Why do we still read the book The Old Man and the Sea? I think that this novella is definitely a timeless novella that can be read from when it was written and will still pertain to life in many generations from now. One does not have to be familiar with the time period to be able to read the book and enjoy it and understand it. This novella is about character, conquering human nature, pride, and determination. Those things are all things that can be learned about today and are quite relevant to this generation.
I think this book pertains to all people today, but is especially geared towards men. I think it is geared more towards men because of the struggles in the book. The struggles are against the flesh. The battles in this book are about pride and determination, perseverance, hardship, struggling and those are all things that everyone can relate to, but I feel like they are more masculine of struggles than they are feminine. Men in our time can certainly relate to this book and learn from it and change because of it.
In this book we learn that pride can either destroy you, or if it is a healthy pride it can define you. The old man in this novella was defined by his pride. His pride pushed him and helped him to not give up and it pushed him to victory over the fish.
Another thing we can learn from this book is the importance of mentors. Many people overlook mentoring and think it is something that is not necessary, but truly it is for the growth of the mentor and the mentoree. Everyone should have a mentor and mentor somebody. This is shown in the book by the relationship between the old man and the boy. The old man acts as a mentor to the boy, and as a result the boy is not like other boys. He focuses on more important things than the other boys, because he has a different perspective on life because the old man has shared with him new perspectives.
There are many things that can be learned from this book and it definitely pertains to our generation.
Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1996. Print.
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