The Old Man and The Sea

The novella of The Old Man and The Sea, it is written by Ernest Hemingway. This fiction novel was published in 1952 by one of United States journalist Ernest Hemingway. He is a novelist, short story writer and a journalist. He was born on July 21, 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois, in a suburb of Chicago, and died at the age of 61 on July 2, 1961. Hemingway was the first son and second child of six children born in the family of Clarence Edmonds ("Doctor Ed") and Grace Hall Hemingway. Hemingway's father was a doctor. Hemingway is come from a quite wealthy family from the side of his grandmother. His love life is like up and down, from a nurse to the catholic woman, to the best maid, and last with the war correspondence. He pour his story life into various short story.

The Old Man and The Sea is the 7th titles from Hemingway's novellas. It was the last major work of fiction to be produced by Hemingway and published in his lifetime. It is being created when Hemingway was in Italy in somewhere fishermen village. There is one old fisherman than amaze him. That is the time when he got the idea to write the novel of The Old Man and The Sea. The characters are Santiago the old Cuban fisherman, Manolin the young boy, Marlin the big fish, and the sea. The characters themselves are complementary content of this novel. Where Santiago the fisherman who is very persistent wanted to capture Merlin a big fish in the Gulf Stream. Manolin itself is the character of a boy who had been Santiago's student. He admires Santiago's personality. Meanwhile the sea is the most powerful character because most of the story occurs in the sea. Most of the setting of this story is the sea, then the beach and the Santiago's shack. The plot of this story is the narrative structure. Where the story is divided into five sections. These parts are: exposition (of the situation), rising action (through conflict), climax (or turning point), falling action, and resolution.

The story itself bringing inspiration about life. This novel brings the story of how the life of a fisherman at sea. These stories were really showed persistence of a fisherman in fishing. How difficult to maintain our balance in catching the fish and bring it to the beach. I personally liked this novel because it taught me to always try, and never give up, because there will always a chance for humans to prove that he or she is able to achieve their goals in life.

First in this novel Hemingway introduced us with Santiago and Manolin, and describing the life style of Santiago. On how people always look down on Santiago and mocking him. Santiago, an old man who haven't catch any of fish in 84 days. Later on, it continue to the time on the 85th day when Santiago decide to sail more further to the sea to catch Merlin, this part is the rising action. The time when Santiago found Merlin and struggle as hard as he can be, to catch and brought the fish to the beach. Poor Santiago, the climax occurs when the sharks smells the blood from Merlin’s body in the water, and they starting to banging the skiff, and eating Merlin’s flesh. In this moment Santiago have to fight against the mad sea, and fight for his life againts the sharks. Soon after the sharks went away (falling action) Santiago keep on his way back home with only left the head of Merlin on his skiff. The resolution ended when he arrive at his shack and Manoli amaze with what he had done, bringing the Merlin down to the beach.

What a persistent and strong spirit of Santiago in catching Merlin. From my point of view the author's perceptive about this story is moralist. “Many poets have strong ethical or religious convictions, but the moralist critic usually has a broader interest. Literature has a humanizing or civilizing mission, and the critic values work which furthers that end : promotes tolerance, social justice, sensitivity to individual wishes and talents, etc” (http://www.textetc.com/criticism.html).

From the very start until the end of the story, it tells about man's courage and high spirit. The characters, setting, and the plot also beautifully mixture in this simple short story, that can be delivered easily to the common people. This makes me think and understand the meaning of the moral message conveyed by Hemingway from my own perspective. The moral to never give up of anything in this life, nothing is impossible, so that we also can learn great moral from this story. All I can say that Hemingway has been succeed create this novel as a great dish for me, with the details of sea journey, with his experience in the fishermen village, all those pieces are combine into a nice short novella.

First Scribner trade paperback edition 2003.

ISBN-13 : 978-0-684-80122-3

ISBN-10 : 0-684-80122-1