--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Then he began to pity the great fish that…" description: "\"“Then he began to pity the great fish that he had hooked. He is wonderful and strange and who knows how old he is, he thought.”\" — Ernest Hemingway" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b43/ernest-hemingway-83_quote_then-he-began-to-pity-the-great-fish-tha_1905291.jpg" --- # Then he began to pity the great fish that he had hooked… ![“Then he began to pity the great fish that he had hooked. He is wonderful and strange and who knows how old he is, he thought.” quote by Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b43/ernest-hemingway-83_quote_then-he-began-to-pity-the-great-fish-tha_1905291.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b43/ernest-hemingway-83_quote_then-he-began-to-pity-the-great-fish-tha_1905291.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b43/ernest-hemingway-83_quote_then-he-began-to-pity-the-great-fish-tha_1905291.jpg) > ““Then he began to pity the great fish that he had hooked. He is wonderful and strange and who knows how old he is, he thought.”” [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He feels compassion for the fish, recognizing its mystery and age, reflecting on humility and empathy toward nature. **In simple terms:** He pities the fish, seeing its wonder and unknown age. Key Takeaway Cultivate empathy for all living beings. Themes compassion humility nature reflection Mood thoughtful reflective Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - fishing - wildlife observation - environmental education Key Concepts existentialism ethical awareness Questions to Reflect On - How does recognizing another's mystery change your behavior? - What can we learn from feeling pity for a creature? 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