The Old Man and the Sea

by Ernest Hemingway

He always thought of the sea as la mar which is what people call her in Spanish when they love her. Sometimes those who love her say bad things of her but they are always said as though she were a woman.

But the old man always thought of her as feminine and as something that gave or withheld great favours, and if she did wild or wicked things it was because she could not help them.

I like it

“Fish,” he said, “I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead before this day ends.”

I wish I could feed the fish, he thought. He is my brother.

Surely it will uncramp to help my right hand. There are three things that are brothers: the fish and my two hands.

Man is not much beside the great birds and beasts.