--- 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. Never have I had such a ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e15/ernest-hemingway-83_old-man_then-he-began-to-pity-the-great-fish-tha_1071444.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. Never have I had such a strong fish nor one who acted so strangely. Perhaps he is too wise to jump. He could ruin me by jumping or by a wild rush. But perhaps he has been…” quote by Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e15/ernest-hemingway-83_old-man_then-he-began-to-pity-the-great-fish-tha_1071444.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e15/ernest-hemingway-83_old-man_then-he-began-to-pity-the-great-fish-tha_1071444.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e15/ernest-hemingway-83_old-man_then-he-began-to-pity-the-great-fish-tha_1071444.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. Never have I had such a strong fish nor one who acted so strangely. Perhaps he is too wise to jump. He could ruin me by jumping or by a wild rush. But perhaps he has been hooked many times before and he knows that this is how he should make his fight. He cannot know it is only one man against him, nor that it is an old man. But what a great fish he is and what will he bring in the market if the flesh is good. He took the bait like a male and he pulls like a male and his fight has no panic in it. I wonder if he has plans or if he is just as desperate as I am?”” [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. A fisherman reflects on a wise, strange fish, pondering fate, struggle, and mutual desperation. **In simple terms:** A fisherman sees a fish as wise and desperate, mirroring his own struggle. Key Takeaway Recognize shared struggle and respect the unknown. Themes nature philosophy existence struggle reflection Mood contemplative melancholic curious Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - fishing trips - personal crises - creative writing - meditative walks - philosophical debates Key Concepts fate wisdom interconnectedness human-animal parallel Questions to Reflect On - What does the fish symbolize for the fisherman? - How does mutual desperation shape conflict? A Different Perspective May romanticize the animal, ignoring ecological realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fish/) [Fish Acted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fish-acted-2671618/) [Fish Hooked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fish-hooked-2671619/) [Great Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-fish-1004560/) [Old man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-man/) [Strong Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong-fish-2671620/) [Took Bait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/took-bait-1541194/) ## Related quotes > [“Then he began to pity the great fish that he had hooked. He is wonderful and strange and who knows how old he is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/then-he-began-to-pity-the-great-fish-that-he-had-hooked-he-is-2/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“He took the bait like a male and he pulls like a male and his fight has no panic in it. I wonder if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/he-took-the-bait-like-a-male-and-he-pulls-like-a-male-and-his-fight/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“The old man's head was clear and good now and he was full of resolution but he had little hope. It was too good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/the-old-man-s-head-was-clear-and-good-now-and-he-was-full-of/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“Then he was sorry for the great fish... How many people will he feed?.. But are they worthy to eat him? No, of course,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/then-he-was-sorry-for-the-great-fish-how-many-people-will-he-feed-but/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“He is a great fish and I must convince him, he thought. I must never let him learn his strength nor what he could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/he-is-a-great-fish-and-i-must-convince-him-he-thought-i-must-never/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“He is a great fish and I must convince him, he thought. I must never let him learn his strength nor what he could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/he-is-a-great-fish-and-i-must-convince-him-he-thought-i-must-never-2/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [When I was a child, my father used to take me for walks, often along a river or by the sea. We would pass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/when-i-was-a-child-my-father-used-to-take-me-for-walks-often-along-a/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [“I’ve seen fish hooked who keep more patience in their worst gill than some of you have in your best moods. If you were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-wakefield/i-ve-seen-fish-hooked-who-keep-more-patience-in-their-worst-gill-than/) [Buddy Wakefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-wakefield/) > [According to the group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, fish have feelings too. Whenever my sons go fishing they always tell me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/according-to-the-group-people-for-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The great fish eat the small.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-barclay/the-great-fish-eat-the-small/) [Alexander Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-barclay/) > [“...as a mark of gratitude for his previous patronage, and a slight super-added morsel after breakfast, put likewise into his hand a whale! The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/as-a-mark-of-gratitude-for-his-previous-patronage-and-a-slight-super/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [The great fish moved silently through the night water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-benchley/the-great-fish-moved-silently-through-the-night-water/) [Peter Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-benchley/) > [A great lie is like a great fish on dry land; it may fret and fling and make a frightful bother, but it cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-crabbe/a-great-lie-is-like-a-great-fish-on-dry-land-it-may-fret-and-fling/) [George Crabbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-crabbe/) > [I cook a great fish, a great salmon. I grill it, get the skin nice and crispy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-rancic/i-cook-a-great-fish-a-great-salmon-i-grill-it-get-the-skin-nice-and/) [Bill Rancic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-rancic/) > [There's plenty of fish in the sea? That's great for the fish but what about me!?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-blue-wolf/there-s-plenty-of-fish-in-the-sea-that-s-great-for-the-fish-but-what/) [Chris Blue Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-blue-wolf/) ## More by Ernest Hemingway > [Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/wine-is-one-of-the-most-civilized-things-in-the-world-and-one-of-the/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“There was no wind, and, outside now of the warm air of the cave, heavy with smoke of both tobacco and charcoal, with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/there-was-no-wind-and-outside-now-of-the-warm-air-of-the-cave-heavy/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“It was not brilliant bull-fighting. It was only perfect bull-fighting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/it-was-not-brilliant-bull-fighting-it-was-only-perfect-bull-fighting/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [One cat just leads to another. The place is so damned big it doesn't really seem as though there were many cats until you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/one-cat-just-leads-to-another-the-place-is-so-damned-big-it-doesn-t/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Creation's probably overrated. After all, God made the world in only six days and rested on the seventh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/creation-s-probably-overrated-after-all-god-made-the-world-in-only/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“Viva my husband who was Mayor of this town”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/viva-my-husband-who-was-mayor-of-this-town/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“The earth gets tired of being exploited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/the-earth-gets-tired-of-being-exploited/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [What is moral is what you feel good after, and what is immoral is what you feel bad after.