Literary Essay The Old Man and the Sea The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway ties together a story about a fisherman trying to catch a fish and a deeper story about a man attempting to prove to society that he is not useless. This novella is an example of Man’s struggle to maintain dignity in the face of adversity. The old fisherman (Santiago) could have easily given up against the giant 18 foot marlin, but he could not stand going home one more day being looked at as an aging failure by his friend and the other fishermen in the village. Ernest Hemingway relates this novella to himself and his life. Throughout this story, the old man cannot accept the fact th