"The Old Man and the Sea," by Ernest Hemingway

The Old Man and the Sea is a very powerful story starring characters Santiago and Manolin and their lives as fishermen with very little money. It follows both characters as they are faced with challenges and refuse to give up. The short novel helps prove how much determination Santiago holds and how meaningful his experiences on the gulf. The author Ernest Hemingway is a well known author for creating many thoughtful classics like The Old Man and the Sea, The Sun Also Rises and A Farewell to Arms. Hemingway chose to portray many stories of soldiers, hunters, and many that showed courage and pride. He was a well established author in the mid 1900's that deserved all the credit he was given.

The story starts out introducing Santiago, h a poor fisherman with very bad luck and an 84 day streak without catching a fish. Santiago has to fend for himself yet he has Manolin to help support him until the boy's parents stop allowing them to fish together. Santiago struggles to prove himself as an old fisherman. On his long journey his determination helps him overcome challenges and find his way back to land. The main conflict we see is Santiago's need to prove his worth. The Old Man decides to set out alone far out off the coast in search of a fish to catch and end his bad streak. The novel continues and we discover the many struggles he has to face keeping steading of the pulling line, catching the Marlin, and safely returning back to be with Manolin. He also mentally perseveres throughout to maintain his pride. Santiago stays strong overcoming all that he had gone through while being proud of his accomplishments. At the beginning of the story when we are introduced to Santiago he is viewed by others as worn down and old. As we progress further into the story we see the character prove his perseverance and determination going far out into the gulf. When Santiago finally reaches land with his remains of the stuff he caught, he proves to many others he is still capable and an honorable fisherman.

I really enjoyed the classic compared to a lot of other books I have read because of how thoughtful it felt. Santiago's character development was very sincere to understand which made reaching the end feel valuable. The book didn't feel very rushed considering how short it was, yet felt a bit hard to read. I definitely thought the around 50 pages was a good length. I would recommend Old Man and the Sea as it is a very heartwarming and sweet story. This novel is a classic you shouldn't pass up on. Anyone who enjoys a nice read should try this. Santiago serves as someone who has a lot of courage just like many of Hemingway's figures. I believe Santiago's perseverance is well respected.