The old man: What are we fighting for?

Hemingway was invovled in the two world wars, which reflected in his whole life and his works. The book The old man and the sea was written in 1952, when the World War II had just been ceased. He heard about this story in Cuba in 1936, but he didn't write it until 1950. He only used eight weeks to finish the novel.

Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated.

 It’s no doubt that the old man is a hero, a tragic hero. He had strong faith, but he could not feed himself. He had fishing skills, but the only one talked with him was a little boy, even though they were good friends. The author used many simple short dialogues between the two good friends to show their strong faith and optimism. When the old man asked the boy the reason he left him, for example, the boy said he was just a boy and he must obey his father’s words. They judged the boy’s father.

“He hasn't much faith.”

“No, but we have.”

The old man didn’t get anything in his first eighty-four days, but he never felt frustrated. His eyes looked as blue as the sea, it was so beautiful that people could not believe he was suffering diseases, poverty and hunger. Both of the old man and the boy believed that they will get a big marlin on the eighty-seventh day. Fortunately, they didn’t wait for that long, on the eighty-fifth day, the old man get such a huge marlin that he could not pick it up at that time. He followed the fish for more than seventy hours to an unknown zone. The old man faced big waves with his small boat. Following the marlin, they travelled a long trip, when he felt sad, he thought about his passed days and the little boy. He keeped recalling the lion in Africa, the king in Africa. The lion in the old man’s thought was powerful and faithful, who controlled his kingdom very well and never failed. Since he remembered these glories, he felt energetic in a moment. After whole night’s fighting, the fish was tired at last, the old man tied it on the head of the boat. The old man smiled and thought to give the boy a big surprise. But things don’t turn out the way you want. Sharks were atracted by the sweet smell of the dead marlin. The result could be predicted, for the fisherman was old and the boat was small. He had no counter to win a group of hungry sharks. The old man who knew very well that he was too old to fight with the sharks and may die this time did not scared at all. He didn’t give up until the marlin was left only its large head. At last, the old man went back with the big bone. He did nothing but go back to have a sleep.

Everyone came outside to watch the storied huge marlin. Everyone laughted at the old man, since they believe the old man was crazy. Still, the boy trusted the old man fully, but it could change nothing. At the end of the story, I believe the author gave a happy ending: the boy deceded to go with the old man.

The most impressing part for me is the old man’s strong faith. He never given up, even though he was facing big dangerous and threatened by death. He just told himself that he could not die there, he had the reason not to fail. The lion, another very important image in this novel, though it was painted lightly without many words, it means a lot to the old man. The lion is brave, smart, and warrior. And ong thing more improtant, the lion is gregarious animal, so the king must take the duty to protect his family. In fact, the kings did well. They are fighting for their happy lives. How about the old man? What was he fighting for? His own life or other people’s respect? He lived alone and could feed himself. He was fighting for his faith, his faith of being successful. Did he succeed? Yes. Even though his marlin was eaten up, he proved to himself that he succeeded. He proved to his good friend that everyone would succeed only if he has strong faith, even the person like him:

Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated.

Hemingway once said "A man can be destroyed but not defeated." This short sentence concluded himself very well and also summed the old man’s spirits. An old man could keep fighting for his faith, why we the young could not do it? Keep faith in mind ,keep moving.