Hope on the Open Sea

In Chapter 2 of The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago heads out to sea alone on the eighty-fifth day. He rows far away from the shore and sets his fishing lines with great care. He talks to himself to fight loneliness and watches the sea calmly. Hemingway’s simple writing shows the old man’s deep respect for the ocean. Full of quiet hope, this chapter builds up the coming challenge. It lets me feel his strong will even before he meets the marlin.