Santiago, an old man about sixty years old, fished alone with nothing caught in eighty four days. No one would like to talk to him for his extremely bad luck except a boy who always came to help after the day and finally left to another boat under the pressure of his parents. Ignoring the contempt from the younger fishermen and sympathy from the older, on the morning of the 85th day, the old man started his fishing with determination and rowed his old boat very far in the sea where he believed there would be big fish. Fortunately the old man met with a big fish as he had wished and finally defeated the big Marlin with two days and nights struggle after overcoming great difficulties. But more unfortunately there were many sharks coming after his boat attracted by the smell of the blood of the big Marlin. After death-and-life struggle, when he finally got rid of the sharks coming after the boat, the big Marlin was bare skeleton.
The Old Man and the Sea tells a frustrated experience of the old man who fishes alone in the sea in plain languages. Through the simple lines, a “tough guy” image is shaped and heroism is praised. The whole story starts with a peaceful beginning which is some trivial of life and talking with the boy, and suddenly turns to its climax which is the dangerous fighting with the big fish and sharks alone in the sea, and ends with the old man’s return with the bare skeleton of the big Marlin. Though the boy only appears at the beginning and the ending in the novel, he plays an indispensible role, it is his inspiring and supporting that helps the old man to be “graceful under heavy pressure”.
In the book, the old man prepared his fishing properly and preciously than any other fishermen so that “Then when luck comes you are ready” as the old man thought to himself. In reality, some of us keep complaining that they are born in wrong time or good luck never knocks their doors. In fact, good luck sometimes just comes when they are not ready. Taking Newton for example, if he had not acquired a lot, millions of apples could never make him discovery the gravity. So if we just keep studying as much as we can, good luck will finally find us and a bright future is ahead of us. The old man never gives up hope. When all of people think he is doomed, he still strongly believes that he will get a big fish. And he does. So never giving up hope is very important to us. This reminded me of the sentence in Churchill’s speech “Never give up, never, never, never…”. “But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated” has always been inspiring me when I counter with some setbacks in my life. Setbacks are inevitable in pursuit of our goals, but we should never be frustrated and should be “graceful under heavy pressure” like the old man. It is his relentless pursuit that contributes to the victory.
The novel description is one year near sixty years of age senior fisherman, when alone goes to sea in one fishing, fished one big fish, actually did not pull. The senior fisherman socialized several days after the fish, only then discovered this was the big marlin which one surpassed the oneself fishing boat several fold, although knew perfectly well very difficult to win, but still did not give up. Afterwards and further because in the big marlin wound fish fishy smell brought in several crowds of shark fish snatches the food, but the old person still did not hope like this to give up, finally highlighted encircles tightly, returned to the big fish belt the fishing port, lets other fishermen not admire already.
When I read " the senior fisherman think: Here to the seacoast really was too near, perhaps could have a bigger fish in a farther place... " When, I extremely admire this senior fisherman, because he by now already projected on some fish, but he had not settled to the present situation, but was approaches the bigger goal advance. Again has a look us, usually meets one slightly is difficult, we all complain incessantly. We will be the motherland future, will be supposed to like this old person same mind lofty aspiration, will even better pursue even better, the bigger goal.
When I read " the big marlin start fast to gather round the young fishing boat hover, twined the cable on the mast, the old person right hand lifted up high the steel fork, leapt the water surface in it the flash, did utmost throws to its heart, one wail ended the big fish’s life, it was static static floats on the water surface... " When, my heart also liked together the big stone falls. I extremely admire old person that kind do not dread, the relentless spirit, although knows the match strength is very strong, but he not slightly flinches, but is welcomes difficultly above. Just because had this kind of spirit, the senior fisherman only then achieved this life and death contest success. We also must study senior fisherman’s spirit in life, handles the matter does not fear the difficulty, only then can obtain successfully.
Was reading the big fish’s smell of blood is smelled by one crowd of shark fish, struggled swims snatches the food, old person’s left hand happen to in the convulsions, he only could use the right hand, with wooden stick， the mouth and so on all was allowed to use for the weapon self-defense which attacked, and finally expelled this crowd of shark fish. But the big fish’s meat was already eaten one most, but the old person also charmingly criticized oneself the left hand " this work time actually was resting " time, I also was subdued by the old person optimistic spirit. In the life, some losses are inevitable, we should treat by the optimistic manner, cannot be calculating.
Finally, the novel sees by one youth the senior fisherman fully has 18 foot long big marlin in the measure, once more described this fish’s hugeness, explained senior fisherman overcomes the difficulty was big, non- was more common than.
The novel eulogized the spirit which the senior fisherman fear hard and dangerous diligently did not struggle, we also should like his such, could not satisfy the present situation, should positively to above, do any matter all is relentless, meets difficultly must welcome difficultly above, could give up halfway in no way. Only has this, we only then can obtain a bigger success and the victory.
The Old Man and the Sea is one of Hemingway's most enduring works and may very well become one of the true classics of this generation. It played a great part in his winning the Pulizer Prize in 1953 and the 1954 Novel Prize for Literature and confirmed his power and presence in the literary world. Hemingway is also one of my favorite writers. Besides The Old Man And the Sea, I have read some of his other works, such as The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms and The Snow of Kilimanijaro. But The Old Man and the Sea is the one that left the deepest impression on me.
I first read this book when I was in my fifteens. And now I remember it just as well as if I had read it yesterday.