Resumo de The Old Man And The Sea, 1952

The Old Man and the Sea is

one of the single greatest works of fiction in the last
100

years. It's deceptively simple style leads to it being
read

on several levels. I read this when I was 16 and
thought it

a good, but unfortunate fishing story. I read it when I
was

26, and had seen a bit of life, and I knew then that

Hemingway wasn't really writing about fishing at all.
He

was writing about life, the continuous struggles we're
all

faced with, the hard knocks, the dreams, the

disappointments, and ultimately the fact that you just
have

to keep going because that's what we're here for.

The writing is simple, yet the words are deep. Short
crisp

sentences hold messages of wisdom. The terseness of
some of

the writing means it can be difficult to slow your pace
to

fully appreciate the meaning of what the author is
saying.

The reader can be tempted to race onward to reach the

conclusion of the tale. Yet, your reticence will be

rewarded should you take your time, thoughtfully
digesting

each nugget before progressing to the next.

The story would seem simple on the surface.It is based

around a fishing community in Cuba, where Hemingway
lived

for a number of years, and where he sailed his own boat

after marlin, shark and tuna. The main characters are a

young idealistic innocent boy, and old man, seasoned by

life's realities, and a great fish. The boy's father
does

not want him to fish with the old man, as the old man
has

no luck. Yet the boy feels responsible for the old man
and

is kind to him, as he remembers all the trips they have

made together so far.

The old man has gone a long time without a fish, and is

often lost in the memories of his youth, when he sailed

around the world and heard lios roaring on the beaches
of

Africa. He is a realist also though, as he
unquestionably

keeps fishing, knowing his luck will turn. He sails
very

far out and hooks a big fish- a marlin (swordfish). It
is

the biggest he has ever hooked. The difficulty of his

struggle is all the more tactile, when you remember
that he

is hauling a 1000lb fish using a hand line. He suffers

considerably during the battle but he uses his skill
and

his tenacity to persevere, until finally he vanquishes
the

beast and ties it alongside his boat. Weakened by the

struggle and by hunger and thirst he turns the boat for

home, and that is when the sharks begin to attack his

prize. And so his second battle begins, and as he limps

into the harbour a day later, both he and his catch are

looked on with marvel by the holidaymakers and local

residents. However, all that remains of his fish is the

skeleton and head, and he is deeply exhausted.

Yet as he falls asleep, the image that remains is that
he

will not give up, and tomorrow or the next day he will
go

again, he will continue to fight in the face of
adversary

because that is all he thinks and knows, and he sees no

reason why it should be any other way.

It is a deep, and wise book and there should be a copy
in

every home. I've got 3, and I don't know why. Maybe to
pass

them on to the next generation.

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