The Old Man and the Sea is the story of an epic struggle between an old man and a big fish. Santiago is the very old Cuban fisherman whose been unable to catch a fish for eighty four days. Santiago has an apprentice called Manolin. Manolin adores the old man but his parents tell him he must stop fishing with Santiago because he is not catching any fish or making any money.
Santiago is convinced one day he will begin to catch fish again and that he is just going through an unlucky time but his luck will change. Manolin takes the old man food and baitfish to help him to keep fishing.
Hemingway's story tells of the day that Santiago takes his skiff (boat) out much farther into the sea than usual, thinking if he goes into deeper waters he will catch a fish. Santiago ventures far into the Gulf Stream. He prepares his lines and drops them. At noon, a big fish, which Santiago knows to be a Marlin because he's a very knowledgeable and experienced fisherman, takes the bait at 100 fathoms. The old man expertly hooks the fish, but cannot pull it in. Instead, the fish begins to pull the boat. The old man is unable to tie the line to the boat because the fish might break the line, so he holds the fish by himself. The strain of holding the large fish bends the old man's shoulders and back but he holds on to the line, trying to control the large Marlin fish.
The rest of the plot explains the old man's struggle to get back to the shores, fighting the sharks in the high seas.