The central character in this award-winning novella by Ernest Hemingway is a down on his luck, aging fisherman who hasn’t caught a fish for 84 days. Convinced things are about to change, he ventures further out to sea than usual and hooks a giant marlin longer than his small boat. He finally reels it in after a three-day struggle and secures it to the side of his boat. Sadly, his prize is “stolen” on the way back to shore. Themes: man vs. nature, friendship, luck, memories, perseverance, suffering, religion, pride, defeat (a man can be destroyed but not defeated).
Original Text / PDF / Audio (26,584 words)
Video Version
This academy award-winning animated film directed by Aleksandr Petrov captures the essence of the story extremely well. Unfortunately, at only twenty minutes long, it is unable to do justice in portraying Santiago’s suffering over the three-day ordeal. Watch and enjoy!