The Old Man and The Sea is one of those books that tells a simple story, draws in your emotions, and leaves you to reflect on a thousand metaphors. The novella centers around an old man's battle against a fish that is larger than his simple boat. For four days the man is alone at sea and reflects on his age, his loneliness, his determination, and his resolution.
To me the main theme of the book is how all our battles end the same, whether they are victories or defeats...in the end, both are fated not to last. The old man does catch the fish after days of pain and struggle, only to find it impossible to defend its carcass against the sharks. Only once the carcass has been completely eaten does the old man find peace. No sins to justify, no pains to reason with, no future to hope for, just peace in a world of beauty, and as Hemingway puts it so well: "He dreams of lions on a white sand beach".
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