashes the fish's body whenever he tries to get free. Despite all of his scars, the elderly guy has a great sense of affection and sympathy for the marlin fish.

On the third day, the fish finally gives up, and Santiago, who has become exhausted and on the verge of delirium, is able to get the marlin close enough to kill it with a harpoon thrust. When the marlin dies, Santiago lases it to his boat and prepares to return home.

Even though Santiago is delighted about the price the marlin would fetch in the market, he is more worried about the people who will consume it and are not deserving of such magnificent fish. The blood of the marlin, which is spilled as Santiago sails, finally draws sharks. He successfully uses the harpoon to kill a big mako shark that initially attacks. He fights off the harpoon and some priceless rope, which he loses in the process. In his greatest effort, the elderly guy battles. However, it doesn't seem like he kills as many sharks.

By the time darkness falls, Santiago's never-ending struggle against the scavengers is hopeless. The marlin's bones, head, and tail were all that remained after they nearly consumed the entire flesh. Finally, before dawn, Santiago makes it home. He stumbles back to his hut and falls into a sound slumber.

The large fish skeleton is surrounded by a group of fishermen the following morning, who are all in awe. Without being aware of the older man's struggles, even visitors visit and observe it. Manolin then appears, who is troubled by the older man's disappearance. Seeing the elderly guy secure in his bed fills him with satisfaction.

Then he goes and gets the elderly guy some coffee and the daily newspaper with baseball scores. When the old guy awakes, they go fishing together again. As usual, the old guy goes back to sleep while dreaming about lions playing on African beaches.

Moral

The Old Man and the Sea offer various moral teachings. Among them are that life's journey is a prize, a brave person can be overcome but never defeated, and a powerful individual never gripes about what they lack but uses what is available to them, with the knowledge that it is their internal assets which are paramount. Moral messages also involve perseverance, life's work, and more.