The Keynote:- "The Old Man and The Sea" is an interesting and impressive novel by Hemingway. While fighting against the sharks, the hero of the novel to touches the keynote. He declares, "But a man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated." During his fight with the sharks, he proves it that even in case of losing the battle; a man may gain a lot. The great thing is not the victory but the struggle.
The first attack of Sharks:- Santiago succeeded in killing the big marlin after a continuous struggle for 48 hours. After one hour, the first shark attacked the big fish. It was a big shark. The shark hit the marlin. The old man hit the harpoon into the shark's head. The shark went down slowly but took the harpoon with it.
The second attack:- After two hours he saw two more sharks attacked the big marlin. He took up the knife lashed to it. One shark went under the skiff and pull on the marlin. The second hit the marlin where it had already been hit. The old man drove the knife into the second shark's eye. The shark slid down slowly.
The third attack:- The next shark came after a while and hit the marlin. Just before sunset two more sharks attacked. He clubbed them away as forcefully as he could. They slid down after snapping some piece of flesh from the marlin. It was now badly ruined. Anyhow, the old man was proud of his successful fight with the sharks.
Fight at night:- More sharks came and attacked the marlin. The old man clubbed at their heads but he knew that he was fighting a lost battle. When he reached the harbor, his big fish was all but a skeleton.
In short, the old man had proved that it is not the victory that counts; it is the struggle.
