Theme is the underlying implicit message in a story that reveals a universal truth to the reader. The author hopes that the reader will recognize the implicit themes embedded inside a story. Identifying themes not only helps one understand the true deeper meaning of a story, but also helps one learn about life. The Old Man and The Sea, written by Ernest Hemingway, is a novella about a dedicated old man who ends up on a journey to conquer a fish, and his own fears of insecurity. The Old Man and The Sea has important themes within it. Two significant themes in this novella are stoicism, and love and compassion. These two themes are present throughout the novella. To fully value the story, one must recognize the presence of the theme in order to appreciate this novella's true deeper meaning.

Stoicism is a philosophy that suggests that morality...