Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea is a simple story on the surface, but in depth a tale with a deeper message and a relevance that transcends time and place. It speaks to the universal truths of a man’s existence within this world, where pride, respect, tenacity, and dreams fuel a man in his quest to thrive in the face of professional struggle. It is a story about the indomitable spirit of man’s competence. Here the predominant theme is—grace under pressure—which is clearly developed in the ‘old man’ who fought the giant fish and killed it against all odds. Hemingway’s protagonist Santiago represents the attitude towards practical life and his fight with the mighty marlin offers numerous lessons to the readers. The honor in struggle, defeat, and death is ultimately depicted in the mainstream of the story. The knowledge that a simple man is capable of the decency, dignity and even heroism that Santiago possesses is itself the victory of professional endurance with physical struggle, fatigue, solitude, old age and impending death.

Keywords: Hemingway, Santiago, Professionalism, Grace Under Pressure, Endurance, Heroism, The Old Man and the Sea.