Book 9: "The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway
I am falling behind on my book reporting! Here we go catching up. "The Old Man and the Sea" is one book I will likely read again and again.
It instantly reminded me of my leathery old grandpa: his determination to keep working, his severity, his true gentleness, how he was so old and fragile but still stubborn and hard working like a bull. It reminded me of how my grandpa slept in a little sad bed in the maids quarters even though he had a grand beautiful house: he enjoyed living with little. He smoked half a cigarette every Sunday, got up early, and went to bed early. I felt like the story was about my grandpa.
The old man is, well, an old man. But he is very poor, lives in Havana, and is a fisherman who hopes to catch the biggest fish of his life to sell it and make some money. I'm not sure why he wants the money because he is content with his simple life and way of living. Anyway, he has a little apprentice called Manolin, who is a little boy who is learning to fish and loves helping the old man and taking care of him. But Manolin's parents need money and find a more successful fisherman to send their boy to. Manolin still runs to see the old man, bring him coffee and beans. They are buddies. One day the old man sees the sky and knows that it is right before hurricane season when the water is gentle and swordfish swim near. He prepares his little boat with some fish as bait, a bottle of water, and his hand-made sails and sets off. To where, he does not know, but to find a fish, the biggest fish ever. Manolin reminds him to eat and to be careful.
The old man does what he wants as most old men do.
The sea is open, alive and beautiful. Flying fish jump and twirl around the boat and the man is alone but surrounded by life, air, sea and sun. Then he sees it: a sword fish. It is enormous and leaps into the air showing off its size and beauty. It is the biggest fish the old man has seen in his life. He talks to the fish as a friend. He sets off to catch this fish who is bigger than his boat.
The story takes a turn that made me think: the old man chases this fish (thing) he wanted, he finally baits the fish, then follows the fish around for miles and miles and miles determined not to let him escape. They are pulled far off the coast of Cuba. The old man runs out of water, and food and is nervous and hungry. He has to convince himself to keep going, to be strong. Finally the sword fish swims close to the boat and the old man is able to stab him with his spear and kill him. His friend, his enemy, his food, his muse is killed. However while killing him the old man hurts his hand and rinses his bloody hand in the salt water to close the wound. The giant dead fish floats and the old man decides to tie him next to the little boat and pull him home.
Sharks have a different plan. They see the blood of the old man in the water. They swarm the boat and attack the beautiful giant fish.
They eat him bite by bite until all that's left is the carcass. The old man says to himself, "You did not kill the fish only to keep alive and to sell for food, he thought. You killed him for pride and because you are a fisherman. You loved him when he was alive and you loved him after. If you love him, it is not a sin to kill him. Or is it more?" The old man gambled his life for this fish, went further than he should have with the dream of "what could be" and lost everything. He is washed upon the shore of Havana and the little boy finds him, the other fishermen help carry him to his little cottage where he was fine before. He says, "I went so far and tried so hard to loose everything." Meanwhile people stand around the carcass of the fish admiring what could have been.
I'm not really sure if there is a moral to this story. If there were it could be:
1. Be happy with what you have.
2. Don't try because sharks will attack you.
3. Don't try difficult things when you are old because you are more fragile.
4. Be friends with nice little boys who will bring you coffee and beans.
I don't think Ernest would have meant for there to be a moral to the story, that wasn't really his style of writing or living for that matter. The story is written like a painting and has the melody of Vivaldi's "Summer" of the Four Seasons in parts of it. Actually the first half of the books is the tune Danzon 2 by Arturo Marquez then the second half is Vivaldi's Estate.
I enjoyed this book and will re-read it to visit my grandpa, who I am certain came in spirit, grabbed my elbow roughly with his leathery hand and pointed me in the direction of this book to say, "Stop trying so hard for the wrong things. And go have some beans to eat, you are getting too pale."
It instantly reminded me of my leathery old grandpa: his determination to keep working, his severity, his true gentleness, how he was so old and fragile but still stubborn and hard working like a bull. It reminded me of how my grandpa slept in a little sad bed in the maids quarters even though he had a grand beautiful house: he enjoyed living with little. He smoked half a cigarette every Sunday, got up early, and went to bed early. I felt like the story was about my grandpa.
The old man is, well, an old man. But he is very poor, lives in Havana, and is a fisherman who hopes to catch the biggest fish of his life to sell it and make some money. I'm not sure why he wants the money because he is content with his simple life and way of living. Anyway, he has a little apprentice called Manolin, who is a little boy who is learning to fish and loves helping the old man and taking care of him. But Manolin's parents need money and find a more successful fisherman to send their boy to. Manolin still runs to see the old man, bring him coffee and beans. They are buddies. One day the old man sees the sky and knows that it is right before hurricane season when the water is gentle and swordfish swim near. He prepares his little boat with some fish as bait, a bottle of water, and his hand-made sails and sets off. To where, he does not know, but to find a fish, the biggest fish ever. Manolin reminds him to eat and to be careful.
The old man does what he wants as most old men do.
The sea is open, alive and beautiful. Flying fish jump and twirl around the boat and the man is alone but surrounded by life, air, sea and sun. Then he sees it: a sword fish. It is enormous and leaps into the air showing off its size and beauty. It is the biggest fish the old man has seen in his life. He talks to the fish as a friend. He sets off to catch this fish who is bigger than his boat.
The story takes a turn that made me think: the old man chases this fish (thing) he wanted, he finally baits the fish, then follows the fish around for miles and miles and miles determined not to let him escape. They are pulled far off the coast of Cuba. The old man runs out of water, and food and is nervous and hungry. He has to convince himself to keep going, to be strong. Finally the sword fish swims close to the boat and the old man is able to stab him with his spear and kill him. His friend, his enemy, his food, his muse is killed. However while killing him the old man hurts his hand and rinses his bloody hand in the salt water to close the wound. The giant dead fish floats and the old man decides to tie him next to the little boat and pull him home.
Sharks have a different plan. They see the blood of the old man in the water. They swarm the boat and attack the beautiful giant fish.
They eat him bite by bite until all that's left is the carcass. The old man says to himself, "You did not kill the fish only to keep alive and to sell for food, he thought. You killed him for pride and because you are a fisherman. You loved him when he was alive and you loved him after. If you love him, it is not a sin to kill him. Or is it more?" The old man gambled his life for this fish, went further than he should have with the dream of "what could be" and lost everything. He is washed upon the shore of Havana and the little boy finds him, the other fishermen help carry him to his little cottage where he was fine before. He says, "I went so far and tried so hard to loose everything." Meanwhile people stand around the carcass of the fish admiring what could have been.
I'm not really sure if there is a moral to this story. If there were it could be:
1. Be happy with what you have.
2. Don't try because sharks will attack you.
3. Don't try difficult things when you are old because you are more fragile.
4. Be friends with nice little boys who will bring you coffee and beans.
I don't think Ernest would have meant for there to be a moral to the story, that wasn't really his style of writing or living for that matter. The story is written like a painting and has the melody of Vivaldi's "Summer" of the Four Seasons in parts of it. Actually the first half of the books is the tune Danzon 2 by Arturo Marquez then the second half is Vivaldi's Estate.
I enjoyed this book and will re-read it to visit my grandpa, who I am certain came in spirit, grabbed my elbow roughly with his leathery hand and pointed me in the direction of this book to say, "Stop trying so hard for the wrong things. And go have some beans to eat, you are getting too pale."
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