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Impressionof“TheOldManandtheSea”whenIread“TheOldManandtheSea”,Ireallygainsomethingnewbothinthewayofexpressionandthespirititshowstous.TheOldManandtheSeaisastorybyErnestHemingway,writteninCubain1951andpublishedin1952.ItwasthelastmajorworkoffictiontobeproducedbyHemingwayandpublishedinhislifetime.Oneofhismostfamousworks,itcentersuponSantiago,anagingCubanfishermanwhostruggleswithagiantmarlinfaroutintheGulfStream.TheOldManandtheSeaisbasedonthetruestory.AfterWorldWarII,HemingwaymovedtoCuba,metoldfishermanGregorioFuentes.In1930,Hemingwaybyashipinthestorm,FuentesrescuedHemingway.Sincethen,HemingwayandFuentesforgedaprofoundfriendship,andoftenwithfishing.In1936,Fuenteswasfarouttoseatocatchabigfishandmanythingshappened.Thisisabookabouttheoldfishermanwholivedaloneinseafishing.Afterthe84dayswithnothing，hecaughtahugemarlin.Ithadneverbeenseenandheardoffortheoldman.Thefishwasatleasttwofeetlongerthanhisboat.Thefishwasverylarge,anddraggingtheboatdriftedfortwodaysandnights,theelderlywasinaneversufferedthroughadifficulttestinthesetwodaysandtwonights.Finallythefishwasstabbedandtiedtothebow.However,itwasunfortunatethatsomesharkssuddenlyturnedupinreturning,theelderlyandtheSharkhadadesperatestruggle.Finally,thegiantmarlinwaseatenupbysharks.Aftersomebitter,theoldpeopledraggedhomeonlyabareandaskeletonoftheinjury,buthestillbeappreciated.Thenovelsuggeststhatitispossibletotranscendthisnaturallaw.Infact,theveryinevitabilityofdestructioncreatesthetermsthatallowaworthymanorbeasttotranscendit.Itispreciselythroughtheefforttobattletheinevitablethatamancanprovehimself.Indeed,amancanprovethisdeterminationoverandoverthroughtheworthinessoftheopponentshechoosestoface.Santiagofindsthemarlinworthyofafight,justasheoncefound“thegreatnegroofCienfuegos”worthy.HSantiago,thoughdestroyedattheendofthenovella,isneverdefeated.Instead,heemergesasahero.Santiago’sstruggledoesnotenablehimtochangeman’splaceintheworld.Rather,itenableshimtomeethismostdignifieddestiny.ItiscertainlytruethatSantiago’seighty-four-dayrunofbadluckisanaffronttohisprideasamasterfulfisherman,andthathisattempttobearouthisskillsbysailingfarintothegulfwatersleadstodisaster,Hemingwaydoesnotcondemnhisprotagonistforbeingfullofpride.Onthecontrary,Santiagostandsasproofthatpridemotivatesmentogreatness.Becausetheoldmanacknowledgesthathekilledthemightymarlinlargelyoutofpride,andbecausehiscaptureofthemarlinleadsinturntohisheroictranscendenceofdefeat,pridebecomesthesourceofSantiago’sgreateststrength.Withoutaferocioussenseofpride,thatbattlewouldneverhavebeenfought,ormorelikely,itwouldhavebeenabandonedbeforetheend.Santiagowaspoor.hehadnothingexceptalittleboatandharpoon.Buthesaid“Nowisnotimetothinkofwhatyoudonothave.Thinkofwhatyoucandowithwhatthereis.”Santiagowasalone.Mandolincannotgotoseawithhimbecauseofhisparents.Hecatchesfishesalone.Hefightswithsharksalone.Hecantalktonobodyexcepthimself.Noonewillhelphim.Buteventhoughhefacedhungry,wearyanddifficultyalone,hedoesnotgiveup.Theoldmanisagreatman.Althoughhefailedformanytimesinhislife,henevergaveup.Heisasteel-willingmanwhoinsistedhisdreamandworkhard.Youcandestoryhim,butyoucan’tbeathim.Whateverhefacedto,hewouldneveryieldtothedifficult,whichshowsastrongspirit.Inourlives,Ithinkweshouldlearnsomethingfromtheoldmanwhichwillmakeushaveamorevaluablelife.Wheneverandwhereverwemeettrouble,weshouldnevergiveupandtryourbesttoovercomeit.Weshouldalwayskeeponourdreamandmakeitcometrue.Everyonehashisadvantagesanddisadvantagesinhislife,butweshouldfacetoourdisadvantages,andwemustbeconfident,whichwouldalsomakeusbeconfidentofourlife.Weshouldhavefaithinwhatwedoinourlife,wewillhaveamorebeautifullifeinthefutureandourdreamwillcometrue.WeshouldpaymoreattentiontowhatwedoduringourliferatherthanwhatwewillgetattheendbecauseIthinkitismoreimportantthananythingyougetfinally.Ifyouenjoyyoulifenotsomethingyouget,youwillhaveameaningfullifeandanoblespirit.Itwillhurtyouwhenyoupaymoreattentiontowhatyougetinthefuture.Itwillalsomakeyoudosomethingwrongwhichisbadforotherpeople,oursocietyandourcountry.