oars

The oars are the old man Santiago's essential tools for propulsion and, after the marlin is killed, his improvised weapons against the sharks. They are the instruments through which he exerts his will on the sea and, later, the objects that bear the brunt of his final, desperate defense of his catch.

Identity and Function

Santiago's oars are the simple, wooden implements that allow him to row his skiff. He fits the rope lashings of the oars onto the thole pins and, leaning forward against the thrust of the blades in the water, begins to row out of the harbour in the dark. They are his only means of moving the boat when there is no wind, and he uses them to keep his lines straight and at their proper depths. The oars are also a measure of his strength and endurance; he rows steadily, keeping well within his speed, and lets the current do a third of the work. They are part of the gear he carries, along with the coiled lines, the gaff, and the harpoon, when he and the boy Manolin haul the skiff up the bank.

Improvised Drag and Weapon

After hooking the great marlin, Santiago devises a way to slow the fish's progress during the night. He decides to lash the two oars together across the stern to create a drag, thinking, "I'll lash the two oars together across the stern and that will slow him in the night." This tactic is a calculated risk, as the added drag might cause him to lose too much line if the fish makes a sudden run, but he judges it necessary to buy himself rest. Later, after the marlin is killed and lashed to the skiff, the oars take on a new, desperate purpose. When the sharks begin to attack, Santiago lashes his knife to the butt of one of the oars, creating a makeshift spear. He says aloud, "Now," he said. "I am still an old man. But I am not unarmed." He uses this weapon to stab at the shovel-nosed sharks, driving the blade into their brains and eyes. When the knife blade snaps during an attack, he is left with only the oars themselves, the tiller, and a short club. He thinks, "Now they have beaten me," he thought. "I am too old to club sharks to death. But I will try it as long as I have the oars and the short club and the tiller." He uses the oar handle as a club, swinging it at the sharks' heads, feeling the rubbery solidity and the rigidity of bone as he strikes.

The Final Defense

In the midnight attack by a pack of sharks, Santiago's oars become his last, futile weapons. He clubbed at heads and heard the jaws chop, but then he felt something seize the club and it was gone. He jerks the tiller free from the rudder and beats and chops with it, holding it in both hands, but the sharks tear the marlin apart. The oars, like the knife and the club, are ultimately insufficient against the relentless predators. The old man is left with nothing but the splintered butt of the tiller, which he drives into a shark's head. The oars, once symbols of his self-reliance and skill, are reduced to broken, useless fragments in the face of the sea's overwhelming forces.

Narrative Significance

The oars trace the arc of Santiago's struggle from a confident, skilled fisherman to a beaten but undefeated man. They begin as the tools of his trade, used with precision and strength. They become an extension of his cunning when he uses them as a drag. Finally, they are transformed into desperate weapons, their failure marking the point at which he is finally and irrevocably beaten. The oars are not merely objects; they are the physical manifestation of Santiago's resourcefulness, his pride, and his ultimate, tragic limitation. They are the tools with which he tries to impose his will on the sea, and they are the instruments that break in his hands when the sea's forces prove too great.