I seriously did not like reading about the old man after he gave up. It made me so sad. I really like that old guy; he is the kind of person I hope to be like when I am older. He was out on the ocean for like three days just trying to catch one fish. He was all alone; he was old; he was aching. He still pushed on, and then he finally got what he wanted. As soon as he managed to become successful, that success was taken away from him, and there was nothing he could do about it. It is just plain sad.
I had forgotten to mention how the old man was clearly in pain the entire journey. At one point, his whole hand cramped up to the point where he could not even move it anymore. He had a bad back, and his bones and muscles were obviously not in proper shape to be using them nonstop for seventy two hours. There were many points in the novel where he would mention how much he hurt, but that never stopped him from pursuing the prize. He got creative; he would sleep with the fishing line hooked around his body and lightly looped through his hand, so if the fish pulled it would wake him up. He ignored the obvious discomfort just so he could succeed. That is the sign of a true man. While he would mention the pain, it was never in a whining, complaining matter. He was, simply, stating his discomfort. My heart went out to him, and I realized he truly was a strong person in his heart and in his mind.
It did make me happy to see how the people reacted to his return. He, as soon as he got back to shore, went up to bed and fell asleep with just the bare skeleton of his fish tied to his boat. The next morning, people saw the skeleton and were amazed. They all realized that this old man was not just a waste of a body; he was a true fisherman and deserved respect. The boy, who had been worried and looking out for the man the whole time, also made me happy; he was so caring and considerate to the old man.
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