This is a story about a man overtaken with pride. It's been 86 days since he caught a fish, and he has a young admirer that he greatly wishes to live up to. The reader clearly sees the pride taking him farther and farther from shore, literally and metaphorically. And yet we can empathize with him, as we know the external pressures of bringing in the fish are more than the pressure to make the right decision. The old man goes through a great adventure, with all the markings of a tragedy, but Hemingway lets us off unexpectedly easily, allowing the old man to escape with only a hard-earned lesson, back to his shack and young admirer. A beautiful little book.
"Ay," he said aloud. There is no translation for this word and perhaps it is just a noise such as a man might make, involuntarily, feeling the nail go through his hands and into the wood.