The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest HemingwayThe Old Man and the Sea was written by Ernest Hemingway and published in 1952. This is a captivating fictional story about a man named Santiago and his adventure when one day he goes fishing to catch the big one. However, this adventure quickly turns into pain and suffering when things take a turn for the worst. The Old Man and the Sea is set in Havana, Cuba and the fishing waters off the coast of Havana. The Spanish names Santiago and Manolin are typical in Cuba. Cuba is predominantly Catholic, which explains Santiago's devotion to Jesus Christ. The year appears to be in the 1930s and 1940s as Santiago is a big fan of Joe DiMaggio who played during those years. In the 1930s and 1940s, the city of Havana was experiencing a demographic and economic boom. Seafood is one of the most popular foods in Havana, so to meet the growing demand for fish, many young boys learned to become fishermen, like Manolin. Santiago is a complex character who learns a lot throughout this story. He is a very good man, humble and in love with Manolin, his apprentice. Santiago is a poor man and is considered a good luck charm by others because he has not caught a single fish in 84 days. We can't help but pity him because he is very alone. His wife died and the book suggests he never had children. Yet he was humble and did not complain at all about his difficult life. Santiago is a very persistent and determined character. He fought off the enormous marlin he had captured for three agonizing days, despite being in intense pain. He often had conflicting feelings and thoughts. What I found strange was when he felt sorry for the marlin as he was happily thinking about how much money he would get from selling the fish.Mololin is Santiago's apprentice. Since he was little, Manolin has accompanied Santiago to learn how to fish. Santiago loves him very much because he considers him the son he never had. However, Manolin's parents prevent him from going to Santiago because they think he is cursed and unlucky. Santiago is an old fisherman and has been for most of his life. He had an apprentice named Manolin, but his parents stopped because they thought he was bad luck because he hadn't caught a fish in eighty-four days. One day he decided he wasn't going home without catching a fish. So... the newspaper industry... tells its readers to look at the positive aspects of things, even if at first glance it seems like a tragedy. A personal example of this is when my family got our first cat. My mother was on the subway to go to work, she was already late. She was running to catch a train and saw the doors close in front of her. She got on the train, worried about what her boss would say. She was sitting next to a very sad woman with a kitten in a cage. When asked what was wrong, she replied that she had found a lost kitten and since her guardian did not allow cats in the apartment, she was going to the shelter to leave the kitten. My mother said she would keep the kitten and the woman happily gave it to my mother. Hemmingway's novel shows that things are not as bad as they seem at first glance. The Old Man and the Sea also expresses humility. Santiago is a fairly poor man and is often hungry, but he never complains or protests. Santiago shows his humility several times in the novel, such as when he was hitting the marlin and he cut his hand and received other serious injuries..