Very Short Summary
Cuba, presumably 1940s. After 84 days without catching a fish, an elderly fisherman set out alone in his small skiff, though his young apprentice had been forced by his parents to work on a luckier boat.
On the second day at sea, Santiago hooked an enormous marlin. For three days and nights, he held onto the line as the powerful fish pulled his skiff far out to sea. Despite his cramped hands, hunger, and exhaustion, the old man remained determined.
But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated... I went out too far
Finally, Santiago harpooned the huge marlin and lashed it to his skiff. However, as he sailed home, sharks attacked the fish. Despite fighting them off with his harpoon, gaff, and even the boat's tiller, he could not save his catch. By the time he reached the harbor, only the stripped carcass remained.
The next morning, tourists mistook the giant skeleton for a shark. Meanwhile, Santiago, exhausted and defeated, returned to his shack. Manolin, who had been worried about the old man, brought him coffee and newspapers, and promised to fish with him again, despite his parents' wishes. That night, Santiago fell asleep and dreamed of his youth and lions on African beaches.
Detailed Summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
Santiago's Unlucky Streak and His Young Friend
An elderly fisherman had gone eighty-four days without catching a fish in the Gulf Stream, where he fished alone in his skiff.
He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish... the boy's parents had told him that the old man was now definitely and finally salao
For the first forty days, a young boy had accompanied him, but his parents had ordered him to work on a luckier boat. Despite this separation, the boy still helped Santiago carry his gear and visited him regularly.
Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated
One evening, Santiago and Manolin discussed baseball, particularly their admiration for the great DiMaggio. The boy brought the old man to the Terrace, where Martin, the owner, had sent them food.
Setting Out to Sea and Early Morning Fishing
Before dawn the next morning, Santiago and Manolin prepared for the day's fishing. They had coffee together, and the old man set out alone, rowing his skiff into the dark waters. He moved beyond the harbor where other boats were also heading out to sea, each seeking their own fishing grounds.
Santiago rowed far out, beyond where most fishermen went, to an area called the great well, where he knew many fish gathered due to a sudden deep of seven hundred fathoms. He set his lines at various depths, using fresh sardines and tuna as bait, carefully positioning them to attract the big fish he hoped to catch.
Hooking the Great Marlin
Around noon, Santiago felt a gentle pull on one of his deepest lines. He recognized it as a marlin testing the bait, and carefully let the fish take more line, waiting for the right moment to secure his catch.
The fish is my friend too... But I must kill him. I have never seen or heard of such a fish. But I must kill him. I am glad we do not have to try to kill the stars
The First Day of Struggle
The great fish began towing Santiago's skiff further out to sea. The old man held the line across his back, enduring the strain and pain as the fish pulled steadily northward. He wished for the boy's help but remained determined to land this fish alone. As the sun set, Santiago had still not seen the fish, but he could feel its tremendous strength through the line.
Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is
The Second Day and Night with the Fish
Throughout the night and into the second day, Santiago held fast to the line. His left hand had cramped badly, but he endured the pain, talking to himself about baseball and the great DiMaggio to maintain his resolve. He ate the tuna he had caught earlier to keep up his strength, though he was careful to stay alert for sharks attracted by the blood in the water.
By the afternoon of the second day, Santiago finally saw the fish as it surfaced near the boat. Its size was greater than any he had ever seen, and its beauty moved him deeply. The fish continued to circle the boat, gradually drawing closer as it tired.
Victory Over the Marlin
After two days of struggle, Santiago finally got his chance. As the fish passed close to the boat, he drove his harpoon into its heart. The massive marlin leaped from the water in a magnificent final display before falling dead. Santiago lashed it to the side of his skiff; it was two feet longer than the boat itself.
The Battle Against Sharks
Santiago began his journey home, but the blood from the marlin soon attracted sharks. The first to attack was a great mako shark. Though Santiago killed it with his harpoon, he lost the weapon in the process. More sharks came, and he fought them with a knife lashed to an oar, then with the oar itself, and finally with just the tiller from his boat.
He knew he was beaten now finally and without remedy... He was past everything now and he sailed the skiff to make his home port as well and as intelligently as he could
Despite his valiant defense, the sharks stripped away the marlin's flesh piece by piece. By nightfall, they had taken nearly all of the great fish, leaving only the skeleton, head, and tail. Santiago knew he was defeated, not by the marlin, but by the sharks.
Return to Harbor and Aftermath
Santiago finally reached the harbor in the dark, exhausted and defeated. He carried his mast home and went to bed. The next morning, Manolin found him and brought him coffee.
They beat me, Manolin... They truly beat me... No. Truly. It was afterwards
While Santiago rested, tourists at the nearby café observed the great skeleton of the marlin still tied to the skiff. Pedrico was given the marlin's head, and Manolin stayed by Santiago's side, bringing him food and the daily newspapers. The old man slept deeply, dreaming of his youth and the lions on the beaches of Africa.