How Does Santiago Exist

I agree with William, Handy about Santiago, in the novel The Old Man and the Sea, achieving his true existence or at least him knowing all his values. Santiago reaches this level of existence by being a kind person and always hopeful. Also he achieves this with his strength, courage, and determination. Santiago has a lot of courage that could affect his meaning of his true existence. “If sharks come, God pity him and me.”(Hemingway pg. 68) When he says this, he is taking a risk that a shark could come and kill the fish before he does which could kill him in the process. “ Now, you can let the cord go, hand, and I will handle him with the right arm alone until you stop that nonsense.”(Hemingway pg. 59) He is also taking a risk here by letting his right hand handle the huge marlin all on its own without the left hands help he could lose the fish! “But know they were in hurricane months and, when there are no hurricanes, the hurricane months is the best of all the year.”(Hemingway pg. 61) If you go out on a small fishing boat after a marlin the size of a man in hurricane moths, you have a death wish. Either that or you are a very lucky man. People die of hurricanes coming from the sea that he is in. All of these things can affect his true existence of being courageous.
His Determination to catch the fish also helps with his true existence.
“It was noon when I hooked him, and I have never seen him.”(Hemingway pg. 46) He has no clue as to what he caught at this point and is determined to catch whatever it is because it seems to weigh a lot. “Fish, I will stay with you until I am dead.”(Hemingway pg. 52) This just flat out shows Santiago’s determination to catch the marlin because it could be all the luck in his life. “I’ll kill him though, in all his greatness and his glory.”(Hemingway pg. 66) This is another quote that just shows that he is very determined to catch the fish. Determination is the key to accomplishing a lot of things and it is most important in Santiago’s
life. Santiago’s strength pushes him a long to realizing what he is capable of like catching a man-sized marlin in a small boat in the sea. “But are you strong enough now for a truly big fish? ‘I think so. And there are many tricks.”(Hemingway pg. 16) In this quote, he values skill and wit over physical strength. “They were strange shoulders, still powerful although very old, and the neck was still strong too and the creases did not show so much when the old man was asleep and his head fallen forward.”(Hemingway pg. 18) This shows how strong the old man is even though his physical appearance may deceive others. “But none of these scars were fresh. They were as old as erosions in a fishless desert.” (Hemingway pg. 10) Again his physical appearance deceives the reader into thinking that he is old and weak now. His strength can lead to his true existence in Santiago’s mind but not just physical strength but also mental. I agreed with Handy, William when he says that Santiago had achieved his true existence. All these traits have helped him understand his true existence. I also wanted to say that I did enjoy this book even though it is a very slow paced book.