In this blog post, we revisit the meanings of despair and hope, loneliness and courage through Hemingway’s ‘The Old Man and the Sea’.
After a dark night, the bright sun always rises
True to its title, this book focuses solely on the story of ‘The Old Man and the Sea’. While a boy occasionally accompanies the old man, most events unfold around the aged fisherman and the vast ocean. The intense struggle he wages against a giant marlin in the middle of the endless sea grips readers with such tension it makes their palms sweat.
In fact, this old fisherman had been branded an ‘unlucky fisherman’ by the townspeople after going out to sea for a full 84 days without catching a single fish. Because of this, the boy who had learned fishing from the old man had to transfer to another boat, unable to overcome his parents’ opposition, adding another layer of loneliness for the old man.
Once a man so strong he was called a ‘champion’ and so skilled he caught fish effortlessly, the weight of time had taken its toll. His gaunt body, deeply etched wrinkles, and patches of yellowing skin spoke plainly of his age. Yet, within that physical frailty, his eyes still burned intensely. Having lived his entire life upon the sea, those eyes had come to resemble the ocean itself, holding a deep and unyielding meaning of life.
Life is a succession of despair. Yet life is beautiful.
Though weighed down by the years, as if hope had been severed, the old fisherman still rowed with hope in his heart. On the endless sea where no one else existed, a tiny boat, and a solitary old man. The struggle with the elusive fish was perhaps not a war against the fish, but a battle against himself, and a fight against a loneliness deeper than anyone else’s. Yet he never abandoned hope. Instead, he comforted himself and resolved in his heart. Today could be the day of luck, every day is a new beginning, and luck does not come to those who wait, but to those who are prepared.
Some say life is a succession of despair. Some express it as ‘the journey toward death begins the moment we are born.’ Yet life is also beautiful. The reason is that hope always exists even within despair. The old fisherman hadn’t caught a fish for not just 84 days, but far longer, yet he never let go of hope.
For him, the sea was a space for survival, but it was also a journey to find joy in solitude. In that sense, the battle with the marlin he faced on the 85th day was more than just fishing; it was an exploration and challenge of the essence of life itself. When he finally triumphed over the marlin after a long struggle, the old man’s heart swelled as if he possessed the entire world. The marlin was a full two feet longer than his boat, making it impossible to haul aboard. He tied it to the side and began rowing back toward land.
But life doesn’t end with a simple victory. Our lives, too, are like a food chain. Though he caught the marlin after the struggle, on his way home, the old man had the fish stolen by a pack of sharks. When he finally reached land, all that remained in his hands were wounds and pain. Yet, even within that pain, hope for tomorrow still lived. This is made clear through his brief but powerful conversation with the boy. In the promise to sail again with the boy once his wounds heal, the reader finds a powerful message: the truth that hope never truly vanishes.
Man grows young with faith and grows old with despair.
Life is inherently lonely. Perhaps Hemingway chose an old man as his protagonist precisely to symbolize this loneliness. ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ speaks to the essence of life through a lonely voyage and a long struggle on the sea. Santiago, the old fisherman who sets out alone on the sea without anyone’s help, is a man already forsaken by Lady Luck. Yet, he possesses an indomitable strength that refuses to give up.
A person grows young with conviction and grows old with despair. He grows young with certainty and grows old with fear. He grows young with hope and grows old with disappointment. It doesn’t matter how old he is. Within every human heart lies a spirit still drawn to wonder. If one retains a childlike curiosity about the world, a heart that can feel joy and excitement about life, then they are young.
Within each of our hearts lies an invisible receiver. The ability to receive messages of beauty, hope, joy, courage, and strength from nature, people, and the divine. As long as that sense remains alive, we are young. But if that receiver breaks and the heart and body freeze solid like a block of ice, then even at twenty, one is old. Conversely, if one can lift their head and ride the waves of hope, then even at eighty, they are still young.
The old man’s body had clearly weakened, unable to bear the weight of the years, but his eyes alone were still those of a young man, like the blue sea. Ultimately, a person does not truly age when their body grows old, but when their spirit surrenders to despair. The moment we give up, resign ourselves, or collapse, we become powerless old men. Yet Santiago chose to fight to the end, and within his indomitable will, we witness the brilliant hope and dreams of life shining brightly.
