THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA
The story follows Santiago, an aging Cuban fisherman who has gone 84 days without catching a fish. Despite being seen as unlucky by others, he sets out alone into the Gulf Stream, determined to prove his skill and strength one more time. Far out at sea, Santiago hooks a giant marlin, the biggest fish he has ever seen. For three long days and nights, he struggles with the fish, enduring hunger, exhaustion, and pain. Santiago respects the marlin deeply, seeing it as a noble rival. Finally, he manages to harpoon and kill it, lashing the massive fish to his small skiff. But Santiago’s triumph is short-lived. On the way back, sharks attack the marlin, tearing it apart despite his desperate fight to defend it. By the time Santiago returns to shore, only the marlin’s skeleton remains. Though he has lost the prize, Santiago regains the respect of the villagers, and especially the loyalty of the boy, Manolin, who vows to fish with him again. The novel is written in simple, ...