Il vecchio e il mare

Although there is no symbolism to be sought after in the story, for the author himself had declared that the old man is just an old man, the sea just the sea, and the sharks simply sharks; the plot rests all the same on the pillars of absurdism. Let us keep in mind that the novella was published in 1952, an era during which the doctrine and philosophy of absurdism was thriving under the leadership of Albert Camus. The latter's essay The Myth of Sisyphus, published exactly a decade ahead of The Old Man and the Sea, introduces the prototype of Santiago, namely the mythical Sisyphus. Imagine Sisyphus happy, suggests Camus. Imagine him content with the immense boulder he had to push all the way up the mountain just to see it tumble and roll down again. How could any such thing be a source of contentment?!! Well, what if Sisyphus had enjoyed part of the task in spite of the meaningless suffering! What if he liked the view from the summit of the mountain so he kept pushing his rock over and over again just to enjoy the scenery! What if he liked the flowers and their sweet aroma as he struggled with his burden! What if he liked the chirping of the birds, the brightly-colored butterflies...The same applies to Santiago in his seemingly absurd and obstinate struggle with the Marlin fish. What if the old man had simply enjoyed the physical exercise which was the daily custom of his old muscles! What if he liked the challenge between the sea rival and himself...To read the novella under this light is to acknowledge the meaninglessness of the world, and, in contrast with the existentialist view of creating your own meaning, to embrace the absurdity of your position in the universe and enjoy instead the things that you enjoy for their own sake. Every human being reaches this very state of mind at least once in their lives, and while an existentialist might struggle to create meaning and order, an absurdist would just go on like Sisyphus. If life is meaningless and absurd, there is still the consolation of all the people we love, the things we like to do, the places we would like to visit...

I stilk dont get it. The only reason i finished it is the old man and the boy's relationship