I have to write an essay about The Old Man and the Sea in general, including plot summary, themes, style, symbols.Thank you.

Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea
is a modern morality tale and allegory that reveals the
following:

Plot: Santiago is
an old Cuban fisherman who has had an unlucky streak.  To redeem himself, he ventures
far out and catches a great marlin.  When hauling it to shore, the carcass is ravaged by
sharks.  Santiago returns to shore with only a
skeleton.

Themes: Man's
ability to deal with suffering, pain, and age.  Man's communal journey hows how man's
journey into nature leads to suffering and self-knowledge.  The skill of an old
fisherman can inspire a youthful
disciple.

Style: the novella
is written in the plain, tough style of a biblical parable: few adjectives, short
sentences, an objective and matter-of-fact tone, and an honest and ethical narrative
voice.

Symbols: nature (air,
water, land); fish (marlin vs. sharks); Santiago's hands; the great DiMaggio; Manolin
(the disciple); the cross-like mast he carries home