The Old Man and the Sea
The >is a brief but meaningful story. After fishing nothing during the past 84 days, the old fisherman San Diego finally captured a salmon, which weight is over 1500 pounds. After a tough struggle, exactly, three days’ standoff, the old man eventually killed the big fish that came to surface because of being exhausted. However, on the way to harbor, the old man was attacked by many sharks who tracked after the smell of the dead salmon, what he still hold was only the bone of the big fish when he arrived at port.
It is said that the author, Ernest Hemingway who is a great American writer wrote the novel in only eight weeks, basing on one of his friend’s true experience. He created the figure of the old man which was later called by people “tough man” and showed his life attitude and spiritual world. The most well-known sentence of this novel and also the topic of it is that: “man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated.” These words become belief of many readers.
In my opinion, the whole story is about a battle between an old man and the sea, both of which are considered to have symbolic meanings according to critics. The old man once was so energetic and strong but couldn’t get harvest from the sea. He used his old body and strong mind to fight against nature and challenge his fate. He did win a bit—he got the large fish, but he lost totally because he carried back only the skeleton of
the fish with his hands bleeding. On the other hand, he had done all he could to fight against all unlucky things and didn’t lose his face. He behaved like a real man, a tough man.
It ’s a tragic novel, but it ’s also a heroic symphony. The poor old fisherman was regarded as a failure by other fishers as he had captured nothing during the past 84 days. When he fished that 1500-pound salmon, he determined to fight to death even though he knew clearly that the big fish was much stronger than him, and finally, he succeeded. But the ordeal was not to the end even he had succeeded in capturing the big fish. The salmon was bigger than his fishing-boat, he dad no choices but binding the fish to one side of his boat. During his way home, the dead salmon was attacked again and again by shakes followed after the smell of blood. He had to do everything he could do to protect his victory. Harpoon was taken away by a shark, he tied the knife on the oar to stick the shake; the knife was broken, he used short stick to fight against the shark; the short stick was lost, he fought with rudder···Nothing could destroy his volition though the fish was eaten by sharks. God seems to have no pity toward such a great old man; he dropped misfortunes on this poor old man time and time again. But the old San Diego never gave in. The old man’s story is not only a symbol of the relationship between human and nature, but also a symbol of the indestructible spirit of human. In reality, the old man was defeated, but in spirit, he was a winner. The
spirit of tenacious fight of him suggested the dignity and perseverance of human people. Even a great successful person has some experience of frustration. There are various reasons of being failed, but even an insignificant failure is an unbearable strike. Going to sea, he would gain another hope of being successful. Maybe, the sinister life environment and the tenacity of life attitude is the reason that this composition is more and more attractive. Life itself is a kind of endless pursuit, just like the old man’s saying“human is not born to be failure, one could be ruined, but he could not be defeated.” These words remind me of the “Destiny symphony", in which Beethoven says that “I could be destroyed, but I couldn’t be conquered ”. They indicate the meaning of a hero, the meaning of life. Also, it ’s what this story wants to tell people: human should face the failure bravely. From this respect, this book is not an allegory or a fairy tale, but a realistic works. What ’s important in this story is not win but the value of a life. The old man dares to challenge the extremity and over the limit time and time again. What he brought to human is not only an attitude of confidence, but also a powerful strength of spirit.
The >gives me a lot of revelation. What is failure? Failure is the bravery to get up the courage to climb up when you fell down and to get the courage to climb up again when you fell again and never lose the hope of life and the dream of life. What is hero? Hero
is the people who dare to face the frustration, dare to challenge the frustration and defeat the frustration and overcome oneself, they have the courage to achieve their dream, even they have failed many times. What scary us is not the failure, but the weakness and giving in to the failure. Once you have surrendered, all your dreams will never come true. This thought also has a significant meaning to our realistic life. Life is like the old man ’s fishing, even you are failed, but you will not leave regret for life, because you have struggled and faced to the challenges bravely. We ’ll be the winner of our life, and our life will be splendid because we have struggled with our dreams.