Universal Themes-Old Man and the Sea

Themes in books have always been an important part in stories. Old Man and the Sea has a great universal theme that goes with it. The theme is people think they know what to do with something until they actually have it and then they don't know what to do with it. The old man that is almost lost at sea with this huge fish has a huge heart. He feels bad after catching it, but will not quit on trying to pull it in. Over the course of the three days he was at sea by himself, he would basically talk to himself while trying to catch the fish. He was thinking the whole time once I catch this fish everybody will be happy for me. He was so confident that he was going to catch this fish. Once he caught the fish after three long days, he realized that it was to big and he did not know what to do because he could not fit the fish in his small boat. He decided to keep it on the side of his boat and take the risks of sharks eating it. This just shows that always come prepared and prepare for the worst scenario. The author understands that people will do anything to find something that is bigger, and better. Just like the old man throughout the book he was looking for that big fish to catch instead of just looking for a smaller fish. He risked his life with going out so far into the ocean and almost being stranded with sharks and the fish. He was an old man and should of been prepared for the three day trip. Hemingway wrote, "If I had brains I would have splashed water on the bow all day and drying, it would have made salt, he thought. But then I did not hook the dolphin until almost sunset. Still it was a lack of preparation. But I have chewed it all well and I am not nauseated" (Hemingway 80). He is showing us how people are so focused on tyring to catch something bigger and better but forget about their safety.

Bibliography

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1996. Print.