The Old Man and the Sea

Santiago is an old fisherman who has prevailed over the challenges of his life largely by outlasting them. His willingness to persist, despite pain, exhaustion, and doubt, win him a great prize, and his resilience helps him get through the nightmare that follows. Santiago’s stubborn refusal to quit, whether he wins or loses, is what matters.

As a young sailor, Santiago engaged in arm-wrestling contests. His strength and stamina—he could compete for 24 hours straight—helped him overcome the most powerful dockside opponents. In his old age, Santiago rows out onto the ocean 84 days in a row without catching anything worth selling. He is regarded as unlucky, or “salao,” by his village, and his first mate’s father moves the boy to another man’s boat, yet Santiago continues to fish. On the 85th day, he hooks the largest marlin anyone has ever heard of. This months-long persistence, though, is just the prelude to the titanic battle he must face.

The marlin tows Santiago’s skiff far out to sea, and the old man holds onto the fishing line with just the right amount of tension for two days and two nights without letup. Once engaged in the fight, though, Santiago won’t quit: “‘Fish,’ he said softly, aloud, I’ll stay with you until I am dead’” (31).

His own death becomes a distinct possibility as the days wear on: His hands, back, and forehead receive cuts, and one hand cramps up severely. He suffers from exhaustion, lack of sleep, problems with his eyes, and trouble focusing on the battle. The marlin can, at any time, turn and charge the boat, possibly sinking it or injuring Santiago fatally. To each of these painful challenges, the old man does what he can, intelligently and deliberately.

Santiago’s patience pays off, and he finally defeats and kills the great fish. On his way back to port, however, he must defend his catch against ravenous sharks. Beyond exhaustion, he fights on, slaying several attackers. Despite his monumental efforts, his victory over the marlin is taken from him by the other creatures of the sea, and all he has to show for his efforts is a gigantic skeleton lashed to his boat.

Still, he knows that “[a] man can be destroyed but not defeated” (66). As he walks home to his shack, the skiff’s sail and mast over his shoulder, he stumbles and falls. He sits there for a few minutes, then stands up and continues his walk. Whatever he must do, he will do; nothing except death will stop him. Though the village admires his great catch, his mind is already tackling the next challenge, and he talks with the boy about their upcoming fishing expedition.

For Hemingway, this unwillingness to give up, even in the face of a devastating defeat, is a chief sign of greatness. Persisting in battle, more than winning or losing, is what matters to a person’s spirit; for the author, this quality defines someone’s worthiness and the value of their life.