Santiago's 'Defeat'

If a man can be destroyed, but not defeated, does one have the ability to determine their own strength of life? What makes man defeated, but not destroyed? The word “ destroy” is defined as extinguishing a form completely or injuring it beyond the point of possible renewal or renovation. “Defeat” is defined as being eliminated, vanquished, or overturned. These two words are major key components in Santiago’s quote, "A man can be destroyed but not defeated" (Hemingway 103). Together, they create a significance for the entire book adding positivity, negativity, and emotional imbalance. The whole reasoning behind Santiago sailing out to sea was in hopes of finding a fish to save his fishing career. For a very long time, people doubted Santiago’s capabilities of fishing considering his old age. Although many people didn’t see him as a true fisherman, Manolin, a young boy Santiago mentors, persistently continues to stand up for him and kindly takes care of him, even though Santiago always stubbornly refuses. Manolin refuses to see Santiago as just an “old man.” “Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated.” (10) Even though people may think lowly of
“Defeat” can also be explained as overpowered, beat, failure, and even rejection. These two words cast a certain feel of an everlasting foreshadowing promise to Santiago that causes him to learn how to adjust to these future events. They also proceed to influence him through his journey on the sea, to figure out what it is he’s truly searching for. This story, The Old Man and the Sea, teaches us that one can determine their own strength of life through worthiness, honor, glory, dignity, defeat, and destruction. “A man can be killed, but as long as he doesn't quit he can't really be