Human values in Ernest Hemingway's the old man and the sea

Abstract EN

Unlike scholars who read Ernest Hemingway’s novella The Old Man and the Sea as a simple story that narrates the fishing experience of an old man in the Gulf Stream, this paper examines the human values of humility, patience, determination and pride in the story.

These values can be seen in the character of the old fisherman who does not lose hope or self-confidence after eighty-four unlucky days.

Despite his physical weakness, the old man does not renounce his dream of catching big fish to prove to other fishermen that determination and hope are important in the life of humans.

The story implies that the sharks that attack the catch of the old man represent the evil forces in nature that attempt to prevent humans from achieving their goals.

Therefore, Hemingway presents the sharks as predators and malicious creatures that attack without mercy.