Old Man and the Sea

It is hard to say what the universal theme is in the novel Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. It could be that you should always look at life with a positive and open mind. The old man's character displays this a lot throughout the story. Even though the old man was not having very much luck catching fish, he went out every day and never lost faith that he would get them. Once he caught the marlin, he did not worry when the giant fish was dragging this boat further and further away from the shore. He only saw the positives of what was happening. To him, the fish would soon tire and he could easily kill him. He did not want to kill him, for he respected the fish and saw him as a brother, but he knew that he had to. Even before he saw what the fish looked like he respected and loved him. The old man was very fragile because of his age, but he knew what he needed to do. He worked as hard as his frail body would allow him, even working through the pain of all of the gashes and cramps in his hands. He was patient with the marlin and let him slow down on his own terms. Ernest Hemingway might have put this type of characteristic in the old man to show that even in the toughest of situations, it is still possible, as well as very important to have a positive attitude. I think that is the universal theme. The old man had plenty of opportunities to give up, freak out, or completely change the situation in a negative way, but he kept his head up and his head clear to work through the problems. The wise fisherman made a point many times to keep his head clear so he could work. Not many people have that kind of control over themselves.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner Paperback Fiction, 1995.