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Book Review By Joanna
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

An old man overwhelmed by life is given one last chance to determine the strength of his character. Santiago, a fisherman, is the main character in Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea. As he nears the end of his life, Santiago realizes that all he has left are his skills at fishing, a kindhearted boy whom he loves, and the dreams of his youth that he escapes to when he sleeps.

After eighty-four days of fishing to no avail, Santiago hooks a marlin. It is the largest fish he has ever seen. With this marlin, Santiago engages in an epic battle that carries him far from familiar waters. He is presented with numerous chances to relinquish his prize and return home, yet he refuses to admit defeat. Santiago's determination to never give up fuels his quest to conquer the great fish. In a skiff with no food and only a bottle of water, Santiago is pulled by the marlin. It is hooked on a line that stretches across his back, burning and cutting into his skin. Santiago endures the pain in order to achieve his goal.

He demonstrates his determination as he matches his strength against that of the fish, which far surpasses his own. For days, the old man follows the marlin, fighting off bouts of dizziness and exhaustion. In order to kill the fish with a harpoon, Santiago needs it to jump above the water. While the marlin circles the skiff, Santiago labors at maintaining his hold on the line and bringing the fish in. Each time the fish passes the boat, Santiago pulls the line but the marlin escapes his grasp. After catching the fish, Santiago is attacked by a horde of sharks. Shark after shark comes to devour the fish. Santiago fends them off, first with a harpoon, then a knife, and lastly clubbing them to death.


Plot & Themes
Tone of book? - very sensitive (sigh)
Time/era of story - 1600-1899
Life of a profession:
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Job/Profession/Status story Yes
Exploring into the wild Yes
kind of story - hunting animal

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status:
Age: - 60's-90's
Ethnicity/Nationality

Main Adversary
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 5 ()
Water? Yes
Water: - sail boat

Writing Style
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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