To Have and Have Not, by Ernest Hemingway, plunges readers into the gritty realities of Depression-era Key West and the perilous waters of the Caribbean. The novel follows Harry Morgan, a fishing boat captain forced into smuggling to provide for his family when legitimate work dries up. Hemingway masterfully explores themes of economic desperation, moral compromise, and the stark divide between the wealthy tourists and the struggling locals. As Harry navigates dangerous encounters with Cuban revolutionaries and the American Coast Guard, his choices reveal the profound impact of scarcity on human dignity and survival, painting a vivid portrait of an individual pushed to his limits by circumstance.