Selected Series of Hemingway's Works: the Old Man and the Sea

"The Old Man and the Sea" was created in 1951 and is one of Hemingway's most famous works. It tells the story of an old fisherman's heroic fight with a huge marlin in the sea. After eighty-four consecutive days without catching a fish, Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman, finally caught a big marlin alone. However, the fish was so big that it dragged his boat on the sea for three days before exhaustion, and he killed it and tied it to the side of the boat. During the return trip, he was repeatedly attacked by sharks. When he finally returned to port, only the head, tail and a spine were left. During the days when old Santiago was at sea, his long-lost friend Manolin had been waiting loyally at the seaside, welcoming his return with confidence. Although this novel is not long, it is rich in meaning. The novel creates a typical tough guy image in the history of literature, promotes the spirit of struggle that is not afraid of difficulties, and brings Hemingway's simple and clear writing style into full play. It has received numerous praises since its publication and established Hemingway's unshakable position in the British and American literary circles of the twentieth century.