Old Man And The Sea Summary
...Setting
North Coast of Cuba; early twentieth century
Principal Characters
Santiago, an old, weathered fisherman Manolin , a boy, Santiago's young fishing companion The Marlin, a gigantic fish
Story Overveiw
Eighty-four days had passed since Santiago, the old fisherman, had caught a fish, and he was forced to suffer not only the ridicule of younger fishermen, but
near-starvation as well. Moreover, Santiago had lost his young companion, a
boy named Manolin, whose father had ordered him to leave Santiago in order to
work with more successful seamen. But the devoted child still loved Santiago,
and each day brought food and bait to his shack, where they indulged in their
favorite pastime: talking about the American baseball leagues. The old man's
hero was the New York Yankees' Joe DiMaggio. Santiago identified with the
ballplayer's skill and discipline, and declared he would like to take the great
DiMaggio fishing some time.
After visiting one particular afternoon, the boy left Santiago, who fell asleep.
Lions immediately filled his dreams. As a boy he had sailed to Africa and had
seen lions on the beaches. Now, as an old man, he constantly dreamed of the
great and noble beasts.
He no longer dreamed of storms, nor of women, nor of Great occurrences, nor
of great fish, nor fights nor contests of strength, nor of his wife. He only
dreamed of places now and of the lions on the beach ... He loved them as he
loved the boy.
Before dawn of the next day, the fisherman, as usual, hauled his salt-encrusted
skiff onto the beach and set out...
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