The novel The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway starts quite predictably- with an old man and the sea. He is a fishermen and he has not caught a fish in eighty four days. The old man, Santiago, is not eating much, and that is related to the fact that he has not caught any fish for a long time. There is also a boy in the story, his name is Manolin. Santiago taught Manolin how to fish when he was young, and Manolin repays Santiago by bringing him food.
Throughout the novel, Santiago and Manolin and simply referred to as 'the old man' and 'the boy'. Hemingway writes the novel in a simple form, using short and choppy sentences that manage to flow together into a story. As the story goes on the reader begins to sympathize with the character, and hopes for there to be a happy ending in the story. However, the happiness in the story peeks in the middle of the storyline, and it ends with an ending that is definitely not very happy at all.
In fact, the ending is almost extraordinarily sad. When it finally seems that the old man, Santiago, has succeeded and has actually done well for himself, everything is shattered by something that is completely surprising and something that the reader did not see coming. And the reader feels really bad for what Santiago goes through after he finally catches a large fish.
The novel is not particularly interesting, but it does invoke the sympathy of the reader. Even if the reader does not enjoy the story, Santiago's struggles make the reader want to finish the book and see what happens to him in the end. However, the novel ends on a slightly unresolved note that leaves the reader wondering what will ever happen to Santiago in the future because what transpired on his way back home from fishing that last disastrous day of him going out to sea.
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