NobookhaseverinfluencedmesomuchasTheoldManandtheSeaItisanovelettebyErnestHemingwayaboutafishermannamedSantiagowhofinallyprovedhimselfaherobyhiscourageperseveranceandconfidenceAftereighty-fourdaysofunsuccessfulfishingtheweather-beatenyetwell-experiencedoldmandecidedtogointotheGulfStreamtocatchabigfishThusontheeighty-fifthdayhewentaloeinhisskiffandhookedabigmarlinAfterstrugglingwithitfortwodaysandtwonightsheatlastkilledthebigfishExhaustedbuthappyhereturnedwiththefishExhaustedbuthappyhereturnedwiththefishlashedtotheskiffbutonhishomewardjourneybothheandthefishwereattackedbysharksanduponhisarrivalattheharborinHavanaztherewasnothingbutthebigskeletonofthefishtoprovehisheroismatseaAtthecloseofthestoryIwasdeeplystruckbytheironwilloftheprotagonist."Amanisnotmadefordefeat,"saidtheoldman."Amancanbedestroyedbutnotdefeated."SuchwordsareafilliptomewhenIlookbackonmyfailureintheentranceexaminationlastyear.IwasthensoupsetthatIevenquestionedthemeaningofexistence.YettheHemigwaybookbringshometomethetruthofthesaying"Failureisthemotherofsuccess,"whichIhavenevertakenseriouslybefore.Ialsoknowthatthewilltostruggleiswhatcounts,nottheresultthereof.Withtheunderstandingthatnomanisperfect,Iregaintheconfidenceinmyabilitytostudyharder.IbelieveIcanmakeitthisyear.