Skill in The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

The skill that Santiago, the old Cuban fisherman in Ernest Hemingway's novella The Old Man and the Sea, exhibits as he struggles to catch a giant marlin in the ocean waters off Cuba is extraordinary. As he beats off the sharks in a futile effort to save his prize, "he is undefeated, he endures, and his loss therefore, in the manner of it, is itself a victory" (Young 125). By the way Hemingway presents Santiago's interactions with the marlin and the Mako shark, he reveals the old fisherman's love and respect for nature and brings out the theme that despite his losses, a man's spirit can remain undefeated. 

As Santiago interacts with and relates to the marlin, he reveals his love for the great fish he has caught. After he has hooked "the biggest fish that he had ever seen" (Hemingway 63) and has struggled with it for more than twenty-four hours, he addresses the marlin and says, ""Fish,'... 'I love you and re- spect you very much" (Hemingway 54). Despite the discomfort and pain Santiago has experienced in his battle with the fish, he still cares deeply about him. He admires his beauty and respects his strength, acknowledging that the marlin is a noble antagonist. Even though Santiago knows that his skill and intelligence will enable him to kill the fish, he shows respect for the marlin's inherent qualities when he thinks, "Never have I seen a greater, . . ., or a calmer or more noble thing than you, brother" (Hemingway 92). Santiago admires the marlin's power and strength and his determined efforts to escape. Engaged in the longest and greatest battle of his life, the giant fish still seems to be "good for ever" (Hemingway 92). Recognizing his kinship with his catch, Santiago sees him as a brother, an equal. According to critic Philip Young, "Santiago's respect for his foe, the marlin, which is love, actually as for a brother, is surpassed by Hemingway's respect for both that fish and Santiago himself, and for the whole of life which this battle epitomizes . . ." (131). Santi- ago reveals the depths of Hemingway's love for nature and those who reverence it and his admiration for those who struggle courageously against unconquerable odds. Santiago's battle suggests that life is a game that man cannot win, but he can conduct himself humbly and courageously while he is being destroyed. 

As Santiago battles the Mako shark that attacks the dead marlin after he has tied it to his skiff, he acknowledges his respect for the shark's courage and determination. When he pierces the heart of the marlin and its blood mixes with the sea, he sees the first shark approaching: "he knew that this was a shark that had no fear at all and would do exactly what he wished" (Hemingway 101). The shark hones in on his prey and is determined to share in Santiago's prize catch. The shark is not afraid of the fisherman or of anything else that stands in the way of the food he seeks. When Santiago thinks about the Mako shark's role in the ocean, he realizes that it is similar to his own: "He lives on the live fish as [I] do. . He is beautiful and noble and knows no fear of any- thing" (Hemingway 105-106). The shark, too, is a fisherman, always in search of food to satisfy his tremendous appetite. Santiago acknowledges and admires the qualities that make the shark a sleek feeding machine. Realizing that he is in the shark's territory, Santiago knows that he will have to fight to keep his prize: "Thus, when the (shark comes), it is almost a thing expected, almost as a punishment which the old man brings upon himself in going far out 'beyond all people" (Burhans 50). Even as he battles this powerful force that fights to keep the marlin for himself, Santiago respects his opponent's determination to fight to the death to carry out his instinctive feeding ritual. The shark is as relentless as Santiago is courageous. 

Through Santiago's epic struggle to bring in his prize marlin through the shark-infested waters, Hemingway brings out the theme that a man's spirit can remain undefeated despite his losses. After the sharks have destroyed half of the marlin, the old man is still determined to battle them, saying, ""I'll fight them until I die" (Hemingway 115). Even though he is struggling with fatigue and physical pain, he is willing to expend his last ounce of energy to defend his catch. He is not going to give up in the middle of a battle; he is going to see this struggle through to its conclusion--even if he dies doing it. He realizes that more sharks will come, but he tells himself, A man can be destroyed but not defeated.'... Don't think, old "Sail on this course and take it when it comes" (Hemingway 103). Santiago realizes that he and his marlin may be destroyed by the hungry sharks, but as long as he does not give up, he can never be truly defeated. His instinct is to give his all to preserve his trophy fish, so he will not let himself think about any other option. He has chosen a response, a course, and he will deal with whatever it brings his way. man,'. . Therefore, he stays his course and prevails: 

With the huge skeleton tied to his skiff, he had brought the proof of his victory home. His courage and endurance are registered with awe   among his fellow fisher- men--'There has never been such a fish'--and he goes to sleep dreaming of those images (of lions] from his youth of brave indomitable power. . . . (Baker 130)

Despite the fact that only bones remain as proof of his great accomplishment, Santiago is undefeated, and his lion-hearted spirit is ready to begin anew his struggle with the natural forces that shape his life as a fisherman. His sleep and his dreams will renew his spirit and bring him back again to the sea that he loves. 

And so Hemingway's use of the ocean waters off Cuba as the setting for his novella is very effective. "There is (an] extraordinary vividness of the back- ground--the sea, which is very personal to Santiago, whose knowledge of it, and feeling for it, bring it brilliantly and lovingly close" (Young 125). Moreover, Santiago's attitude during his struggle with the marlin and the loss of his catch to the sharks transforms this sea story into a message of hope and inspiration for all who struggle with life. As Hemingway himself put it, "'I've always preferred to believe that man is undefeated" (Hotchner 73). Santiago illustrates that belief perfectly.