Santiago's Defeat

Defeat is a difficult feeling to cope with. In sports games, it is always difficult to lose. All people respond to defeat differently. Most people will give up and go home, but very few will refuse to be defeated and keep fighting even after the battle is over. In The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, the character Santiago is an excellent example remaining undefeated and enduring to the end. For eighty-four days, Santiago had set out to sea and returned empty-handed. On the eighty-fifth day Santiago embarked a wearisome fishing trip at sea that lasted three days. Santiago wrangled with a huge marlin for many hours. He finally captured the marlin but it was later eaten by sharks. Throughout this wearing trip Santiago remained undefeated.
Santiago is an old man but he is cheerful and always working his hardest. He may be approaching death at his old age but he refuses to submit to it. Santiago has had lots of learning experiences in his life and he has gained lots of knowledge through these experiences. Santiago works hard despite his age and his recent lack of success. Santiago was able to see that every unsuccessful day put him one day closer to success. “Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated.” (Hemingway, 10). In Santiago’s eyes, his love for the sea that is always surrounding him is visible. In Santiago’s eyes there is hope. Santiago hopes to catch a fish that will break his “unlucky” streak. His eyes are also full of energy and enthusiasm. Santiago has lots of physical strength and energy that helped him hold on to the massive marlin for days. With energy, enthusiasm, hope, and knowledge Santiago was able to remain undefeated throughout his difficult
Santiago felt destroyed physically after fighting the sharks. It is then that Santiago says, “But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated.” (Hemingway, 103). Santiago had not been defeated by the sharks. Santiago felt that even if he had died trying to save the marlin, he would not have been defeated because he had already won his biggest “prize”, capturing the marlin. Santiago knew that it would make no difference what the outcome would be in future fights with the sharks, he had achieved his goal of capturing the marlin, and nothing could strip that from him. Santiago decided that he would never quit even though he was destroyed. Santiago could be physically destroyed, but he could not be defeated because that would involve agreement, and Santiago would never choose to be