Review of The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway

The Old Man and the Sea. Ernest Hemingway.

A story about the pursuit of resilience. An old fisherman has not been 'lucky' at sea. Without a catch for forty days, [and feeling desperate] he decides to take off on his skiff far away into the sea.
Alone. He grapples with loneliness.

"He looked around for the bird now because he would have liked him for company. The bird was gone. You did not stay long, the man thought."

Finally, there is a tug on the bait. Somewhere miles and miles beneath the surface a large fish may have eaten it. He does not know what kind of fish it is, how big it is or even whether he should wait for it. He decides to wait it out. A few days pass without food (except raw fish he catches from the sea such as dolphin and flying fish) and very little water. What follows is a relentless agonizing battle - observing the behavior of a fish, waiting in anticipation for it to tire out and then pull him on board. The soliloquy of the old man sweeps the reader away - for example, when he convinces himself that it is important to take rest, just as perhaps the fish down below needs some rest too.

"Rest now old man, and let him work until your next duty comes. [Pg 76]"

After the battle is won, he realizes the catch is too big for his skiff.
"Then his head started to become a little unclear and he thought, is he bringing me in or am I bringing him in? If I were towing him behind, there would be no question. Nor if the fish were in the skiff, with all dignity gone, there would be no question either. But they were sailing together [the huge marlin had to be fixed up on the side of the skiff] lashed side by side and the old man thought, let him bring me in if it pleases him. I am only better than him through trickery and he meant no harm."

The conclusion that the battle was but won through 'trickery', leaves the reader numb. The notion of what makes one person 'better' than another raises philosophical questions on morality, values and existence.

And the climax " 'But man is not made for defeat', he said. A man can be destroyed but not defeated."

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Notes on why I found this book so appealing:

Hemingway has played a crucial role in the formative years of my life. The first book I read was from my school library at Loreto, Asansol. 'A Farewell To Arms'.
I remember reading 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' with my husband at our regular haunts to the 'Landmark' bookstore in Chennai. Along the way, I have read several other books, but 'The Old Man and the Sea' with its simplicity of language and diction leaves one mesmerized. I have probably read this earlier. With age, the appreciation for this Pulitzer prize winning novella has simple increased.

I wanted to re-read this work, ever since we happened to take a trip to West Palm Beach Florida. Not only did we wander on the beaches, play in the sand, pick up giant sea shells, watch turtles, and glorious sunrises - our resort faced the ocean, giving us an opportunity to listen to the music of the sea. The fishing trawlers would leave early in the morning and I was lucky to wake up early and watch them. One followed another as they headed deep into the sea. Eventually, the family decided to go fishing! And while we were not expert fishermen - it left an indelible impression on our minds - including the then three year old who got to see live 'sharks'.