It is will, courage, confidence and endurance that help him to get out of a tight corner.
The Old Man and the Sea was published in 1952. it is a short and fable story, about an old Cuban fisherman Santiago and his battle against a giant marlin. For 84 days he didn't catch a single fish, but he did not lose his heart. He hooked a giant marlin. A desperate struggle happened in which Santiago managed to kill the fish and tied it to his boat. However, more dangerous fighting was in store for him. On his way home, he had to fight against the fierce sharks which ate up his catch- the marlin. Nothing was left but a skeleton. Finally, the old man brought the left-over home and went to bed and had a dream.
It is a simple story, in which there are only two main characters the old man and the boy. A single subject- catching fish is dealt with. Looking through the book quickly, we may get such an impression- dray as dust. However, what we get from reading the literary words gives only one-eighth of Hemingway's "Icemountain", which shows only a small part on the surface. The other seven-eighths of the deep meaning lies beyond its lines. The implied meaning which hides "under water" needs more careful and profound reading. I would like to talk about the core of the seven-eighths.
On the whole, the story can be divided into parts. First of all, Hemingway begins the novel with "He was an old man who fished alone in the Gulf Stream, and had gone eighty-four days without catching a fish." It is obvious that the opening sentence here is terse and direct. The writer does not tell us the name of the character he is talking about. We know that the man is old and he makes a living by fishing, but for eighty-four days he catches no fish. Therefore, we have a general idea of the background of the story and the unfavourable situation of the old man at the beginning of the novel.
Hemingway succeeds in revealing the outstanding qualities of the old man self-confidence and perseverance.