"The Old Man and the Sea" tells a simple but meaningful story. The story is about an aging fisherman Santiago, who has gone 84 days without catching any fish at all and finally on day 85 finds a giant marlin weighing more than 1500 pounds. Consequently a fight between him and the fish begins and lasts for three days and nights. It doesn`t end until the exhausted fish floats to the surface of the sea and is killed by the fisherman. While Santiago is heading for home, he is continually attacked by a pack of sharks. When he finally reaches the beach, only the head, the tail and the skeleton of the fish is left. This is a far-reaching implication of the classical tragic novels, also is a heroic symphony. hemingway said:" i try to describe a real old man, a real child, a real sea, a real fish and some real shark.9 Signs Reminds You to Turn Your Tools for Home and office

However, they can represent many other things if I could write it in a real life style. The old Santiago in the story is a unfortunate man who has not got a fish for 84 days and was deemed as a loser by other fishers. But it seemed to indicate the beginning of a battle, indeed, on the 85th day, he really found a 1500 pounds salmon, knowing that the fish is stronger than him, he was determined to fight to the end. He said to the big fish: "I will fight with you to the end!", and finally he won. After he caught the fish hard, the test had not been over yet. Because the fish was big and long, so he had to tie the fish to one side of the ship. On his journey back home, sharks are attracted to the trail of blood left by the fish in the water. Thus he uses all measures to fight back. The harpoon is taken away by a shark. He makes a new harpoon by strapping his knife to the end of an oar.

When the knives were broken, he tried to use short sticks. When the short sticks were lost, he tried to fight with the rudder. Although the fish was almost gone, nothing could destroy his willpower. God seems to take pity such a great old, giving doom to old, at last his great will does not receive good result, in his returning, he brings back only with the fish head, tail and spine. Why didn't Hemingway make the old man win at last? Wasn't it more to express the greatness of a hero? The story about the old man not only symbolizes the relationship between human and nature, but also symbolizes human's unbreakable spirit. In reality, although he fails, but in spirit, he is a winner, his indomitable fighting spirit, shows the noble and dignity of the human.

Looking over all the lives, who has not experienced failures? Even successful persons have no exception. The reasons for the failures can be varied, but in any case a failure is always an unbearable strike for you. When you go to the sea again, you will have the hope of victory. I think the work is more attracting people are because of the kind of precarious life environment and the tenacious attitude toward life. The Old man in this story also said: [people are not born for defeat; a person can be destroyed, but can not be defeated." His words made me think of Beethoven's Symphony Fate. Beethoven once said, "I can be tortured, but I cannot be conquered." They explained the meaning of hero and the meaning of life. While the word in this book also implied the article`s idea: man should face the failure bravely. From this aspect, this book is not a fable or fairy, but a realistic work.

Victory is no longer important in this novel, the importance is the value of a human life, the old dare to challenge the limit, beyond again and again had to let us admire that he had brought to mankind is a kind of self-confidence, a strong spiritual strength. The Old Man and Sea gives us many life enlightenments. What is the failure? The failure is to pluck up our courage to pick ourselves up after falling, pick ourselves up again after another fall, never lose our hope for life and never love our life dreams. What are heroes? Heroes are who face setbacks bravely to challenge them and defeat themselves and defeat setbacks. They have the courage to fulfill the dreams that they may try a lot of times but fail. Those people can be counted as heroes. I am attracted to Hemingway`s The Old Man and the Sea. I have learnt that Hemingway himself also experienced ups and downs in his life such as war, the torment caused by diseases and mental suffering. Although he struggled again and again, So pity at last he choose suicide to end his life, may be he has his reason but he fails to describe the defeat and hero in "the old man and the sea", which is a pity.

The horrible thing is not defeat itself but to succumb to it because once you yield to defeat, you will never have your dreams realized. This point has great significance in our life. I think that life is just like that the old man fished in the sea. Face it bravely, even though he didn't success, he wouldn't leave any pities of life. We are also strongers of life, and our life will be colorful because of our efforts.