As I near the end of the novel, I still continue to be amazed by the old man. His pure optimism about catching the fish and then getting the fish back to shore is inspiring. I am still shocked about how much I like the novel. Even though I have not finished the novel quite yet, I would consider putting this into my top five list of classic novels that I have read over the years. But back to the old man, even after a shark attacks the fish that he caught he maintains a positive attitude. "'Think about something cheerful, old man,' he said. 'Every minute now you are closer to home. You sail lighter for the loss of forty pounds.'" (Hemingway 104).
The old man has not slept more than a few hours in the last three days when he has been at sea, or even eaten more than a little bit of raw dolphin and flying fish, yet he still fishes on. The old man has such a respect for the fish that he catches it's incredible.When the fish is circling the boat and the old man is about to catch him he states, "'Never have I seen a greater, or more beautiful, or a calmer or more noble thing than you, brother. Come on and kill me. I do not care who kills who.'" (Hemingway 92). The old man means that after this long honorable fight, even if the fish gets the best of him, he will be okay with it. I hope that the old man ends up catching the fish. I will be pretty upset if he does not catch that fish after all that he has been through. I also hope that the boy comes back into the story. I mentioned before how much I like the old man and the boy's conversations and I would like to see how the boy reacts to seeing the giant fish.
Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.
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