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/what-is-moral-is-what-you-feel-good-after-and-what-is-immoral-is-what/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“We drove out along the coast road. There was the green of the headlands, the white, red-roofed villas, patches of forest, and the ocean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/we-drove-out-along-the-coast-road-there-was-the-green-of-the/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [As a Nobel Prize winner I cannot but regret that the award was never given to Mark Twain, nor to Henry James, speaking only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/as-a-nobel-prize-winner-i-cannot-but-regret-that-the-award-was-never/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Oh, darling, I've been so miserable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/oh-darling-i-ve-been-so-miserable/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [I read my own books sometimes to cheer me when it is hard to write, and then I remember that it was always difficult,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/i-read-my-own-books-sometimes-to-cheer-me-when-it-is-hard-to-write/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“You find everything on earth at Harry's." "Yes, my Colonel. Except, possibly, happiness." "I'll damn well find happiness, too," the Colonel assured him. "Happiness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/you-find-everything-on-earth-at-harry-s-yes-my-colonel-except/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“No. It's bad for me. Cole Porter wrote the words and the music. This knowledge that you're going mad for me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/no-it-s-bad-for-me-cole-porter-wrote-the-words-and-the-music-this/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“everything kills everything else in some way. Fishing kills me exactly as it keeps me alive. The boy keeps me alive, he thought. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/everything-kills-everything-else-in-some-way-fishing-kills-me-exactly/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) [Explore all 1,464 Ernest Hemingway quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) ## More Fish quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [I love to fish. I love the peacefulness of being around the water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evonne-goolagong-cawley/i-love-to-fish-i-love-the-peacefulness-of-being-around-the-water/) [Evonne Goolagong Cawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evonne-goolagong-cawley/) > [Batley and Spen has a high proportion of people working in manufacturing, and we can boast the full range of industries, including high-skilled, precision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/batley-and-spen-has-a-high-proportion-of-people-working-in/) [Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/) > [Fly-fishing for wild trout on quiet waters must be one of the toughest and craziest ways to catch fish ever invented by man, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-voelker/fly-fishing-for-wild-trout-on-quiet-waters-must-be-one-of-the/) [John D. Voelker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-voelker/) > [My kids all do love to hunt and fish. When they get together, I think that's what they get together more for than anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicklaus/my-kids-all-do-love-to-hunt-and-fish-when-they-get-together-i-think/) [Jack Nicklaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicklaus/) > [Most people are sensitized to animals through their cats and dogs, but for me it was a flounder. I used to go fishing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mathews/most-people-are-sensitized-to-animals-through-their-cats-and-dogs-but/) [Dan Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mathews/) > [“If this were a fairy tale, this would be the part where the fishboy appears and Diana shoots him through the heart. Because he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-moskowitz/if-this-were-a-fairy-tale-this-would-be-the-part-where-the-fishboy/) [Hannah Moskowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-moskowitz/) > [I do not believe in eating fish hot. People always insist on hot fish, but that leaves it dried out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-zakarian/i-do-not-believe-in-eating-fish-hot-people-always-insist-on-hot-fish/) [Geoffrey Zakarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-zakarian/) > [Many years ago I was fishing, and as I was reeling in the poor fish, I realised, 'I am killing him - all for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/many-years-ago-i-was-fishing-and-as-i-was-reeling-in-the-poor-fish-i/) [Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/) > [I don't eat meat - chicken, fish, none of that. I eat a lot of vegetable sandwiches, like lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, cucumbers, whatever I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gza/i-don-t-eat-meat-chicken-fish-none-of-that-i-eat-a-lot-of-vegetable/) [Gza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gza/) > [“Fish are unable, of course, to speak for themselves about how we treat them. They have ways of communicating with each other and, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-morell/fish-are-unable-of-course-to-speak-for-themselves-about-how-we-treat/) [Virginia Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-morell/) > [Undoubtedly, church fish fries and picnics help build social cohesion. It was at my dad's medium-size evangelical church - my first real exposure to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/undoubtedly-church-fish-fries-and-picnics-help-build-social-cohesion/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [“Similarly, take the time to get into shape so you can get to that great spot and be able to fish it all day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-deeter/similarly-take-the-time-to-get-into-shape-so-you-can-get-to-that/) [Kirk Deeter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-deeter/) > [“It's a familiar, if not exactly inspiring, message: in the face of slim pickings, lower your standards. It also makes clear the converse: with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-christian-tom-griffiths/it-s-a-familiar-if-not-exactly-inspiring-message-in-the-face-of-slim/) [Brian Christian, Tom Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-christian-tom-griffiths/) > [The kind of fishing that I do is pretty much bass, trout or freshwater fishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-steyn/the-kind-of-fishing-that-i-do-is-pretty-much-bass-trout-or-freshwater/) [Dale Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-steyn/) [Browse all 2,977 Fish quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fish/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“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. Never have I had such a strong fish nor one who acted so strangely. Perhaps he is too wise to jump. He could ruin me by jumping or by a wild rush. But perhaps he has been hooked many times before and he knows that this is how he should make his fight. He cannot know it is only one man against him, nor that it is an old man. But what a great fish he is and what will he bring in the market if the flesh is good. He took the bait like a male and he pulls like a male and his fight has no panic in it. 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