[A Lesson Learned from an Old Man and a Fish][In Ernest Hemmingway's peaceful tale "The Old Man and the Sea", he develops the theme of failure versus success by showing that in some cases what appears to be failure may simply be a setback for the miner, and not a complete and utter failure. Success is a reward that the old man received after his long period of failure and his long determination. It felt like a failure when the reward was stripped of flesh, instead it was just a small setback. Surprisingly, the old man gains respect from the remains. It showed that what seemed like a failure turned out to be a success. The main character had determination, and being able to catch the Marlin was a reward for all the trouble he had gone through. He seemed desperate to make the catch to end the streak; "'He can't be gone,' he said. “God knows he can’t be gone.” He makes a turn. Maybe he was once addicted and remembers something about it. Then he felt the gentle touch on the line and he was happy. This catch brought the old man joy and happiness; thus showing that it was indeed a success. The old man had been working with determination for a long time. The hard work involved in this arduous work had been intensified by the power of the fish and the age of the old man. "'Keep your head clear,' he said against the wood of the bow. “I am a tired old man. But I killed this fish that is my brother and now I have to do slave work. The lesson it teaches is that hard work pays off, that “paying it off” is, in other words, success. Hard work and determination must be rewarded with success. Success is not always apparent, but can sometimes take time to manifest, and this applies to the heyday of the old ma...... middle of paper ...... It s This is a setback that makes it seem like a failure, but when analyzed it becomes clear that it was a success. In conclusion, the inspiring and thought-provoking story of “The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway teaches that failure is giving up. and it's a total loss, but the old man's experiment wasn't a failure, it was actually a small setback. It is important to know the difference between failure and success. Success is what the old man received for his hard work, repeated failures and determination, failure is giving in by giving up and losing hope, which the old man did not do. At the climax of the story, when the sharks ate the Marlin, it showed at times that what seemed like a failure could actually be a success, which was hidden. The main character gained a lot of respect from catching the Marlin, making it a success, not a failure..]