In Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago, the aging fisherman, loses the marlin after a heroic struggle and eventual victory over the massive fish. Santiago battles the marlin for three exhausting days, demonstrating immense physical and mental endurance. He finally catches the fish, tying it to the side of his skiff, and begins his journey back to shore, but his triumph is short-lived as sharks are soon drawn to the scent of the marlin’s blood in the water.
As Santiago sails back, the first shark, a mako, attacks the marlin, tearing into its flesh. Santiago kills the shark, but it has already devoured a significant portion of the marlin. More sharks follow, each one attracted to the blood. Despite Santiago’s relentless attempts to defend the marlin—using every weapon he has, including his harpoon, a club, and even the boat’s rudder—the sharks continue to swarm. Over time, they consume nearly all the flesh of the marlin, leaving only its skeletal remains by the time Santiago reaches shore.
The loss of the marlin represents Santiago’s struggle against nature and the inevitable cycle of loss. Hemingway uses the sharks as a metaphor for the forces in life that diminish or destroy human achievement, despite one’s best efforts. Santiago’s battle with the sharks highlights his unyielding spirit and commitment to honor, but it also underscores the theme of futility in the face of larger, uncontrollable forces.
Santiago’s loss of the marlin is not a failure of skill or courage but rather an exploration of the natural order and the endurance of human dignity. Although he returns home with only the marlin’s skeleton, Santiago’s struggle and perseverance elevate him as a figure of quiet heroism, reflecting Hemingway’s ideal of “grace under pressure.” Through Santiago’s ordeal, Hemingway suggests that while external success can be fleeting, the true measure of a person lies in their ability to confront challenges with resilience and integrity.
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