Here Fishey, Fishey, Fishey...
Man against nature...nature against Man...Fish versus
Human...this is the quintessential story of rugged determination in the face of
adversity. The Old Man and The Sea is perhaps
Hemingway’s best work. Like any good
writer, he wrote what he knew, and this work is based on real experience,
garnered on his fishing boat the Pilar,
and centered on its first mate, Gregorio Fuentes.
Aside from the mechanics and character development for the
story, I received something deeper from Hemingway's work of art...I see it as
an allegory of the author's struggles in the sunset of his career. However you may interpret the piece, it's
truly the pinnacle in the portfolio of an American great.
The Old Man and The Sea
was first published in LIFE Magazine's September 1st, 1952 edition. From there it went into a book...and became a
legend.
Here's the September 1st, 1952 edition of LIFE: The Old Man and The Sea